THOMAS BAINES | Sorcery in Abyssinia – The old lady changed into a donkey

The painting is unlined, the paint surface is clean, and the varnish clear and uneven. There is a visible retouching 2 x 0.5 in the hut centre left. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms this underneath the thick and uneven varnish, as well as another small spot of retouching along the lower margin on the left, but the work appears in otherwise very good condition.
"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."

Born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, Thomas Baines first travelled to Africa at the age of twenty two where he found work as official war artist to the British Army during the Eighth Frontier War. In 1855 he joined Augustus Gregory’s expedition to explore northern Australia; however he is probably best remembered today for his role as the official artist to David Livingstone’s 1858 expedition along the upper reaches of the Zambezi river, on the boarder of modern day Zimbabwe and Zambia. He was consequently the first western artist ever to see and document Victoria Falls. An intrepid explorer, Baines spent much of the rest of his life travelling throughout southern Africa and died in Durban in 1875, having undertaken numerous expeditions across the continent. Though he never visited Ethiopia he produced a number of paintings on Abyssinian subjects, including Elephant Hunting with the sword, Abyssinia (1867, King’s Lynn Museum, Norfolk). His interest in the region was sparked by the kidnapping of the British Consul in Ethiopia, Charles Duncan Cameron, by Emperor Tewodros II, and the subsequent British Expedition to Abyssinia, under the command of Sir Robert Napier, in 1868; the same year as this painting. During his last days in England he produced a series of paintings about the campaign to illustrate a lecture he gave on Abyssinia at the London Polytechnic, including Troops ascending a ravine from Annesley Bay in Abyssinia (1868) and Devra Damo with the procession of the heir to the throne of Abyssinia (1867, both Gubbins Africana Library, Johannesburg). Baines’ knowledge of the topography and culture of the country was drawn from research in the British Museum, particularly the maps and accounts found in Henry Salt’s 1814 Voyage to Abyssinia, combined with his first-hand experience of the awe inspiring geography of Africa and the exotic customs of its peoples.