ALFRED WALLIS | Three-masted Sailing Ship Anchored at Harbour

Ben Nicholson, by whom gifted to Sir Leslie and Lady Martin
Knoedler & Company, New York, where acquired by the present owner, 11th August 2005

Edinburgh, National Galleries of Scotland (short term loan, details untraced).

The board appears sound. The board has been laid to a backing sheet and then in turn float mounted onto card, to which it is adhered in a number of places. The board is shaped, rounded and cut, in line with the Artist's working methods and materials. There are Artist's pinholes towards all four corners and the extreme edges. There are a number of creases throughout the work, largely inherent to the board and in line with the Artist's working methods. There is an area of very fine lines of cracking to the paint in the left third of the work, with possible scattered and isolated examples elsewhere. There are one or two light scuffs, a few instances of studio detritus and surface matter and some light surface dirt. This excepting, the work appears to be in very good 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 painted 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. 'Their is Nothin on The water
Than Beats a full Riged ship'

(Alfred Wallis in a letter to Ben Nicholson dated November 1928, quoted in Matthew Gale, Alfred Wallis, Tate Gallery Publishing, London, 1998, p.25)