ALFRED WALLIS | Ships With Flowering Trees

Margaret Mellis and Francis Davison
Austin/Desmond Fine Art, London, where acquired by the present owner, April 2003

London, Austin/Desmond, James Dixon, Mary Jewels, Alfred Wallis, Paintings by Three Self-Taught Artists, 19th March - 30th April 2003, un-numbered exhibition, illustrated on the front cover.

The sheet is affixed to the mount with a tab of adhesive tape in each corner and one tab in the centre of the upper edge. There is some very minor staining to the upper right corner, most likely from a previous adhesive. There is some minor undulation to the sheet, most visible along the upper edge, in keeping with the Artist's materials and working methods. There is a very small nick to the upper edge towards the upper right corner, with some associated rounding to the corner. There is a further tiny nick to the lower edge towards the lower right corner, and very minor rounding to the upper left corner. There are one of two extremely fine lines of craquelure towards the lower right corner in the white pigment, only visible upon very close inspection. There is an accretion within the paint towards the left of the upper edge. There are instances of studio detritus in places. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in excellent overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching. The work is float mounted and held behind glass in a wooden frame. 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."

We are grateful to Robert Jones for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work. '[Wallis] enjoyed talking about his paintings, speaking of them not as paintings but as events and experiences.'

(Ben Nicholson, 'Alfred Wallis', Horizon, 7, no.37, 1943, p.52 quoted in Jovan Nicholson, Art and Life, exh. cat. Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2013, p.120).