Henry Scott Tuke, R.A., R.W.S.

Bought from the artist c.1908 by his Highness Ranjitsinghi Vibhaji Jadejas, Jam Sahib of Nawangar and with him until his death in 1933, thence by descent;
Sotheby's, 5 March 1980, lot 30;
David Carritt Ltd., London;
Corporate collection, London;
Phillips, 2 November 1999, lot 7;
Christie's, 11 June 2003, lot 21;
Private collection

London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Country Painters, Autumn 1907;
Falmouth, Falmouth Art Gallery, Coming Home to Falmouth: An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Henry Scott Tuke, R.A., June-July 1985, no. 37.

B.D. Price (annotator), The Registers of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929), 1983, no. 566;
Emmanuel Cooper, The Life and Work of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929), 1987, illustrated p. 50;
David Wainwright and Catherine Dinn, Under Canvas, Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929), 1989, p. 104, illustrated pl. 85

STRUCTURE The canvas has been relined. There are areas of craquelure across the surface, only visible upon close inspection; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV light reveals areas of infilling to the craquelure predominantly to the figure behind and to the standing figure, especially his legs, and a lesser extent about the female figure. There are further small, isolated areas of retouching across the surface. FRAME Held in a gilt composite frame. Please contact the department on 0207 293 5718 if you have any questions about the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted after the heyday of the colony of artists who made their home in Newlyn and took their inspiration from the local people and environment, Return from Fishing harks back to the colony's earlier stimulus in which light and harmony of colour are combined with a genuine interest in the everyday activities of the people. By the turn of the century many of the painters that had been in Newlyn had moved away from this approach to painting but Tuke's enthusiasm was undiminished and he remained greatly inspired by the Cornish coast and its people. It was in the decades immediately before and after the turn of the century that Tuke painted his greatest works, including The Message of 1890 (Falmouth Art Gallery), August Blue of 1893 (Tate Britain), Ruby, Gold and Malachite (Guildhall Art Gallery, London) and The Run Home both painted in 1901 (Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro), Noonday Heat of 1902 (Tuke Collection, Falmouth Art Gallery).

Return from Fishing depicts a glorious summer day, with light shimmering off the ocean where the fleet of herring boats are moored offshore and the younger members of the community are idling on the beach and rowing in the calm waters. A young woman is in conversation, perhaps flirtatiously, with a young man who is sitting on the edge of a row-boat, whilst another young man walks past laden with furled sails after an early morning spent at sea fishing; his silvery catch is laid out on the beach. His trouser legs are rolled up from wading in the shallows and he treads carefully over the shingle with his bare feet. His face is tanned with the colour of a boy who has spent long periods of time in the sunlight and this is indicative of the main subject of the picture, of the reflection of the summer light that the artists who painted in Cornwall celebrated as like no other.

The model for the female figure in Return to Fishing was Isa Watson, who according to David Wainwright and Catherine Dinn, was Tuke's only 'successful female model'. She was a professional artist's model from Shepherd's Bush who spent two months in Cornwall during the summer of 1905. Tuke used her as the model for both of the figures in his main Royal Academy exhibit of 1906 The Pearl (unlocated). Tuke persuaded Isa to return to Cornwall in 1906 so that he could include her in Return from Fishing. The models for the male figures were the twenty-three year old Harold Robinson perched on the edge of the boat and Tuke's favourite model Charlie Mitchell carrying the sail. Mitchell posed for almost all of Tuke's important canvases of this period, including Midsummer Morning of 1907 (Christie's, 19 February 2003, lot 23). Robinson was the nephew of the artist Thomas Cooper Gotch and was an engineering student. It is interesting to note that in Return to Fishing Robinson is dressed as an undergraduate chatting with Isa who is dressed as a fishergirl, thus making a contrast with the working-class costume of Mitchell.

Tuke was a competent all-round sportsman and became very interested in cricket around the time that Return from Fishing was painted. Through his friendship with G.W. Beldam he was introduced to a number of professional players including W.G. Grace and, in February 1908, Ranjitsinhji (Ranji) - one the finest cricketers in the game's history. Coached by the legendary player, Beldam later remarked that Tuke 'became quite good at Ranji's leg-glide, and, had he taken up the game earlier, would have been a batsman above the average' (letter to the artist's sister, Maria Tuke Sainsbury, Henry Scott Tuke R.A., R.W.S.: A Memoir, 1933, p.141). Tuke and his model Charlie Mitchell were invited to Shillinglee Park in Sussex, the temporary home of Ranji and on this occasion or soon afterwards Ranji bought two pictures from Tuke, Sailors Yarning (sold in these rooms for a record price, 11 December 2007, lot 75) and the present work. Ranji also commissioned Tuke to paint his portrait in full Maharaja regalia in the same year. The artist's sister cites a letter written by Ranji to the artist's family in later years: ''Very soon we all called him Tuko, for he had a most delightful personality and was a man well beloved by all of us... He will always remain in my remembrance as one whom it was a privilege to have known'' (ibid. Sainsbury, p.143).