Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, R.A.

From an album of sketches by Landseer, Wilkie and Count D'Orsay compiled by Lady Ida Louisa Tankerville, daughter of Charles, 6th Earl of Tankerville and wife of John William, 13th Earl of Dalhousie;
Thence by descent to her grandson David Ramsay, by whom sold Christie's, 11 July 1962, lot 23;
Thomas Agnew & Son, where bought by Sir David Scott in November 1962 for £23.2.0

Sheet: The sheet has been laid down. It has not suffered from any discoloration. Medium: The medium is very strong and overall the work has been very well preserved. Frame: Held in a gilt-wood frame.
"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."

'What a master draughtsman Landseer was. He has a surety of touch a perfect association of hand and eye, the hallmark of a great artist. I think all were bought from Agnews, who still, I fancy [have] a stock of his small drawings. Each of these drawings in their own way can hardly be bettered. I like the tired traveller the best but Goodbye to Chillingham nears it close.' Sir David Scott

A drawing of unusual delicacy and charm, here Landseer eschews caricature for gentle characterisation.  The drawing is the artistic equivalent of an observation in a paragraph by Dickens.  One immediately sympathises with the protagonist, who so recently has had to carry those heavy bundles now stacked behind him.  He is taking a well deserved rest on the edge of a quay.

The drawing came originally from an album owned by the Bennet family, the Earls of Tankerville of Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. Lord Charles Bennet, Lord Ossulton, and later 6th Earl of Tankerville (1810 - 1899) was a particular friend of the artist, and his father commissioned the great Death of the Wild Bull from Landseer in the early 1830s.

We are grateful to Richard Ormond for his help in cataloguing this lot.