Roger Hilton

Waddington Galleries, London
New Art Centre, London
Sale, Phillips London, 2nd November 1999, lot 143
Jonathan Clark & Co., London, where acquired by the present owner

London, Jonathan Clark & Co., Oi Yoi Yoi,  11th October - 10th November 2000, cat. no.14.

Andrew Lambirth, Roger Hilton: The Figured Landscape of Thought, Thames & Hudson, London, 2007, p.96, illustrated.

Original canvas. The work is float-mounted, revealing the extreme edges of the canvas. Previous framing marks are apparent, most noticeably in the form of two very minor pinholes to the bottom right. There is some minor dust and dirt to the canvas, most noticeably to the thicker areas of impasto. The bare canvas is visible in parts throughout the composition, in line with the artist's technique. There is one minor line of craquelure to the centre of the bottom edge, in line with the stretcher bar. This excepting the work appears to be in very good condition. Ultraviolet light reveals two very minor areas of fluorescence and retouching, the first towards the top of the white section of the extreme left hand edge, most probably in line with a previous framing, measuring approximately 2 centimetres. The second, also most probably in line with a previous framing, to the extreme bottom right hand corner, measuring approximately 3 centimetres along the bottom edge. Housed behind glass in a white painted frame, and float-mounted against a textured white background. Unexamined out of frame. Please contact 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."

Schooled in the formal abstraction of post-war Paris, Hilton's work employs a level of bravura which, when at its best, is truly stunning. In his abstract works, simplified forms which carry with them no implicit figurative references dive back and forth across the canvas, using only a gift for placement and paint manipulation to achieve their effect. Often incorporating a free charcoal over-drawing into the finished images and using the simplest of palettes, his paintings become images representative primarily of an emotional expression.

Whilst at first glance this can appear to engender a relatively limited repertoire, one only need look at the failure of so many of his peers to achieve in their own abstract work the level of release seen in Hilton's paintings to understand why for many he is considered one of the most consistently adventurous and talented artists of his generation.