- 305
William Scott, R.A.
Description
- William Scott, R.A.
- Quiet Ochre
- signed on the reverse: W. SCOTT
- oil on canvas
- 106.5 by 122cm., 42 by 48in.
Provenance
Exhibited
Literature
Condition
"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 genesis for Scott’s lifelong treatment of the still-life was a visit to an exhibition in Paris in the summer of 1946 entitled A Thousand Years of Still Life Painting, which left him 'really overwhelmed by the fact that the subject had hardly changed for 1000 years, and yet each generation in turn expressed its own period and feelings and time within this terribly limited narrow range of the still life ' (Scott, quoted in Norbert Lynton, William Scott, 2004, p.61). Despite the seemingly 'limited' subject, the exhibition left him in no doubt as to the power of the genre and its capacity for artistic creativity. By 1969, he had developed the distinctive forms evident in the present work - the long handled frying pan, round bottomed dish or square bowl. The instantly recognisable forms clearly reference early works such as The Frying Pan (1946, Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery, London) whilst the minimalist handling demonstrates how his work had evolved in an abstract direction since the 1940s.