- 28
Edward John Poynter
Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Edward John Poynter
- Feeding the Sacred Ibis in the Halls of Karnac
- signed and dated 18EJP71 in a monogram (lower right)
- oil on canvas
- 38 by 29 3/4 in.
- 96.5 by 75.5 cm
Provenance
Thomas Wardell, Esq., Rathgar, Dublin (and sold, his sale, Christie's, London, May 29, 1880, lot 56)
Agnew's London (acquired at the above sale)
Robert Rankin, Esq. (and sold, his sale, Christie's, London, May 14, 1898, lot 69)
Richardson (acquired at the above sale)
Merton Russell-Cotes (and sold, his sale, Christie's, London, May 16, 1919, lot 138)
Sampson (acquired at the above sale)
The Fine Art Society, London
Agnew's London (acquired at the above sale)
Robert Rankin, Esq. (and sold, his sale, Christie's, London, May 14, 1898, lot 69)
Richardson (acquired at the above sale)
Merton Russell-Cotes (and sold, his sale, Christie's, London, May 16, 1919, lot 138)
Sampson (acquired at the above sale)
The Fine Art Society, London
Exhibited
London, Royal Academy, 1871, no. 238
Literature
The Art Journal, 1871, p. 153
The Art Journal, 1874, p. 26, illustrated opp.
Herbert Sharp, "The Work of Edward Poynter," Studio, vol. 7, 1896, p. 8
Cosmo Monkhouse, "Sir Edward J. Poynter, President of the Royal Academy, his Life & Work," The Easter Art Annual, 1897, p. 12, 32, illustrated p. 2
Herman de Meulenaere, Ancient Egypt in Nineteenth Century Painting, Belgium, 1992, p. 108, illustrated opp.
The Art Journal, 1874, p. 26, illustrated opp.
Herbert Sharp, "The Work of Edward Poynter," Studio, vol. 7, 1896, p. 8
Cosmo Monkhouse, "Sir Edward J. Poynter, President of the Royal Academy, his Life & Work," The Easter Art Annual, 1897, p. 12, 32, illustrated p. 2
Herman de Meulenaere, Ancient Egypt in Nineteenth Century Painting, Belgium, 1992, p. 108, illustrated opp.
Condition
The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.:
This work has been cleaned fairly recently. The canvas has an old glue lining which is well supporting the paint layer. There are no structural damages and the paint layer is not abraded. There are a few retouches around the edges, particularly the bottom edge. The condition is very respectable within the picture itself. A fresh coat of varnish would perhaps be beneficial, but the picture could otherwise be hung as is, in its original frame.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."
Catalogue Note
Poynter painted a number of Egyptian subjects in the 1860s, including a number of single figure compositions portraying the daily life and rituals of Ancient Egypt such as On Guard in the time of the Pharoahs (1864, Private Collection), Offerings to Isis (1866, Newport Museum and Art Gallery, South Wales), and Adoration of Ra (1867). Feeding the Sacred Ibis in the Halls of Karnac seems to have been the last of this group. Poynter studied in Paris between 1856 and 1859 and spent much of that period in the atelier of Charles Gleyre, who had travelled to Egypt in 1834-35 and returned not only with a large number of watercolors of the ruins and people but with an abiding fascination with Egyptian culture.