JACK B. YEATS, R.H.A. | Barnet Fair - Buying a Trap from a Stranger

Waddington Galleries, London, where purchased by the present owner in 1973

London, Waddington Galleries, Watercolours and Drawings by Jack B. Yeats, 1973, no.13

Hilary Pyle, The Different Worlds of Jack B. Yeats, His Cartoons and Illustrations, Dublin, 1994, no.662, p.120

The sheet appears sound. Slightly discoloured and some surface abrasions in the wheel of the cart upper right and also to the figure in the up-turned cart in the box near right hand edge. Held under glass in a simple wood frame with a canvas mount. Unexamined out of frame.
"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."

The present work belongs to a series of illustrations executed in indian ink circa 1900 which were intended for a book Yeats hoped to publish entitled Pastimes of the Londoners. Twenty-eight drawings are known, but it may have extended to thirty-five. The subjects include typical Yeatsian themes from pub scenes to local sporting occasions including barrow racing, donkey racing and boxing. They show Yeats' gifted feeling for line, as well as his nuance for character and humour. The book was never published, but some of the drawings in the series were later reproduced in the Manchester Guardian in 1905, probably assisted through John Masefield who was employed by the paper. Some of the works later appeared in his monthly series, A Broadside, published by the Cuala Press.