Eliot Hodgkin

London, Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, Eliot Hodgkin 1905-1987: Painter and Collector, 14th March - 10th April 1990, cat. no.2.

The original canvas has been lined. The canvas is slightly uneven and undulates along the upper and left edges. There is paint cracking with associated losses along the extreme edges of the work and a further spot of loss at the centre left of the composition, above the plant. There are areas of craquelure across the composition and some surface dirt throughout. Ultraviolet light reveals an area of fluorescence or retouching in the sleeve of the of the figure's reflection. The work is unframed. 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."

Eliot Hodgkin, a cousin of Howard, was himself a successful artist, best-known for his highly detailed still lifes, executed in tempera.  Through this most traditional of mediums he made images which are both strikingly simple in composition, yet also intricately beautiful, seeking to raise the profile of the simplest objects and organisms. He noted eloquently: ‘I like to show the beauty of things that no one looks at twice.’

Howard’s mother Katherine, the subject of this painting, was the daughter of a Lord Chief Justice, Viscount Gordon Hewart. She is chiefly known as a botanical illustrator and indeed a passion for horticulture ran in the family, as her husband Eliot was a very talented gardener, and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society’s gold medal.