Paul Sandby, R.A.

This work is in very fine condition. The pigments is fresh and strong and the surface of the work has been largely undisturbed.
"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."

In this impressive work Paul Sandby shows the crumbling monastery encircled by lush green woodland. It is high summer and in the foreground a milk-maid gestures to a cow, while a small dog plays at her feet. Behind, a shepherd sits on a fallen stone and, while his flocks graze nearby, he plays a melody to his dog on a flute.

Roche Abbey is situated near the village of Maltby in south Yorkshire and was founded by the Cistercians in the mid 12^th century. By the time Sandby came to explore it, in the early 1760s, the ruined monastery was part of Sandbeck Park, an estate owned by Richard, 4^th Earl of Scarborough. With its dilapidated grandeur and atmosphere of a great and ancient past, the abbey resonated with Paul Sandby’s heightened sense of the ‘picturesque’. In both 1761 and 1762 he exhibited views of the ruins at the Society of Artists and again, at the inaugural Royal Academy exhibition of 1769, he returned to the subject.