- 202
John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
- Study of a man wearing North African dress
- Watercolour over pencil, heightened with bodycolour, on blue 'Steart' paper
- 269 by 266 mm
Provenance
Francis Barlow Teesdale (1829-1919);
by family descent to the present owner
by family descent to the present owner
Condition
The medium in this work has been well preserved. The colours are fresh and bright. The blue paper has discoloured a little, and this is particularly noticeable around the extreme edges of the sheet, where there is a brown line (connected with previous mounting). There is a soft horizontal crease in the lower section of the composition however this can only be seen on very close inspection. The sheet is not laid down, but is instead attached to a back-board at various points verso.
For further information on this lot, please contact Mark Griffith-Jones on 0207 293 5083 or mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com
"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
It has been suggested that Lewis created this drawing in response to his brief visit to Morocco in May 1833. During this trip the young artist was exposed to the Islamic world for the first time and its culture was to absorb him for the rest of his life. The facial features of the model appear to be European rather than Moroccan and it is possible that Lewis executed this work as an elaborate study of drapery. It is interesting to note that he included (all-be-it in a different pose) a man, dressed in similar clothes and carrying a gun, in a lithographic vignette entitled The Fountains of Lions. That image appeared as plate number 26 in his celebrated book Sketches and Drawings of the Alhambra, which was published in 1835.1
We would like to thank Briony Llewellyn and Charles Newton for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
1. Major-General M. Lewis, John Frederick Lewis, R.A. 1804-1876, Leigh-on-Sea 1978, p. 48