John Butler Yeats

William Murphy, Family Secrets, William Butler Yeats and his Relatives, Syracuse University Press, New York, 1995, p.85, fig.29

The sheet appears sound, not laid down and cockles slightly. Slightly discoloured otherwise work appears in good overall condition. Held under glass in a dark painted wood frame with green mount; unexamined out of 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."

W. B. Yeats greatly admired the present portrait and it was used as the frontispiece to the second English edition of W.B. Yeats' Poems (London, 1899) (see Wade 17). In his 1940 memoir of Yeats, John Masefield recalled the poet's rooms at 18 Woburn Buildings (around 1900) and wondered '...on the wall to the left side of the window was there not a big black chalk or pencil drawing of him by his father, the original of the portrait reproduced as a frontispiece to the Poems (of 1899)?'