Benjamin Williams Leader, R.A.

P. Polak, Bury Art Galleries, London, 1961

Frank Lewis, Benjamin Williams Leader R.A. 1831-1923, 1971, p. 50, no. 515

STRUCTURE This picture is relined and in very good condition with strong colours throughout. The picture would benefit from a light clean as the paint surface is covered by a layer of discoloured varnish and dirt. There are no signs of craquelure and the paint surface appears to be stable throughout. There is a small area of discoloured retouching in the top left corner which is visible to the naked eye (visible in the catalogue illustration). ULTRA VIOLET LIGHT Under ultra violet light there is a line of retouching approximately 9 inches long running vertically to the right of the figures on the path. There are also minor flecked retouchings to the main building and its reflection and to the trees on the right and retouchings in the sky. The varnish appears opaque under ultra violet light. FRAME Contained in a moulded plaster frame with minor losses.
"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."

Tillingbourne stream meanders through the village of Shere in Surrey where Leader painted several pictures, including Shere Church of 1892 (Manchester Citry Art Gallery) which shows the stream flowing beneath a wooden footbridge leading to the meadows. By Mead and Stream of 1893 (Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museum, Burley) also depicts the Tillingbourne at Gomshall Marshes, looking towards the village of Abinger Hammer. The buildings depicted in On the Banks of the Tillingbourne are probably the various cottages bordering the stream on the edge of Shere close to the Church of St James.

In 1889 Leader had moved to Burrows Cross House, a large country estate built by Richard Norman Shaw amid the firs and bracken overlooking the village of Gomshall near Shere. Surrey was to provide inspiration for some of his greatest landscapes of the next few decades, often beneath evocative sunsets.