Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.

Leicester Galleries, London, where purchased by Mrs Oswald Birley in 1938

London, Leicester Galleries, A.J. Munnings, R.A., April-May 1938, no.20.

Rhoda Koenig, ‘Top Dog’, The World of Interiors, December 1996, illustrated p.67.

Original canvas, a minor undulation in the lower right corner. There are small isolated spots of staining to the surface, located mainly in the sky. The surface is dirty and should benefit from a light clean, otherwise the work is in good overall condition with some strong areas of impasto. Under UV light there appear to be no signs of retouching. Held in a gilt plaster frame.
"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."

Langham Mill Pool was a favourite spot of Sir Alfred Munnings, situated within three miles of his home, Castle House, in Dedham. In his memoirs he writes of, ‘launching [canoes] over Stratford lock, then to Langham Mill lock, then Boxted and from there on up to Nayland, passing along levels with the banks on peaceful, calm surfaces, forcing the canoes through eddying narrows, between thick clumps of dark-green rushes in the shallows… No sleeping landscape-painter could ever dream of the rich beauty and peace of the scene’ (Sir Alfred Munnings, The Second Burst, Museum Press Ltd, London, 1951, pp.49-50).

With characteristic fervour, bold sunlight illuminates the landscape of Langham-on-the-Stour while a sense of an encroaching storm is suggested through the fluid, Impressionist brushwork that Munnings employs to articulate the swaying of the background poplar trees and pond grasses, animating the entire scene.

We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos for her kind assitance with the cataloguing of the present work.