Charles Houghton Howard

Pieter Wenning Gallery, Johannesburg
Kasmin Ltd., London
Private Collection, United Kingdom

This work is in more or less original condition. The canvas is still stretched on its original stretcher. Although the stretcher is thin, it has enough cross bars to keep it stable. The work is slightly twisted and curved due to the weakness of the wood used in the stretcher. It would be appropriate to change the stretcher in favor of an untwisted support with more stability to keep the painting properly stretched. If this is done, the faint stretcher marks that have developed across the middle and a few other areas would be lessened. There is one area of cracking unrelated to the stretcher bars in the rust colored form in the center of the left side. In addition, there are a few small white specks, a scuff on the bottom edge on the left side, and a few specks in the lower right and upper right. There is what appears to be a small depression in the canvas in the upper center. There is a slightly milky surface in the lower right quadrant, which is easily resolved. The work has probably never been restored and has never really been damaged. However, over the years, it has developed what can be considered perfectly natural idiosyncrasies. The condition is very good and will improve with conservation. The above condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.

A first generation Abstract Surrealist who played a key role in introducing the movement to the United States, Howard was born in New Jersey in 1899, but grew-up in Berkeley, California.  His father was a well-known architect, John Galen Howard, and both his brothers, John and Robert, pursued successful careers as artists.  While his original intention was to become a journalist, his friendship with Grant Wood during a post-graduate summer in Europe inspired him to paint.

Howard was essentially self-trained, but spent five years as a journeyman painter at the decorating firm of Louis Bouche and Rudolph Guertier in New York.  His first one-man show was at the Whitney Museum Studio Club in 1926.  By 1932, Howard’s work was included in the landmark exhibition at the Julien Levy Gallery, which introduced Surrealism to the United States.  Marriage, in 1934, to British painter Madge Knight, precipitated a move to London and exposure to the avant-garde artistic circles there.  With the outbreak of World War II, the couple moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where Howard became a leading figure in Abstract Surrealism as teacher, painter and exhibitor.