Samuel Palmer, R.W.S

With Thomas Agnew & Co., London;
Sir John and Lady Witt,
their sale, London, Sotheby’s, 19 February 1987, lot 123,
where acquired by the late Jan Krugier

London, Courtauld Institute Galleries, The John Witt Collection, 1963, no. 71 

R. Lister, Samuel Palmer, His Life and Art, Cambridge 1987, p. 163;
R. Lister, Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of Samuel Palmer, Cambridge 1988, p. 158, no. 437 

The work is in good 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.
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.

This work has been dated to 1848, the year that Palmer moved with his wife and young family to 1A Victoria Road, Kensington, and carried out sketching tours in Cornwall, Devon, Kent and Surrey.  Box Hill is located about twenty miles to the south of London and was a place that Palmer evidently admired. In the same year, he created two watercolours from similar view-points: one of these remains in a private collection, while the other is in the Victoria & Albert Museum.¹

This work was formerly in the collection of Sir John and Lady Witt. Together they formed a fine collection which was eventually sold at Sotheby’s, London in 1987. Sir John was a trustee of the Tate Gallery, London, Vice-Chairman of the Arts Council and Chairman of the National Gallery, London.

1. R. Lister, op. cit., 1988, p. 157, nos. 435-6