Charles de Sousy Ricketts

Bought from the artist by Laurence W. Hodson of Compton Hall, Wolverhampton, c.1895;
Christie's, South Kensington, 11 September 1985, lot 99;
Private collection

T. Sturge Moore, Charles Ricketts R.A., 1933, illus. pls.XXVII-IX;
J.G.P. Delaney, Charles Ricketts - A Biography, 1990, p.98, illus. Fig.16

STRUCTURE Both sheets have been laid onto card. The artist has added two pieces of paper to the figure of Love on one of the drawings where the position of his foot and hand have been altered. There are minor spots of foxing and some areas where the bodycolour has cracked on both sheets; otherwise the works appear in good overall condition.
"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."

'They are in his best Art Nouveau style and have that marvellous sense of design and decorative effect at which he excelled.' (J.G.P. Delaney, Charles Ricketts - A Biography, 1990, p.98)

These drawings were produced for a projected edition of The Kingis Quair, which never came to fruition. Drawn in 1895 at a time when Ricketts was in particularly strained economic circumstances, they were sold to a collector named Laurence Hodson and relieved a little of his desperate poverty. Hodson was a wealthy brewer from Wolverhampton whose home was decorated by Morris & Co and who owned a set of Burne-Jones tapestries depicting scenes from Arthurian legend. When Ricketts later asked that the drawings be returned to him, Hodson asked for a reason and was told; 'I was starving while I worked on that drawing in dejection and misery. I would destroy all I did in those months if I could' (op.cit.).  Hodson refused to return them and therefore they remain rare examples of Ricketts work at this time.