Bridget Riley

Acquired directly from the Artist by the present owner in the mid 1980s

The following condition report has been prepared by Philip Young Conservation, Unit F11a Parkhall trading Estate, 40 Martell Road, London, SE21 8EN: CONDITION The painting is in a good and sound condition. Previous to coming to the studio it has not been treated in any way. The canvas is slack and at poor tension, there is a general surface dirt with scattered scuff marking and dirt build up around the edges. There are a number of bumps and dents in the canvas (as initial report), with some light paint cracking in the upper centre. TREATMENT 1. The surface was dusted and the back of the canvas cleaned. 2. The paint surface was surface cleaned with water, with repeated cleaning at the edges. 3. The canvas tension was improved through the addition of missing stretcher keys. 4. The canvas distortions were reduced using moisture, pressure and heat. 5. The cracks were consolidated using PVA and laid under weights and moisture for some time. The cracks will not deteriorate or distort further. Please telephone the department on +44 0207 293 6424 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."

Although Riley's reputation is always connected with her pioneering black and white 'op art' paintings of the 1960s, the range of colour, and thus the scope of her work, had been steadily growing. In 1978-1980, a large retrospective of her career was toured extensively around the world and this gave the artist the opportunity to travel. Her experience of Australia, and particularly a visit to Egypt, brought her into contact with a huge bank of colour sensations on which to draw, and this began to make itself felt in the paintings produced in the early years of the new decade.

Whilst the previous paintings had become ever more complex in their composition, the demands of the wider palette marked a return to the pure simplicity of the equally modulated striped form. Within this, Riley was able to experiment with the effects produced by the various colour combinations and the visual sensations thus experienced. Certain colours form key elements in works of this period, although she still used both white and black extensively, black to give a strong 'beat' to the image and white to echo and balance that note, and yet give a kind of framework within the possibilities of the remaining colours can be utilized. When the black bands began to disappear in the paintings from 1983 onwards, the softer manipulation of the areas between them by the white stripes allowed still further development for the creation of spatial depth.