Walter Richard Sickert

The Mayor Gallery, London

The canvas has been relined. There are a few very minor spots of craquelure in the sky and to the figures, which is so minor that it is almost invisible. The varnish appears to have discoloured slightly in the sky. Otherwise the work is in good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals some very tiny flecked retouchings: a few in the sky, one to the building on the right, and one to the foreground. Held in a gilt and painted plaster frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
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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."

Sickert first visited Venice in 1895 and was immediately captivated by the city. The exceptionally impressive architecture coupled with the distinctive play of light off the surrounding water had long provided artists with source material and this was no different for Sickert who was inspired by all the great monuments including San Marco, the Rialto and in the case of the present work, the Ponte della Paglia (Bridge of Straw) which links the Riva degli Schiavoni with the Molo. The Grand Canal facade of the Doge's Palace can be seen on the right and across the Piazzetta San Marco is the Lion of St Mark and the Biblioteca Marciana.

During his visits to Venice around 1900-1901, Sickert had focussed on a handful of his favourite subjects, principally, the beguiling facade of San Marco (see lot 44) and the view towards the Santa Maria della Salute (see Venice, La Salute, sold in these rooms, 15th July 2008, lot 18) and painted several versions of each subject, never tiring of the ever-changing effects of light and shadow refracting off the intricate elegance of each building. In contrast however, the present painting appears to present a unique viewpoint for the artist. Rather than concentrating directly on Venice's most famous residence, the Doge's Palace, he positioned himself parallel to it and focussed instead on the animated atmosphere of the passing crowds enjoying their daily passeggiata.

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