- 56
William Scott, R.A.
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description
- William Scott, R.A.
- Double Grey Fish Still Life
- signed and dated on the reverse: W. SCOTT/ 82
- oil on canvas
- 101.5 by 101.5cm.; 40 by 40in.
Provenance
Gimpel Fils, London
Gimpel & Weitzenhoffer Gallery, New York, where acquired by Harold and Sandy Price, Laguna Beach, California
Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Bonham's, London, 29th November 2005, lot 190
Beaux Arts, London
Condition
Original canvas.
There are a few scuff marks about the edges. There is a very small stain above the plate of fish in the dark background and a further small stain in the upper right quadrant. There is are some fine stretcher bar marks in the centre of the composition. There is a very area of craquelure above the stretcher bar marks and some areas of old paint seperation to the grey plate. Otherwise the work appears in good overall condition.
Under ultraviolet light there appear to be no signs of retouching.
Held in white painted wood box frame.
Please telephone the department on 0207 293 5575 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
The present work is registered with the William Scott Archive as no.1169.
Sarah Whitfield is currently preparing the Catalogue Raisonné of works in oil by William Scott. The William Scott Foundation would like to hear from owners of any work by the artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue or in future projected catalogues. Please write to Sarah Whitfield, c/o Sotheby's, 20th Century British Art Department, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA.
The still-life, and specifically the seemingly endless stylistic possibilities the subject afforded, consumed Scott throughout his career. While the genre linked him with a long standing art-historical tradition, it was his execution and innovative play with form and composition that established him as a thoroughly modern artist. He first utilized the theme in the late 1930s, painting mostly flowers, but the true genesis for his focus on the subject was a visit to an exhibition in Paris in the summer of 1946 entitled A Thousand Years of Still Life Painting. The exhibition left him 'overwhelmed by the fact that the subject had hardly changed for a thousand years, yet each generation in turn expressed its own period and feelings and time within this terribly limited narrow range of still life.' (quoted in Alan Bowness, William Scott, London, 1964, p.7). Despite the seemingly 'limited' subject, the exhibition clearly left him in no doubt as to the power of the genre and its capacity for artistic creativity. As the elegant minimalism of Double Grey Fish Still Life typifies, the still-life allowed him to experiment with the spacing and arrangement of simple shapes, using a paired down colour palette, without the distraction of additional associations. The various kitchen paraphernalia (dead fish, a plate and a pan) here are turned upwards and flattened, laid out upon a table-top that is implied by a simple horizontal division of the picture plane. A wonderfully controlled and balanced image, the pan's earthy red tone punctuates the otherwise monochromatic palette.
Sarah Whitfield is currently preparing the Catalogue Raisonné of works in oil by William Scott. The William Scott Foundation would like to hear from owners of any work by the artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue or in future projected catalogues. Please write to Sarah Whitfield, c/o Sotheby's, 20th Century British Art Department, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA.
The still-life, and specifically the seemingly endless stylistic possibilities the subject afforded, consumed Scott throughout his career. While the genre linked him with a long standing art-historical tradition, it was his execution and innovative play with form and composition that established him as a thoroughly modern artist. He first utilized the theme in the late 1930s, painting mostly flowers, but the true genesis for his focus on the subject was a visit to an exhibition in Paris in the summer of 1946 entitled A Thousand Years of Still Life Painting. The exhibition left him 'overwhelmed by the fact that the subject had hardly changed for a thousand years, yet each generation in turn expressed its own period and feelings and time within this terribly limited narrow range of still life.' (quoted in Alan Bowness, William Scott, London, 1964, p.7). Despite the seemingly 'limited' subject, the exhibition clearly left him in no doubt as to the power of the genre and its capacity for artistic creativity. As the elegant minimalism of Double Grey Fish Still Life typifies, the still-life allowed him to experiment with the spacing and arrangement of simple shapes, using a paired down colour palette, without the distraction of additional associations. The various kitchen paraphernalia (dead fish, a plate and a pan) here are turned upwards and flattened, laid out upon a table-top that is implied by a simple horizontal division of the picture plane. A wonderfully controlled and balanced image, the pan's earthy red tone punctuates the otherwise monochromatic palette.