- 136
Olive Carleton Smyth
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 GBP
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Description
- Olive Carleton Smyth
- Pytheas buys amber
- signed l.r.: OLIVE SMYTH
- tempera and gold paint on vellum, in its original frame
- 34 by 40cm., 13¼ by 15½in.
Provenance
Robert Lawrence Esq.;
Sotheby's Gleneagles, 1 September 1999, lot 1351;
Private collection
Sotheby's Gleneagles, 1 September 1999, lot 1351;
Private collection
Exhibited
Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries, Glasgow Girls Exhibition, 1990
Literature
The Studio, 1923, illus. pl.24;
Jude Burkhauser, The Glasgow Girls: Women in Art and Design 1880-1920, 1990, illus p.172
Jude Burkhauser, The Glasgow Girls: Women in Art and Design 1880-1920, 1990, illus p.172
Condition
STRUCTURE
This picture is in excellent condition with strong colours throughout. The vellum sheet has been laid down (probably by the artist) and although it is irregularly shaped this is not visible when the picture is framed. The are pinholes at the extremities which again appear to have been made by the artist. There are small areas of paint loss to Pytheas' black robes and to the cloud to his right.
FRAME:
The picture is contained in its beautiful, original painted-plaster frame designed by the artist (illustrated in the catalogue and online) and under glass.
"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 story upon which the current work is based is that of Pytheas, a Greek merchant, geographer and explorer from the Greek colony Massilia (today Marseille, France). He made a voyage of exploration to North Western Europe in around 325BC and is believed to have circumnavigated Great Britain between 330 and 320 BC. Pytheas is the first person on record to describe the midnight sun, the aurora and polar ice. After completing his survey of Great Britain, Pytheas travelled to the shallows on the continental North Sea coast, en route visiting the Isle of Abalus, "upon the shores of which, amber is thrown up by the waves in spring, it being an excretion of the sea in a concrete form; as that the inhabitants use this amber by way of fuel, and sell it to their neighbours, the Teutones (Pliny the Elder, The Natural History)