- 225
Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.
Estimate
25,000 - 35,000 USD
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Description
- Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.
- Landscape with Cattle and Sheep
- Gray washes over an offset line with white gouache, on buff-colored paper;inscribed verso: 1833 WE [William Esdaile] Dr Monro’s sale no. 40x / Gainsboro [sic]
- 260 by 318 mm; 10 1/4 by 12 1/4 in
Provenance
Dr Thomas Monro (1759-1833),
his sale, London, Christie's, 26 June - 2 July 1833, unidentified lot, bt. Esdaile,
William Esdaile (L.2617, with his inscriptions, see above),
his sale, London, Christie's, 20-21 March 1838, unidentifed lot;
sale, Penzance, David Lay, 6 February 1992, lot 235
his sale, London, Christie's, 26 June - 2 July 1833, unidentified lot, bt. Esdaile,
William Esdaile (L.2617, with his inscriptions, see above),
his sale, London, Christie's, 20-21 March 1838, unidentifed lot;
sale, Penzance, David Lay, 6 February 1992, lot 235
Literature
H. Belsey, 'Drawings by Gainsborough', Master Drawings, vol. 46, no. 4, 2008, p. 512, no. 1081, fig. 103
Condition
In general the support (the paper) has remained close to its original colour and condition. The surface of both this and the medium is well preserved. At the left hand edge there is a repaired tear, although this has been executed so skilfully that it is very difficult to see. At the extreme upper left corner there is a ridge in the paper, which looks like a paper floor.
The work is not laid down and is safely housed in a musuem quality mount.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
This drawing, which shows Gainsborough investigating the theme of a bucolic landscape, has been dated to the mid 1780s. As is typical with works from this decade, Gainsborough’s technique is free-flowing, expressive and experimental. It is similar in composition, if not more fully conceived, than a sheet that survives in the City Art Gallery, Bristol.1 The present drawing has an interesting provenance. It belonged to Dr Thomas Monro, who knew J.R. Cozens and J.M.W. Turner and was an important figure in the London art world. In 1833, it was acquired from his sale by William Esdaile, a banker who formed one of the greatest collections of Gainsborough drawings of the next generation. After Esdaile's death in 1838, the work disappeared into a private collection, only for it to resurface in a small auction house in Cornwall in 1992.
1. J. Hayes, The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough, London, 1970, p. 265, no. 683
1. J. Hayes, The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough, London, 1970, p. 265, no. 683