Sir Herbert James Gunn, R.A.

Lyon & Tunrbull, Edinburgh, 28 November 2006, lot 106;
Ewan Mundy Fine Art, Glasgow, January 2007

Original canvas. The work undulates slightly in the upper corners and there is a minor protrusion by the right hand child along lower edge. Some light surface dirt otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a gilt composite 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."

This lovely painting depicts the harbour of St Ives with children idly resting on an old harbour rail. The unconventional perspective, tonal arrangement and fluid brushwork reveal Gunn’s modernist credentials, an artist who studied at the Académie Julian in Paris between 1911-12 (under Jean-Paul Laurens, like T. C. Gotch before him) and embraced attitudes to painting outside of the traditional schools.

Fashionable beach scenes and townscapes of Paris and London typified Gunn's early career, in which he commonly adopted a high horizon line and a pronounced foreground, as evident in St Ives. However, in 1926 his career took a change of direction when Gunn decided to devote himself to portraiture, establishing a highly successful and prolific career painting for the Establishment, such as H.R.H. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Yet in execution, these portraits maintain the avant-garde background that informed his early career.

From 1926 Gunn began to sign his pictures ‘H. James Gunn’ (rather than ‘H. J. Gunn’) which dates the present work to this period. It is therefore a rare break from his portraiture, and reveals the continual appeal of the landscape to him. It is these landscapes, executed with such style and delicacy, that now form some of the most desirable works of his oeuvre.