Edmund Blair Leighton

Private Collection, Italy (held for many years and sold, Pandolfini Casa D'Aste, Florence, December 6, 2011, lot 45, illustrated, as Dopo il torneo)
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Alfred Yockney, "The Art of E. Blair Leighton," The Art Annual, Christmas 1913, p. 28

This work is on paper laid down on card. The edges of the paper are torn, though this does not interfere with the drawing and presumably done in the artist's studio. There is visible foxing across the whole image.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Edmund Blair Leighton is best known for his works that depict medieval subject mater. As with the present work, one of the artist's most famous paintings, Godspeed, 1900 (sold, Sotheby's, London, May 10, 2012, lot 26), also depicts a knight on his horse. Blair Leighton’s paintings regularly celebrate chivalric imagery and there are few things more emblematic of the theme than a rousing jousting match. In the present work the artist also captures the pathos of the defeated knight and his noble steed.