- 177
Sir William Orpen R.A., R.H.A.
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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Description
- Sir William Orpen R.A., R.H.A.
- the howitzer in action
- signed l.r.: ORPEN
- pencil and watercolour
- 39 by 47.5cm., 15½ by 18¾in.
- Executed in 1917.
Provenance
The artist's family, thence by descent;
Their sale, Christies, London, 9 May 1996, lot 102
Their sale, Christies, London, 9 May 1996, lot 102
Exhibited
Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland, William Orpen, A Centenary Exhibition, November - December 1978, no.201.
Condition
The sheet is sound and does not appear to be laid down. It cockles and there are two or three very faint, minor spots of foxing to isolated areas of the sheet; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition.
Held under glass in a gilt plaster frame with a grey mount; unexamined out of 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."
"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
Orpen was sent to France in the spring of 1917 under the War Artist's scheme, which was part of the Propaganda Department at Wellington House. Yet rather than portray events with a sentiment and feeling as was his chief directive, he presented hard facts. The result, when he held a large exhibition of his works entitled War at Agnew's in 1918, was mixed - a popular rather than critical success. Orpen however felt compelled to convey the truth, and with his exhibition at Agnew's, was the first major artist of the war to present to the British people a comprehensive picture of the war as he had experienced it.
The present work is a brilliant 'action' painting, and is developed further in another slightly larger version in the collection of the Imperial War Museum, London, illustrated in Bruce Arnold, Orpen, Mirror to an Age, London, 1981, p.340.
The present work is a brilliant 'action' painting, and is developed further in another slightly larger version in the collection of the Imperial War Museum, London, illustrated in Bruce Arnold, Orpen, Mirror to an Age, London, 1981, p.340.