Sandra Blow

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner circa 1953 - 1958

The canvas is in good original condition. There are a few tiny spots of paint separation in the upper right quadrant and a small line of craquelure and paint loss in the lower left quadrant. There is no sign of retouching under ultra-violet light. Held in a cream painted wooden 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."

Following her student years at St Martin's and the Royal Academy Schools, Sandra Blow spent a formative year living in Italy. While there she formed a close friendship with Alberto Burri whose large-scale abstract painting was to have a major impact on the direction of her own work. His incorporation of non-artistic materials such as earth, ash, cement and sacking into the painted surface immediately appealed to Blow's highly developed feeling for texture and colour. She returned to London in 1949 to assimilate what she had learned and to forge her own artistic language adapting Burri's use of unconventional 'found' materials to her own vigorous and very individual end.