Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, R.A.

Colonel Young;
His sale, Christie's London, 18 July 1874, lot 29;
Christie's London, 5 October 1984, lot 136 (as Two Men out Shooting);
Spink, London

Octagon, Spink & Son, London, vol.22, 1985, p.15;
Rhoda Koenig, ‘Top Dog’, The World of Interiors, December 1996, illustrated p.66;
Richard Ormond, The Monarch of the Glen, Landseer in the Highlands, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2005, illustrated no.39, p.48.

The paper has been laid onto canvas. There is a faint creases near the central right edge and some faint craquelure in the upper right corner. There is an area of paint loss to the standing figure's left shoulder. The surface is slightly dirty and should benefit from a light clean; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition. UV light reveals some flecked retouchings in the background, mainly above left of the standing figure; also some flecked retouchings along the lower edge and lower left corner. Held in a gilt plaster frame with an ovate mount.
"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."

The 4th Duke of Atholl (1758-1830) was a great Highland chieftain and a famous sportsman, 'the greatest deer killer in Scotland' in the words of one contemporary. John Crerar (d.1843), his head keeper for many years, was another renowned sportsman and a famous fiddler. Landseer visited Blair Atholl, the Duke's castle, on his first visit to Scotland in 1824, a visit that was to ignite his lifelong passion for the Highlands. It was likely then that he was commissioned by the 4th Duke to paint Death of the Stag in Glen Tilt (1824-30), which remains in the Castle today. The present oil sketch is one of many preliminary studies (see for example 'Study of the Duke of Atholl and His Keeper John Crerar for Death of the Stag in Glen Tilt', Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), although Landseer was to adopt a more conventional group portrait for the final version.

 

We are grateful to Richard Ormond for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.