Stanhope Alexander Forbes, R.A.

The sheet is undulating slightly in the mount and there are small pinholes to the upper and lower left corners. The sheet has slightly discoloured, though the colours are fresh and there is some evidence of staining particularly to lower right corner. Mounted in a decorative gold composite frame. Under glass and unexamined out of 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."

Forbes painted a version of this subject in oil that was exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1907, under the title At Their Moorings (No. 85).  The image, in both mediums, is a thoughtful plein air tribute to Forbes' beloved Newlyn, with the artist's emphasis on a realism and naturalism tempered with 'good taste' and nostalgia.

In Forbes' 1891 or 1892 talk on the The Treatment of Modern Life in Art, he surmised that the world was no longer "as picturesque as it was in the old days... for a beauty lies as much in the light, the atmosphere which surrounds all things, as in their actual form and fashion.  There is nothing which cannot be transformed by the effect under which it is seen.'"  Though lacking Forbes' typical Cornish fisherfolk, the present work is a quintessential example of the personal, en plein air delicacy and attention to quaint and idyllic detail so indicative of the artist's work.  Faithfully recording the charming and picturesque, Forbes recalled, ' I soon stumbled upon Newlyn, a village which seemed the very object of my search.  Here every corner was a picture, and, more important from the view of the figure-painter, the people seemed to fall naturally into their places, and to harmonise with their surroundings.'