ALBERT JOSEPH MOORE, A.R.W.S. | Stars

Noel Ranger collection;
Christie's, London, 29 February 1980, lot 84, where purchased by Seymour Stein

The picture has been strip-lined which is providing a good structural support. There are co signs of craquelure. There is a small pin-hole in the bottom right corner and a small area of paint-loss close to the left edge of the canvas. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT There are no signs of retouching. FRAME The picture is contained in a simple wooden and gilt Aesthetic-style frame with a gilt wood mount (cracked).
"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."

Stars was probably painted in 1890 shortly after Moore completed and exhibited one of his greatest pictures, A Summer Night (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool) which he had begun six years earlier. In A Summer Night Moore arranged four semi-nude women on a lakeside terrace against a background of a starry night sky. With Stars Moore condensed the same gold and black colour scheme into his image of a solitary, heavily-draped female figure in a starlit garden. The nocturnal setting for Stars and A Summer Night probably reflect the influence of Moore’s friend Whistler, who was famous for his night scenes, including Nocturne, Trafalgar Square, Snow (Freer Gallery of Art, Washington) which belonged to Moore. Like Whistler, Moore’s art was not concerned with narrative but with arrangement of rhythmic forms and harmonies of colour. In pictures such as Stars the title refers to a minor detail and the picture is an almost abstract study of Aesthetic principles of colour. ‘His late paintings evince a tenderness and sensuality that suggest his renewed interest in expressing the poignance and passion of human life.’ Robyn Asleson, Albert Moore, 2000, p.177