William Hodges, R.A.
A capriccio landscape with travellers below a rocky outcrop
Estimate:
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
A capriccio landscape with travellers below a rocky outcrop
A capriccio landscape with travellers below a rocky outcrop
Estimate:
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
Lot sold:
22,680
GBP
William Hodges, R.A.
London 1744 - 1797 Brixham, Devon
A capriccio landscape with travellers below a rocky outcrop
oil on plastered canvas, laid down on board
unframed: 118.8 x 177.6 cm.; 46 3/4 x 70 in.
framed: 136.2 x 195 cm.; 53 5/8 x 76 3/4 in.
The plastered canvas has been laid down on board, and the paint surface is clean with a clear and even varnish. Much of the impasto brushwork remains intact and the colours are bright and fresh. There are some distinct cracks in the paint surface, notably upper left and right and lower right, with small associated losses. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals fine lines of retouching to the aforementioned cracks, and further craquelure throughout the sky and lower right. The rest of the composition appears to be largely untouched. There is a small, circular retouching in the trees above the figures on the bridge. In overall fairly good condition.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
In her catalogue raisonné of Hodges' work of 1979, the American art historian Isabel Combs Stuebe concluded that Hodges painted more than 600 oils over the course of his lifetime, and of these only about a 150 are recorded and located today. The present landscape has only recently been discovered, with no known history as yet, and even more curious for the medium on which it is painted, evidently the only known 'fresco' by the artist. It was almost certainly intended to fit into a specific space, inset into a wall or stairwell.