Alfred Wallis

Sale, Christie's London, 4th March 1983, lot 276
Mercury Gallery, Edinburgh, where acquired by Liz Ogilvie & Bob Callender, 5th March 1985
Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, Bath, where acquired by the present owner, 12th September 2012

Unexamined out of frame. The sheet appears to be fully laid down onto a backing card. There is some creasing, wear, scuffs and uneveness to the sheet in places, some of which may be in keeping with the Artist's materials. There appears to be some areas of old retouching to the sheet, most apparent in the upper right corner and at the centre of the upper edge, with one or two further instances elsewhere including the lower left corner. At the centre of the lower edge there are one or two small losses to the sheet. There are some very fine lines of craquelure to the oil in places, with some very small flecks of loss apparent to the lower right corner of the sail on the boat on the left, and one or two extremely minor spots of lifting. There is some light surface dirt and studio detritus to the sheet, but, subject to the above, the work appears to be in good overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a small area of fluorescence in the lower left corner, consistent with the aforementioned retouching. The work is float mounted on brown silk and housed in a simple wooden frame, held under glass. 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.
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 Robert Jones for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

‘He knew what it was to be at sea – entirely and totally – his paintings carry with them a ship-feeling, … pitching and tossing and a passing of lighthouses and other ships and a blinding of spray, and a vastness of sky which somewhat seems above and below.’

Jim Ede, Kettle’s Yard, A Way of Life, Cambridge, 1984, p.214.