Gerald Scarfe

328 by 373mm. (on 401 by 384mm. sheet), pen, ink and watercolour drawing, captioned "The Wife Pink Floyd The Wall" and signed lower left, framed and glazed, minor corrections in gouache

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"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."

Scarfe explains, “I chose the predatory female praying mantis as a model for my depiction of the Wife. As Richard Dawkins tells us in The Selfish Gene, when praying mantises meet, the male cautiously creeps up on the female, mounts her and copulates. If the female gets a chance she will eat him, beginning by biting his head off… but the loss of a head does not seem to throw the rest of the male’s body off its sexual stride.” (The Making of Pink Floyd The Wall, p. 60)