Lot 3
  • 3

John Frederick Lewis, R.A.

Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
  • An Old Suliote
  • watercolour, black chalk and bodycolour on buff-coloured paper
  • 38 by 27.5cm., 15 by 10¾in.

Provenance

Possibly, the artist’s estate
Sale: Christie’s, London, 24 May 1909, lot 125, as ‘A Yanina’ (possibly missing the word ‘Suliote’ since sold with ‘A Suliote, Corfu’), bought ‘May’ (other items bought by ‘May’ in this sale are also known to have been in the Lewis family collection); thence by descent within the artist's family

Exhibited

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Laing Art Gallery, John Frederick Lewis R.A., 1971, no. 42

Literature

Major-General Michael Lewis, C.B.E., John Frederick Lewis, R.A., 1805-1876, 1978, p. 79, no. 341

Condition

The watercolour and bodycolour in this work are in very good condition. The paper has darkened a little and there are a number of foxmarks and slight imperfections. The work is not laid down and would, in my opinion, benefit from a slight clean.
"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."

Catalogue Note

On his journey through Greece and Albania in late summer 1840, Lewis made several sketches of men wearing traditional costume. In this example, attention is focused on the strong features of the venerable old man, with his long greying hair, white moustache and large hook nose. He wears the customary pleated kilt (fustanella), stiffened with mutton fat, a three-quarter length sleeveless coat, and a distinctive red cap. Another autograph version of the same figure (sold Bonham’s, 23 June 2015, lot 20) includes some telling background detail: here the man seems to be standing on the balcony of a large house and rests his hand on its wooden balustrade; beyond, lightly but deftly drawn, is another large wooden building and a snow-capped mountain. These details suggest that the location may be Ioannina, a substantial town and the centre of the mountainous region of Epirus, then still in Albania and under Ottoman rule. Another pencil drawing by Lewis, indistinctly inscribed, may show the same balustrade, looking on to a very similar large wooden building (sold Sotheby’s, 10 July 1986, lot 165).

This other version of the subject is inscribed and signed, Suliote / JF Lewis. The Suliotes were Greek fighters renowned for their resistance to Ottoman rule, and particularly to the powerful and semi-autonomous Ali Pasha of Ioannina. By 1840, however, these events were long in the past, and Lewis has chosen to highlight the dignity of the old man rather than his former fighting prowess. We are grateful to Briony Llewellyn for her help in cataloguing this work.