Graham Sutherland, O.M.

Eric Gregory Esq.
Mayor Gallery, London
Marlborough Gallery, London
Marlborough Galleria d'Arte, Rome
Galleria de Foscherari, Bologna, where acquired by the present owner

London, New Burlington Galleries, The International Surrealist Exhibition, 11th June - 4th July 1936, cat. no.339;
Leicester, Institute of Adult Education, Moore, Piper, Sutherland, Leicester Museum and Art Gallery, November - December 1941, cat. no.61, with tour to City Literature Institute, London, Harrogate Art Gallery, Wakefield City Art Gallery, Cambridgeshire Technical School, and National Gallery, London;
Bologna, Galleria de Foscherari, Graham Sutherland : olii e gouaches dal 1936 al 1972, February - March, 1976, un-numbered exhibition, illustrated;
London, Tate, Graham Sutherland, 19th May - 4th July 1982, cat. no.45, illustrated.  

John Hayes, Graham Sutherland, Phaidon Press Ltd, Oxford, 1980, p.64, illustrated pl.23.

The board is sound. There are some minor frame abrasions to the extreme edges of the board. There are one or two tiny flecks of loss along the bottom edge and another at the centre of the top edge. With the exception of the above the work appears to be in very good condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of florescence. The work is presented in a ornate 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.
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The present lot is one of two pictures submitted by Sutherland to the highly significant International Surrealist Exhibition in London in 1936, at the request of Sir Roland Penrose. Sutherland, however, never regarded himself as a Surrealist, disliking the idea of challenging juxtapositions of imagery being arbitrary rather than deliberate and considered. In the present work, Sutherland adapts a design for a Christmas Card he made for Robert  Wellington in 1935, the omission of the text giving the piece the requisite mysterious and fantastical air, with more than a hint of de Chirico.