John Virtue

Bob Summers, U.S.A.
Sale, Bonhams London, 3rd December 2002, lot 132, where acquired by David Bowie

The work is composed of three separate sections, each section in itself is composed of ten separate boards, mounted as one. The sheets have been fully laid down onto the boards by the artist, and there are nailheads and pinholes visible around the edges of the sheets. In places the edges of the sheets are lifting slightly from the board and are slightly scuffed. In places the edges of the sheets have been unevenly cut, thought to be inkeeping with the artist's materials. There are some repaired tears to the sheets in places, thought to be in keeping with the artist's working method. There are some tears to the sheets in places, with one or two losses, visible upon closer inspection. There is craquelure in places and some flecks of resultant loss. There is some surface dirt, most apparent to the central panel, and studio detritus to the work. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. The three panels are tightly float mounted in simple painted black wooden frames. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

Rooted in the tradition of landscape painting, the striking monochrome works of contemporary artist John Virtue capture the sublime in his ever-evolving surroundings, whether it be the London skyline, the Devon countryside or Venetian views.

Born in 1947 in Lancashire, John Virtue trained at the Slade School of Fine Art under Frank Auerbach and other esteemed tutors. During these early formative years he discovered the potential expressiveness and power of works in black and white, inspired by the graphic works of Rembrandt, the ink drawings of nineteenth century Japanese Zen calligraphers, and the charcoal drawings of one of Auerbach’s own teachers, David Bomberg. From a young age, Virtue was also drawn to the landscape paintings by masters such as Constable, Ruisdael and Koninck in the collection of the National Gallery in London, where he would later be appointed the sixth Artist Associate from 2003 to 2005.

After returning to Lancashire in 1971, Virtue worked as a postman for seven years, deliberately cutting himself off from the art world while developing his unique artistic voice. Since 1978 he has produced hundreds of numbered works titled ‘Landscape’; it was in this year that he decided his subject matter would be based exclusively in his immediate surroundings, thus marking the beginning of his mature oeuvre and his development of a daily routine that became the ritual impetus for each of his works. Virtue begins by walking through the local landscape and drawing the topography in situ before returning to the isolation of his studio. He then responds to his observation drawings, beginning a process of expressive and fluid re-creation that results in works that are not simply abstractions from reality, but representations of remembered experiences imbued with uninhibited reactive energy. The sense of dynamic, instinctual movement discernible in Virtue’s works is not dissimilar from the aesthetic effect of action painting, including Jackson Pollock’s drip paintings of 1947-1950 that Virtue admires. Drawing on the modern aesthetic of Abstract Expressionism and provoked by traditional landscape painting, Virtue’s compelling interpretations of the genre are free from imitation yet respectful of his predecessors. 

David Bowie visited Virtue’s Dartmoor studio in 1993, and Bowie, in fact, later asked Virtue if they could paint together while the artist was working on a series of large unstretched canvases for an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, but unfortunately this collaboration never came to fruition.