Paul Feiler

Acquired by a Private Collector in London in the 1950s, and thence acquired by the present owner

The canvas undulates slightly across the surface and is loose on its stretcher. There are some tiny spots of paint loss in the centre of the paint surface, approximately 6in. down from the top edge, and further spots in the centre of the painting. There are also tiny losses along the upper edge in the top two corners and two small areas of paint loss around the centre of the upper right quadrant. There is also some craquelure in the thicker areas of paint and we would recommend stabilizing these local areas of paint loss. There is no sign of retouching under ultra-violet light. Held in a simple rectilinear 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."

Paul Feiler visited Cornwall for the first time in 1949 and four years later had decided to settle there permanently. Just as the mountains of Germany had fascinated him as a child, the drama of the Atlantic coastline of West Penwith, its light and landscape made a connection with Feiler that was to have a profound effect on the course of his painting. Like many of his fellow artists associated with St Ives, Feiler's interest was not in views but in creating a response to the experience of the landscape. Inspired by natural forms and drawing on external sources, his work during the early 1950s became increasingly abstract as he developed a means of rendering his environment in pictorial terms within a peculiarly Cornish palette of whites and blues, slate greys and bracken browns. In these early works, we also see Feiler beginning to explore the dichotomous concerns that have become a hallmark of his painting ever since - light against shadow, solids against fluids, geometric against organic forms, soft edges against sharp, the imagined against the real.