William Henry Bartlett

STRUCTURE The canvas has been relined, visible along the left edge. There is a faint area of craquelure in the window, only visible upon close inspection; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT Under UV light there are two vertical lines of retouching on the billiard table, a small area to its leg, two small areas to the frame of the shutter and two further areas at the left edge of the composition. There is an area of flecked retouchings to the left of the clock and further flecked retouchings elsewhere. FRAME Held in a gilt plaster frame.
"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."

The present picture depicts a game of 'Carambole' or 'French' billiards which originated in pre-revolutionary France and is played on a small pocket-less table with only three balls. The objective is to strike your opponent's cue ball and the 'object' or red ball, in a single shot, known as a 'carom'. Despite the fact that the French billiard game was immortalized in Van Gogh's and Gauguin's celebrated depictions of The Night Café, painted in Arles in 1888, paintings of the game are rare in comparison with other sports.

A Game of Billiards is the work of an unjustly neglected artist. Bartlett believed that his art should reflect lived experience, a conviction which came from training in the French ateliers, where rural naturalism was much in vogue. Bartlett was the son of an art dealer and studied in Paris at the atelier Julian when he was seventeen and the following year transferred to the prestigious studio of Jean-Léon Gérôme at the École des Beaux Arts. The early months of 1880 saw Bartlett working in the forest of Fontainebleau on two paintings that would become his first exhibits at the Royal Academy. Staying at the pretty village of Grez-sur-Loing on the edge of the forest, he shared in the delights of the community of young British, American and Scandinavian painters. A billiard table of similar design to the one in the present picture was in use in the village at this time and was painted by the American visitor to the Grez colony, William Coffin. The same location was used for Bartlett's The Winning Shot of 1881 (location unknown).

We are grateful to Prof. Kenneth McConkey for his assistance with the catalogue note for this lot.