- 354
James Barry R.A.
Estimate
2,500 - 3,500 GBP
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Description
- James Barry R.A.
- The Education of Achilles
- The first: pen and brown ink over pencil;
signed lower right: J Barry Inv., inscribed verso: Phthengomia ois Themis estin thusan epithestho Bebeloir / pasin omois – Orpheus -, stamped lower left with an unidentified collectors mark;
the second: brown wash over traces of black chalk, on two sheets of wove paper;
signed lower left: Ja.u Barry; inscribed in blue ink lower right: C. Bentley - The first: 350 by 270 mm; the second 384 by 212 mm
together with a Standing Male in the Pose of Hercules, by the same hand
Provenance
The first: purchased from Alister Mathews, June 1951;
the second: George, 4th Earl of Warwick (1818-1893) (L.2600);
possibly his sale, London, Christie's, 20-21 May 1896, unknown lot number;
purchased from Hugh Scarfe, circa 1956
the second: George, 4th Earl of Warwick (1818-1893) (L.2600);
possibly his sale, London, Christie's, 20-21 May 1896, unknown lot number;
purchased from Hugh Scarfe, circa 1956
Exhibited
The second: Newcastle, 1974, no. 118;
London, 1975, no. 75
London, 1975, no. 75
Literature
The second: W. Pressly, The Life and Art of James Barry, London 1981, p. 257, no. 80
Condition
The Education of Achilles
The pen and ink remains strong and easily readable. There are several areas where the paper has discoloured. There is occasional surface dirt, minor scattered fox-marks and a water-stain visible. The pen and ink inscription on the verso can be seen from the recto. The sheet has not been laid down.
A Study of a Male Nude
It appears that Barry has worked on a buff-coloured sheet of paper to execute this drawing. There is evidence of surface dirt and there are areas where the paper has become discoloured. Located in the lower right is an area where the sheet has been rubbed, this almost erases an inscription which reads: C. Bentley. The sheet has been lengthened at its upper edge by the artist. The work has not been laid down, however it is attached at several points verso to a backboard. .
For further information on this lot please contact Mark Griffith-Jones on 0207 293 5083 or mark.griffithjones@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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The first drawing shows Chiron instructing Achilles in the art of music. Barry created it as as a study for his painting The Education of Achilles, a work he exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1772 and which is now at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.
The Study of Hercules is a preparatory drawing for a figure of the demi-god, conceived as a stone statue, on the extreme left of Barry’s painting The Victors of Olympus.1 In 1777 the Royal Society of Arts commissioned him to create six large frieze-panels symbolizing the Progress of Civilization, in order to decorate the Great Room of their London premises. Barry finally completed the scheme in 1784.
1. E. Croft-Murray, Decorative Painting in England 1537-1837, vol. II, London 1962, pp. 168, 169