Winifred Nicholson

Sale, Christie's London, 7th June 1991, lot 231
Crane Kalman Gallery, London, where acquired by Lord & Lady Attenborough, 15th May 1992

Kendal, Abbot Hall Art Gallery, A Tribute to Winifred Nicholson, November - December 1982, cat. no.40.

Andrew Nicholson (ed.), Unknown Colour: Paintings, Letters, Writings by Winifred Nicholson, Faber and Faber Limited, London, 1987, illustrated p.268.

Original canvas. The canvas appears sound. There is a very small line of craquelure to the white pigment to the right hand flowers. The impasto has been flattened in one or two places. There is some surface dirt across the work. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching. The work is held in a painted wooden frame, with both sides of the canvas visible. 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."

With a further oil painting by the same hand on the reverse of the work, titled Pink Rose.

We are grateful to Jovan Nicholson for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work. 

Winifred Nicholson often painted pictures at her friends’ houses in an atmosphere where she felt relaxed and that was conducive for painting. Irthing was painted at Banks House, where Winifred’s sister Christina Wood lived, not far from Winifred’s own house in north east Cumberland. The house looks west, with the river Irthing snaking at the bottom of the valley leading the viewer's eye out into the misty distance.

Jovan Nicholson