John George Sowerby

Christopher Wood, London, December 2003

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."

John George Sowerby has been described as ‘the man who went through three fortunes’, who inherited a prosperous glassmaking business in Gateshead in 1879 but frittered away the money that had been made by his grandfather, father and widowed mother. He was more interested in painting and experimenting with techniques than making the moulded glass for which Sowerby Glass were renowned  – he is said to have thrown handfuls of gold sovereigns into the glass-furnace to see how they effected the glass-making process. Disillusioned by his family business and wanting to pursue a career as a professional painter, he eventually sold the business in 1896 and moved south.  He became a landscape painter but also illustrated books in association with Walter Crane and the present watercolour reflects the illustrative quality in many of his pictures. It is likely that it depicts the artist’s elder daughter Githa, an author, who moved to London in 1905 with her sister Millicent, who provided illustrations for Githa's novels. Githa is best-known for writing the play Rutherford & Son, the main protagonist a thinly-veiled portrait of her father and largely based upon the angst she felt for her father’s business failings. Patricia Riley’s book Looking for Githa of 2009 is an interesting insight into the fascinating life of the Sowerby family.