John Bellany, R.A.

Sotheby's Gleneagles, 30 August 1994, lot 1096, where purchased by the present owner

Right-Hand Board. Appears sound. Some superficial abrasions otherwise appears in good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals some retouching near the upper left edge and a C-shaped line of retouching approx. 25cm, corresponding to a thin crack to the board, only very faintly visible to the naked eye and not visually distracting. Left-Hand Board. Appears sound. Some superficial abrasions otherwise appears in good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals some small areas of retouching along the upper and left edges, a small area near upper right edge and to some of the nailheads lining the board. Held in match wood box frames.
"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."

God is Lovedates from the late 1960s when Bellany was studying at the Royal College in London (he graduated in 1968) and for many, his output of this time is considered the finest of his career. Born in Port Seton, a small fishing town on the Firth of Forth, Bellany was raised in a deeply religious family, attending three church services each Sunday. By adulthood, he had rebelled from his upbringing and was later profoundly affected by a visit to the concentration camp at Buchenwald in 1967. He became obsessed with death and hell, and as an expression of his despair and disillusionment, he turned frequently to religious imagery, the depiction of all manner of lost souls and figures in concentration camp costume.

At this time in his career, Bellany generally worked on hardboard, painting monumental paintings of figures, often standing before monochrome backgrounds, sometimes with graffiti scrawled on them as in the present lot. The central figure here holds an open book, symbolic of the bible, his white collar suggestive of the robesb of a priest. The two men to the left are smartly dressed in suits and ties, their Sunday best, one has a flute, implying the playing of a hymn. All the figures look somber, the woman on the far right clutches a small child tightly to her breast, her eyes wearily staring at the viewer from behind the baby’s head.

Bellany’s early period culminated in Homage to John Knox of 1969 a large triptych bringing together themes of the day of judgement, marriage as a prison imposed by the church and lost souls. This was the last time he painted on hardboard. The change to canvas with its necessary adjustment in technique resulted in a looser and more spontaneous style of working after which many believe he was unable to recapture the intensity and power of his earlier period.