Sir William Nicholson

The Family of the Artist and thence by descent to the present owner

Probably London, Chenil Gallery, circa 1908;
Nottingham, Museum and Art Gallery, Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by William Nicholson, 11th March - 24th April 1933, cat. no.3.

Lillian Browse, William Nicholson, Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1956, cat. no.52, p.44;
Patricia Reed, William Nicholson, Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, Modern Art Press, London, 2011, cat. no.133, illustrated p.139.

Sound board. There are pin holes visible to the canvas in all four corners. The canvas overlap is loose in places on the reverse. There are some old, minor frame abrasions visible to the extreme edge of the board, not wholly visible in the present frame. There is very minor possible light surface dirt, with one or two tiny traces of minor studio detritus visible upon extremely close inspection, but this excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals some very minor, old areas of fluorescence and possible retouchings to the aforementioned slight frame abrasions. Housed in a thick, shabby gilt wooden 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.
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We are grateful to Patricia Reed for her kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

Tenterdencaptures a lovely summer scene of William Nicholson’s children on a family outing playing by the river. The work was painted whilst the Nicholsons were staying with the Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry at Smallhythe in Kent.  Nancy relaxes in a canoe and Ben poses at the centre of the composition, balancing an extremely long fishing rod, while Tony sits with his back to us, concentrating on fishing at the lower right of the composition.