Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A.

Sir Evan Charteris
The Hon. George Dawney, by descent from the above
Sale, Christie's London, 10th June 1983, lot 47
James Kirkman Ltd., London
Private Collection, London

Wendy Baron, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings, 2006, Yale University Press, New Haven & London, cat. no.492.13, p.452.

Original canvas. There are very minor abrasions to the extreme edge of the work owing to the work being float-mounted. There are very minor traces of light surface dirt, and a few small spots of isolated craquelure, including to the folds of the canvas overlap, only visible upon very close inspection. This excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals areas of fluorescence which appear in keeping with the nature of the materials, and do not suggest retouchings. Float-mounted in a white-painted wooden box frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding 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."

Famed for his French landscapes, including his beloved Dieppe, Sickert turned his attention to the British countryside after the outbreak of War in 1914, and alongside Brighton and Chagford in Devon, Bath became a popular subject matter for the artist.  First visiting in 1916, he returned the two following years, renting a large studio at 10 Bladud Buildings and raved that ‘…Bath is it.  There never was such a place for rest and comfort and leisurely work.  Such country, and such town’ (the Artist in a letter  to Ethel Sands, 1918, quoted in Wendy Baron, Sickert, Phaidon Press Ltd., London, 1973, p.156).  In Bath he captured some of the town’s most well-known monuments, including Lansdown Crescent, Paradise Row, Beechen Cliff from the Belvedere and Pulteney Bridge.  A unique feature of English architecture, the bridge, designed by Robert Adam and opened in 1771 is the only one in the country with houses running along both sides, and was a scene that allowed Sickert to incorporate elements of both the urban and pastoral in a single composition.  There are at least seven painted versions, the largest of which resides in the collection of the Paul Mellon Collection, Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven.