Graham Sutherland, O.M.

Acquired directly from the Artist by Giorgio Soavi
His sale, Sotheby's Milan, 21st April 2009, lot 2, where acquired by the present owner

The sheet is adhered by means of a central strip to the black backing card, however all four covers remain un-adhered. The sheet is a leaf from a notebook, and as such the extreme left hand edge is uneven and torn, with minor deckling along the top edge. A minor tear from the extreme left hand edge encroaches less that 0.5 centimetres into the grey pencilled area of the tree form, and there is minor surface dirt to the orange gouache body as one may expect owing to the nature of the material. There is further very minor creasing along the extreme left hand edge, owing to its nature as a leaf from a notebook. Held under glass, float-mounted against black card, and set in a black-painted and gilt wooden frame, with two feet at the base. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 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."