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Lot Essay
Gotch began work on his large circular oil painting The Message (Chimei Museum, Taiwan) in January 1903 and exhibited it at the Royal Academy that year. According to Pamela Lomax the present watercolour version was painted for Albert Lunn the following year. The main figure was based on a portrait of his daughter Phyllis painted the previous year, and the poppies were taken from sketches made in July 1902. For the angel he drew inspiration from that in Botticelli's Annunciation (Uffizi, Florence), a print of which he had on his wall at home.
In his review of the 1903 Academy exhibition the art critic A.S. Baldry described The Message as 'an interesting illustration of the partly decorative and partly pictorial method which he has followed of late years...' and '...it has all his usual characteristics of sentiment and design' (The Art Journal, 1903, p. 174).
Illustrating his unique, symbolist style the present composition comes from a theme Gotch developed on childhood and the progression into adulthood. The girl has reached a moment of realisation, as the meaning of life is revealed to her through a whispered message from the angel.
In his review of the 1903 Academy exhibition the art critic A.S. Baldry described The Message as 'an interesting illustration of the partly decorative and partly pictorial method which he has followed of late years...' and '...it has all his usual characteristics of sentiment and design' (The Art Journal, 1903, p. 174).
Illustrating his unique, symbolist style the present composition comes from a theme Gotch developed on childhood and the progression into adulthood. The girl has reached a moment of realisation, as the meaning of life is revealed to her through a whispered message from the angel.