25th Oct, 2024 10:00

The Art & Design Sale

 
Lot 471 §
 

471

John Craxton RA (1922-2009)

A Fisherman
signed and inscribed 'to my Gigi . June 48 / Craxton' (lower right)
oil on canvas, unframed
63 x 43.5cm

Provenance:
Given by the artist to Gigi Richter in 1948
by whom gifted to the present owner

John Craxton was a British artist for whom life and work were steeped in foreign experience, especially in Greece. Although he had begun his career in London with shows alongside the best of his generation, such as Lucian Freud, it was his move to Greece in the late 1940s that transformed both his artistic vision and his sense of personal identity.
Craxton first visited Greece in 1946 and was immediately entranced by its brilliant light and rich, complex culture. This was a seismic turning point in his artistic direction. Whereas much of his earlier work, often rooted in English surrealism, had been dark and introspective, the Greek experience hailed an age of vibrant colour, dynamic form, and celebration of the Mediterranean way of life.
Perhaps his most iconic subject matter during this period was the Greek fisherman. The simplicity of their lives attracted him, and he recorded them in a series of paintings that framed their rough dignity and affinity with the sea. In the best of these works, Craxton balances figuration and abstraction to extraordinary effect. His fishermen stand solidly before us, yet appear to merge into the surroundings - the lines of their bodies echoing the waves of the sea, fusing man with nature and suggesting the possibility of harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
The rest of Craxton's career was spent depicting Greek subjects, from the landscape of the locale to mythological incidents; however, it is in the way he captured local fishermen-quartets that perhaps his most long-lasting legacy lies. His work here in Greece, therefore, represents not only the stylistic evolution of his work but also his personal transformation in becoming more attuned with the elemental forces of nature and timelessness of Greek culture. His art spoke toward the place where past and present combined - human life totally dependent on land and sea.
The present work is a wonderful example of this portion of his œuvre, though it was not until recently that the piece was discovered. In the late 1940s, Craxton visited the late Gigi Richter, botanist and art restorer, to have the canvas relined. Upon receiving his £37 invoice, Craxton, who was always famously short of money, suggested to Gigi that she retain the work in lieu of payment, inscribing the lower edge of the canvas "to my Gigi . / June 1948 / Craxton."

Sold for £50,000


Condition Report

The painting is executed in oil on a canvas support which has been lined. Some of the original tacking edges have been removed and edges that remain have been folded over the stretcher with some deep cracks to the paint layer. The lining involved a heavy amount of wax which is visible on the reverse of the lining canvas. There are a few small dents to the canvas, notably above the figures proper left hand. The paint layers are stable overall. Old losses have been filled and retouched, these are not extensive. The overpaint appears matte compared to the surrounding area. The surface gloss varies across the picture depending on the paint.

 

Auction: The Art & Design Sale, 25th Oct, 2024

For our final Art & Design Sale of the year, we are pleased to offer works from the following collections:
The late Lord Myners, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Tate, whose collection largely centres around the St Ives school of painting; the actor and connoisseur Quentin Stevenson, who is offering the largest collection of Elisabeth Vellacott works to be sold at auction; the late Sam Alper OBE who, through his work at the Curwen Press, was instrumental in championing the British print market.

From private collections, we are happy to offer three previously lost works, including a rare Christopher Dresser teapot, a Patrick Heron oil, and a John Craxton oil from the estate of the late Gigi Richter.

View the page-turner catalogue here

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Sun 20 Oct    10:00-12:00

Mon 21 Oct    10:00-17:00

Tue 22 Oct     10:00-17:00

Wed 23 Oct   10:00-17:00

Thu 24 Oct     09:00-09:45

Fri 25 Oct       09:00-09:45

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