Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.

Sale, Sotheby's London, 22nd July 1987, lot 150, where purchased by the present owner

The panel is sound. It is in good, clean condition. Under ultraviolet light there are small spots of retouching on and around the tree in the left-hand side of the painting. There is retouching along the lower edge and in spots on the road near the gate and in isolated spots on the fence. All relatively minor. Held in an elaborate modern gilt plaster 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."

After his return from France in December 1884, Lavery re-established his studio in Glasgow but lived in nearby Paisley. There he was close to patrons such as James Fulton, the woollen shawl manufacturer, and William Mackean, the town's Provost, both of whom commissioned portraits of their daughters. At the same time, a few miles away, on the banks of the river Cart, a tributary of the Clyde, he worked on his most famous canvas, The Tennis Party, (Aberdeen Art Gallery) in the spacious garden of a fashionable villa owned by the MacBride family. Other works on recreational themes followed. On one occasion, for instance, in a colourful watercolour (Government Art Collection) he painted a lady on a new-fangled safety tricycle riding past the front entrance of Cartbank. The present lively sketch, inscribed The Hospitable Gate, is also likely to be the entrance to an as yet unidentified house where the painter was entertained as he worked on family portraits or garden scenes.

Kenneth McConkey