Euan Uglow

Browse & Darby, London, whence purchased by the present owner

Though the reverse of the board is somewhat scuffed, it appears to be providing a good sound support. There is a tiny hairline crack at the tip of the lower left corner. Otherwise the paint surface appears to be entirely sound throughout, clean and ready for the wall. Inspection under UV light is somewhat hampered by the masking effect of the varnish layer. However, some retouching appears to have taken place at the extreme lower left corner, with further tiny spots to the right of this on the wall beneath the cupola. There also appear to be a scattering of very fine retouchings throughout the hillside and the sky. Presented unglazed in a grey-brown planar wood frame in good condition. According to taste, the work may benefit from re-presentation.
"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."

Painted in 1953, there is an unfinished oil sketch on the verso.

One of the consistent prize winners of his year, Uglow left the Slade in 1953 with a British Council Scholarship, an Abbey Minor Award and a Robert Ross Leaving Scholarship, meaning that he was able to spend the best part of a year travelling around Europe, visiting Italy, Spain, France, Holland and Belgium.

Although landscape and architecture were not regular subjects for Uglow, works do appear intermittently throughout his oeuvre, and indeed are occasionally on a large scale, such as Pignano of 1973 (Private Collection) and The Church by the Sea, Khlorakas, Cyprus of 1980 (Private Collection). Uglow’s approach to such subjects is discussed by Myles Murphy in his introduction to the 1974 Arts Council retrospective of his work, concluding that the shift of the relative balance of elements in Uglow’s landscapes allowed him to pursue themes that are treated as objectively as the nude and still-life paintings but equally have an anti-object tendency that offers the painter a different scope for his use of light and colour.

‘There is an evenness of importance, an impartiality of space and object, and a structure which is the reverse of the object. The structure of the head of Mrs Joll or of the German Girl is self-contained within the surface, like a pomegranate, into which the eye is drawn. In a landscape each surface provides the means of a visual ricochet for the eye on its way to the horizon, and the whole motif realises the mould and not the cast.’ (Myles Murphy, ‘Introduction’ in Euan Uglow, Arts Council 1974, unpaginated)