Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, R.A., and Studio

The catalogue illustration is representative and the picture is in good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. The canvas has been lined but the paint surface, though a little flat, has not been abraded. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a small amount of minor retouching in the white background. Mostly in the upper section of the picture. There is also one very small retouching in the body of the left most dog. The picture is held in a gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482.
"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."

Painted circa 1838-9, Landseer's dog paintings from this period constitute one of the high points of his art, and include many of his most popular works. A compulsive sketcher, in the course of his career he painted a wide range of different breeds. However in very few works is such a variety of pedigree depicted as in the this painting. The subject was engraved in 1839 by the artist's brother Thomas, and used as the title vignette for William Scrope's The Art of Deer Stalking, published in 1830. Graves, who titled the subject Waiting,  identified the hounds as a 'portrait of Buscar, a Highland deerhound of the original breed that belonged to Mr MacNeill, a foxhound, bloodhound, and greyhound, from the cross of which the modern deerhound is obtained, and a terrier'. The present work is one of three versions of this composition, the prime version of which is at Tate Britain, London.