John Craxton, R.A.

Princesse Calimachi
Costa Achillopoulos
Karya Utama Gallery, London
Peter Nahum
Acquired by a Private Collection in 2007

Athens, British Council Exhibition, December 1946 (details untraced);
London, London Gallery, An Exhibition of Recent Paintings and Drawings by John Craxton and Lucian Freud, October - November 1947, cat. no.2 (as Autumn Landscape of Hills);
London, Fischer Fine Art, The British Neo-Romantics 1935-1950, July-August 1983, un-numbered catalogue.

Ian Collins, John Craxton, Lund Humphries, Farnham, 2011, illustrated pl.83.

The sheet appears only partially laid down to a backing card, but is sealed along the extreme edges. The work appears as two leaves, with a full vertical join running through the centre of the composition. There is minor cockling noticeable to the sheet. There are visible creases and tears, all repaired sympathetically and mostly occurring along the extreme edges of the work, with resultant areas of in-filling, but also elsewhere throughout the composition, most noticeable around the central join. There is isolated areas of flaking to all four quadrants, with some spots of resultant loss. Elsewhere there is surface dirt and studio detritus to the work, but the work appears with rich, vivid colours throughout. Housed behind glass in a gilt 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."

For lots 121-123, please note: Ian Collins is currently preparing the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist's work and would like to hear from owners for inclusion in this comprehensive catalogue. Please write to Ian Collins, c/o Sotheby's Modern & Post-War British Art, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA.

John Craxton had been living and working on the Greek island of Poros from June 1946, where his close friend Lucian Freud joined him for several months from September. In October they visited the nearby island of Spetsé and Craxton made himself a souvenir in the form of this haunting painting. He had produced dark landscapes based on his trip to the Scillies with Freud the previous late summer and in the intervening period had become steeped in the works of Klee and Miro. But the key influence in his (brightening, dazzling) art henceforth will be Greece itself. 

Ian Collins