Edward Burra

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London, where acquired by Olive, Lady Baillie, 17^th December 1956

London, Tate, Edward Burra, May - July 1973, cat. no.104.

Andrew Causey, Edward Burra: Complete Catalogue, Phaidon, Oxford, 1985, cat. no.248, illustrated.

The sheet is fully laid down to a backing card, with pinholes visible in the two top corners as well as the bottom left corner. There is deckling to all edges, not visible in the present mount. There is a fine, horizontal surface scratch to the centre of the right edge, only visible upon very close inspection. There are one or two very minor flecks of apparent studio detritus to the red in the bottom left corner, which may be in keeping with the artist's original technique. This excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition with bright, vivid colours throughout. Housed behind glass in a thick gilt frame and set within a faded brown card mount. 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."

Turning away from the brutal and often grotesque figurative scenes that had occupied much of his early output, by the 1950s Burra took a new direction in his approach, exploring the theatricality of the still life genre, in particular focusing on floral scenes. These richly coloured compositions, exploring the strangeness of the everyday that so captivated the artist, proved financially viable, selling consistently well through his London dealers. They were bright, bountiful and full of the hope that so abounded in London in the early 1950s. They suited an audience that had had its fill of the horrors and brutal atrocities that had only really emerged following the liberation of occupied Europe, yet allowed Burra a vehicle through which he could explore further the wild and disturbing narratives that had occupied him previously. These were not merely decorative still lifes, as David Sylvester noted in his 1957 review of Burra’s recent exhibition at Alex Reid & Lefevre. Sylvester describes ‘the drama in the flowerpieces … perhaps the most pungent thing Burra has ever given us … more vividly, more intensely, striking and disturbing, precisely because they need nothing other than their spikey shapes and clashing colours to make them so’ (New Statesman, 25^th May 1957, quoted in Andrew Causey, Edward Burra: The Complete Catalogue, Phaidon, Oxford, 1985, p.73).

In Cyclamen the colours and composition work together to create an almost menacing dramatic dialogue, set against a dark and brooding inky blue background. Painted from life, the present work displays Burra’s adept skills as a draughtsman, with the delicate, cascading white heads and the curling green leaves all balanced precariously in the blue and white bowl beneath. The flower heads take on animate, human qualities, appearing as a cluster of figures clad in white.

The present work was purchased from the Lefevre Gallery in 1956 by the distinguished collector Olive, Lady Baillie, daughter of Lord Queensborough and whose mother descended from the fabled Whitney family. In 1924 Olive purchased the run-down Leeds Castle, near Maidstone in Kent, and over the next half a century transformed the house into a glamorous weekend retreat for parties that included the likes of the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson, Noel Coward, Ian Fleming and Errol Flynn. At Leeds Castle, and their London home in Lowndes Square, Olive sought out the most exquisite items, aided by the best Parisian decorator, Stéphane Boudin, filling both houses with exquisite French and British works, nestled between a stunning ménage of Meissen birds and animals. In May this year Sotheby’s were honoured to offer for sale property from the collection of Sir Gawaine & Lady Baillie, featuring the most important private collection of Meissen birds and animals ever to come to auction.