Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A

Thought to have been given as thanks for Christmas dinner in 1910  to Mrs Gosse (wife of Edmund, from 1925 Sir Edmund Gosse); Sylvia Gosse, and thence by descent to the present owner

London, Leicester Galleries, Artists as Collectors, 1963, no.75

Wendy Baron, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings, Yale University Press, London and New Haven, 2006, no.320.2, p.353;
Wendy Baron, Sickert, Phaidon Press Ltd, London, 1973, no.289.2.

The board has bowed slightly. The surface of the work is dirty and would benefit from a professional clean. Under glass and presented in a decorative gilt frame with a gilt inlay. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals no evidence of retouching.
"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 present work relates to The Elephant Poster, 1910. 'The title of this picture, a view from the Arcades de la Poissonnerie up the rue St. Jean towards the rue de la Boucherie, is taken from the poster - perhaps advertising a circus - pasted on the wall to the left. Mr Howarth told me that Sickert told him the painting was done in 1910. Sickert had painted the same scene, without the poster, in 1900'.

We are grateful to Dr. Wendy Baron for her kind assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.