Edward Wadsworth, A.R.A.

The Artist
T.A. Fennemore
Sale, Sotheby’s London, 19th July 1989, lot 460, where acquired by the present owner

Jonathan Black, Edward Wadsworth: Form, Feeling and Calculation, The Complete Paintings and Drawings, Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 2005, cat. no.396, p.200, illustrated.

The following report has been prepared by Hamish Dewar Fine Art Conservation: Structural Condition: The artist's original support is made up canvas adhered to a piece of plywood. There are scattered vertical splits on the reverse veneer of the plywood. There are intermittent, raised vertical lines of craquelure on the paint surface, including three which extend the full height of the composition. These would appear to be attributable to underlying cracks within the face veneer of the plywood which is adhered to the canvas. Paint Surface The paint surface has a blanched appearance in several areas within the foreground, including within the blue pigments above the lower edge and within the dark pigments of the lifebuoys. This appears to be attributable to a natural reaction within the artist's materials. There are very small intermittent spots of abrasion and minor paint losses on the extreme edges of the composition, most notably on the far right part of the lower edge. These are largely obscured by the rebate when the painting is housed in its frame. There are also several areas of tiny paint losses within the foreground, mainly within the darks where the red under layer is exposed. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows no evidence of any retouchings. Summary: The painting would therefore appear to be in relatively good condition. 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."

Throughout the course of his life the sea provided a constant and rich source of inspiration for Edward Wadsworth. Whether through his Vorticist-inspired designs for the camouflaged ‘dazzle ships’ of the First World War; his surrealist nautical still-life compositions of the inter-war years, or his stylised depictions of sea-faring vessels in the 1940s. As such it was a devastating blow to the Artist that with the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 he was ordered to remain far from the immediate coastal zone due to his daughter’s marriage and his son-in-law’s subsequent internment. Forced inland the Artist relied on press photographs and cuttings to complete his pointillist-style compositions in tempera, the medium that from the early 1920s he had solely relied upon for his paintings. Painted in June 1941 Convoy was based on one such press photograph of a fleet of convoy ships. As an island under siege in the Second World War, Britain was reliant on imports, the safe passage of which was fraught with danger. German U-Boats stalked the waters around Britain, the Channel and the Atlantic, putting the million tons of material imported to Britain each week at risk. The Battle of the Atlantic was to be the longest continuous military campaign of the Second World War, and saw a struggle to maintain control over the safe transport of goods and materials from the USA to Britain to aid the war effort.

Although never officially recognised as part of Kenneth Clark’s programme of war artists, Wadsworth worked relentlessly during the war years, including later in 1941 for the Chemicals company ICI. Yet for this constant flow of creativity, much of which spurred his later 1940s compositions, he clearly hankered for a return to the coast, to the work that he had carried out in the previous world war and to the rich body of visual source material that continued to inspire his output. This longing is visible in Convoy, which captures a fascinating snapshot of the war effort, and places Wadworth as one of the most articulate and stylish observers of the period.

The owner of this work, Jacqueline Fowler, has spent a lifetime discovering and collecting exquisite works of art. She has immersed herself fully in this endeavor, trusting her impeccable eye and innate sense for quality to seek out treasures from across a wide range of artistic styles. Not only has Jackie, as she is called by her friends, been the faithful steward of such precious objects, she has also delighted in sharing them with numerous institutions, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Wellesley College and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A pioneer in recognising fashion as an art form, she built up a substantial collection of exquisite couture - the Jacqueline Loewe Fowler Costume Collection - which entered the Costume Institute at The Met in 1981. Reflecting on her many significant contributions to The Met, curatorial director of the Leeds Art Foundation, Joseph Cunningham, praised Jackie’s unwavering dedication saying: 'Jackie’s insightful collecting, profound generosity and longstanding support of American and European art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art are inspiring to us. We admire her deep knowledge, exquisite taste and knack for finding the best of the best and generously sharing it with the public.'