Sir John Watson Gordon R.A., P.R.S.A.

Joseph Pulitzer and Kate Davis Pulitzer;
Their estate sale, New York, American Art Association, 10 January 1929, lot 33.

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. There are a number of extremely small flecks of white paint in the lower section of the painting. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor retouching overall, and infilling to craquelure in the flesh tones of the face. FRAME Held in a gilded, neo-classical style wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"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."

A celebrated essayist, poet and novelist, Charles Lamb was born in London in 1775, the son of a servant, John Lamb, and his wife Elizabeth. In 1782, under the patronage of his father's employer Samuel Salt, a bencher of the Inner Temple, Lamb was enrolled at Christ's Hospital school, where he was was a fellow pupil with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was through Coleridge, whom would remain a source of much of Lamb's inspiration throughout his life, and with whom he collaborated in the publication of a series of poems in 1797, that Lamb met William and Dorothy Wordsworth, who would equally remain lifelong friends. A close associate of William Hazlitt, with whom he shared a critical enthusiasm for painting, Lamb was an integral part of the literary world of Regency England, and a central figure in the Romantic movement.