Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A

R.E.A. Wilson, 1933, from whom acquired by Henry Scipio Reitlinger
Thence by descent to Gerald Reitlinger, Maidenhead
Sale, Sotheby's, London, 9th December 1970, lot 53, whence purchased by Brook Street Gallery for £100
Crane Kalman, London, by 1983
Sale, Christie's, London, 9th March 1984, lot 20

Wendy Baron, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings, Yale University Press, London and New Haven, 2006, no.569.2, p.487.

The canvas is in good original condition. The paint surface is in good overall condition. There is no sign of retouching under ultra-violet light. Held in a wooden frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5381 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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 circa 1922-23. Andras Kalman informed Wendy Baron that he acquired the present work in exchange from the owner who had a more highly finished version of the painting. The present painting is one of a number of oil sketches Sickert painted for the finished version of Cicely Hey in the British Council Collection (Baron, 2006, cat. no. 565).

Cicely Hey, a painter and designer, met Sickert on 17th January 1923 when she was selling tickets at the door for a talk given by Roger Fry. Sickert asked if she might sit for a portrait and the very next day Hey arrived at his studio in Fitzroy Street. She continued to sit for Sickert for some months.

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