Duncan Grant

The Estate of the Artist
Anthony d'Offay Gallery, London, 1st January 1981
Acquired from the above by Reader's Digest, Pleasantville, New York, 1981
Their sale, Christie's London, 19th November 2004, lot 28, where acquired by the present owner

Southport, Atkinson Art Gallery, Annual Open Exhibition, 1954 (details untraced);
Katounah, New York, The Katounah Gallery, Bloomsbury Artists at Charleston: Paintings from the Reader's Digest Collection, 23rd August - 25th October 1987, cat. no.17, with tour to Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg.

The canvas is lined. The canvas appears sound. There is a small area of old loss at the extreme lower left edge, towards the corner, possibly from previous frame abrasion. There are minor traces of surface dirt in places, and an irregularity to the canvas weave apparent in the upper right of the sky. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals retouching around the edges, possibly replacing previous frame abrasions, as well as flecks of retouching in the white pigment of the sky and in the lower left quadrant, with a few sensitive touches towards the centre of the composition. The work is held within a moulded gilt frame. Please telephone the department on +44 207 293 6424 if you have any questions.
"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."

We are grateful to Richard Shone for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work, and for preparing the catalogue note.

This painting is an amalgam of two motifs at the artist’s home, Charleston, frequently painted by Grant and Vanessa Bell – the open French windows that look out to the walled garden from the sitting-room and the view of the pond, close to the house, as seen from its front door. Grant has painted the French windows without their glazing bars and lower wooden panels; they frame a vase of flowers on a nineteenth-century side table. The view of the pond extends across the fields to Tilton, Maynard and Lydia Keynes’s country home. The standing figure on the far side of the pond is Quentin Bell.

The motif of interior/exterior, divided by a door or a window, exploring inside still life and the changing aspects of nature outside, was treated by Grant on numerous occasions, perhaps most successfully in Window, South of France (1928, Manchester City Art Gallery).