James Smetham

Anthony Reed, London;
Agnew's, London, February 2002

London, Agnew's, 129th Annual Watercolour Exhibition, 2002, no.95.

The sheet appears to be sound and the work in good overall condition. Held under glass in a gilt plaster frame with a cream mount; unexamined out of frame.
"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."

This watercolour demonstrates the significance that poetry played upon Smetham's imagination. He was a poet himself and also influenced by the poetry of others. Here he took inspiration from the lines of Tennyson's The Princess:

'Tears, idle tears...
Rise in the hear, and gather to the eyes,
In looking on the happy Autumn-fields,
And thinking of the days that are no more.'