GEORGE LESLIE HUNTER | Houseboats, Loch Lomond

Alex. Reid & Lefevre, London;
Pearson & Westergaard Ltd., Glasgow, where purchased October 1944 by Major Ion R. Harrison and thence by descent

Glasgow, Palace of Arts, Empire Exhibition Scotland, Fine Arts Section, 1938, no.465;
Glasgow, McLellan Galleries, The Thistle Foundation, Pictures from a Private Collection, 1951, no.57;
London, Guildhall, Art Exhibitions Bureau, Trends in British Art, 1954; 
Glasgow, Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum, Exhibition of Scottish Painting, 1961, no.165;
Edinburgh and London, The Fine Art Society, Three Scottish Colourists, 1977, no.107;
London, Royal Academy, The Scottish Colourists, 2000, no.58

T.J. Honeyman, Introducing Leslie Hunter, London, 1937, pl.40;
T.J. Honeyman, Three Scottish Colourists, Edinburgh, 1950, opposite p.112, pl.V; 
R. Billcliffe, The Scottish Colourists, London, 1989, pl.106;
P. Long with E. Cumming, The Scottish Colourists 1900-1930, exh.cat, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2000, pl.52;  
B. Smith and J. Marriner, Hunter Revisited, The Life and Art of Leslie Hunter, Edinburgh, 2012, pl.160

The canvas has not been lined and the work is in very good condition. There are some specks of surface dirt scattered throughout otherwise the work is ready to hang. UV light inspection reveals some areas of minor flecked retouching, most notably to the water and shore line in the lower left hand quadrant. There are also some minor touches to the yellow houseboat and in the sky upper right with some further very minor touches elsewhere. Held in the original decorative gilt frame and under glass.
"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 second 'Loch Lomond' series, painted at the very end of his life, includes some of his finest paintings, one which elicited from Peploe the comment: "That is Hunter at his best and it is as fine as any Matisse".' Samuel John Peploe

Quoted by W. Hardie, Three Scottish Colourists, exh.cat, 1970, p.12