Lot 44
  • 44

John Butler Yeats

Estimate
1,000 - 1,500 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • John Butler Yeats
  • 'Cuckoo' York Powell
  • inscribed l.l. (in Lily Yeats' hand): Cuckoo York Powell
  • pencil
  • 25.5 by 18cm., 10 by 7in.

Exhibited

Dublin, 6 St Stephen's Green, A Loan Collection of Pictures by Nathaniel Hone and John Butler Yeats, October - November 1901, no.21, illustrated in exh. cat.;
New York, Albany Institute of History & Art, The Drawings of John Butler Yeats, 11 April - 31 May 1987, no.21, illustrated in exh. cat.

Condition

Originally part of a sketch book. Slightly discoloured to edges otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. Unframed.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Drawn circa 1895-99, Mariella York Powell was the daughter of John Butler Yeats' close friend Frederick York Powell, whom the artist first met on his move to Bedford Park in the late 1880s.  

In 1901 Powell wrote a letter to JBY, which as Murphy points out, is a quite remarkable acknowledgment coming from Oxford's Regius Professor of History: 'I know you are a better man in heart than I am, and I am always glad to try and follow the high example you set in life and thought, and I honestly believe that I am very much the better for having had the privilege of your friendship, a blessing that I think much of.' (quoted in W. Murphy, Prodigal Father, 1978, p.224)