A cabinet of drawings and one relief

Details

ST JOHN'S WOOD ART CLUB MEMBERS: SIR LAWRENCE ALMA-TADEMA, O.M., R.A. (1836-1912), SIR FRANK DICKSEE, P.R.A. (1853-1928), EDWIN BALE (1838-1923), SIR ALFRED EAST, R.A. (1849-1913), SOLOMON J. SOLOMON, R.A. (1860-1927), GEORGE ADOLPHUS STOREY, R.A. (1834-1919) AND SIR WILLIAM REYNOLDS-STEPHENS (1862-1943)
A cabinet of drawings and one relief
with inscription 'TO T E SCRUTTON/FROM THE COPYRIGHT/COMMITTEE OF THE/S. JOHN'S WOOD ARTS/CLUB' and signed 'L Alma Tadema', 'Frank Dicksee Hon. Tres.', 'Edwin Bale Hon Sec', 'Alfred East', 'Solomon J Solomon.', 'G.A. Storey.', 'W. Reynolds-Stephens', 'George Simonds', 'John Cother Webb', 'Chas. F. Annesley Voysey', 'H. Annesley Voysey Legal Advisor' and with the monogram of T.E. Scrutton (on the inside lid of the box)
a leather-bound wooden box designed by Charles F. Annesley Voysey, an elaborate silver and turquoise lock designed by George Simonds, and eight glazed white maple drawers, containing five watercolours, one pencil drawing and an enamel plaque by different artists, and also a steel copyright plaque
i) Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, O.M., R.A. (1836-1912)
Portrait of a lady, probably the artist's wife, Laura Theresa, Lady Alma-Tadema (1852-1909)
signed 'L Alma Tadema' (lower right)
pencil on paper
11 1⁄8 x 8 in. (28.2 x 20.3 cm.)

ii) Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee, P.R.A. (1853-1928)
Portrait of a girl, seated, in a white dress, with a composition sketch (verso)
signed with initials 'F.D.' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour on paper
11 ½ x 8 ½ in. (29.2 x 21.6 cm.)

iii) Edwin Bale (1838-1923)
A holy shrine by the road side
signed 'EDWIN. BALE.' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour on paper
8 ¾ x 5 ¾ in. (22.2 x 14.6 cm.)

iv) Sir Alfred East, R.A. (1849-1913)
Trees beside a lake
signed 'ALFRED/EAST.' (lower left)
pencil and watercolour, with scratching out on paper
9 3⁄8 x 6 ½ in. (23.8 x 16.5 cm.)

v) Solomon Joseph Solomon, R.A. (1860-1927)
Composition study for 'Equipped'
signed with initials 'S J S' (lower left)
pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour on paper
10 ½ x 7 7⁄8 in. (26.7 x 20 cm.)

vi) George Adolphus Storey, R.A. (1834-1919)
A young lady wearing an ivy wreath and holding a blue and white porcelain vase
signed with monogram and dated '1899.' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour, heightened with touches of bodycolour on paper
8 7⁄8 x 5 ¾ in. (22.6 x 14.6 cm.)

vii) Sir William Ernest Reynolds-Stephens (1862-1943)
A knight as Law defending the citadel of Art
signed and dated 'W. Reynolds-Stephens 99.' (incised lower right)
bronze and enamel
8 x 5 in. (20.3 x 12.7 cm.)
The cabinet 10 ¼ x 14 ½ x 6 ¼ in. (26.1 x 36.8 x 15.9 cm.); the drawings between 8 ¾ x 5 ¾ in. (22.2 x 14.6 cm.) and 11 ½ x 8 ½ in. (29.2 x 21.6 cm.)

Provenance

Sir Thomas Edward Scrutton (1856-1934), London, and by descent to his daughter
Janet Mary Scrutton (1886-1966), London.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 15 June 1971, lot 1.
with The Fine Art Society, London.
Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990), New York and New Jersey (†); Christie's, London, 19 February 2003, lot 124, where purchased by the father of the present owner.

Literature

D. Foxton, The Life of Thomas E. Scrutton, Cambridge, 2013, p. 133.

Exhibited

Princeton, The Art Museum, Princeton University, Princeton Alumni Collections: Works on Paper, April-June 1981, unnumbered (pp. 122-28 in the exhibition catalogue).
Brighton, Royal Pavilion, Art Gallery and Museum, Beauty's Awakening: The Centenary Exhibition of the Art Workers Guild, September-November 1984, no. 441.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Lucy Speelman Junior Specialist, Head of Day Sale

lspeelman@christies.com +44 207 752 3074

Lot Essay

Founded in 1894, The St John’s Wood Art Club was a social gathering of artists living and working in and near the St John’s Wood area of London. The inaugural supper was held on 30 January 1895. Members would go on to attend further suppers, smoking concerts, and most importantly, 'discussion evenings' (D. Foxton, The Life of Thomas E. Scrutton, p.130). It was during these discussion evenings that the topic of the amendment of copyright laws would emerge. Spearheaded by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, the Artistic Copyright Committee was formed.

The committee discussed and deliberated ideas for a number of years before, in 1898, presenting their plans at an extraordinary general meeting of the Club. It was the committee's hope to draft a parliamentary Bill to submit to the House of Lords, and encourage major English artistic bodies, such as the Royal Academy, to support their attempts at copyright reform. It was at the extraordinary general meeting that the Committee would request permission to appoint legal counsel to support their efforts.

Thomas Edward Scrutton was chosen to represent the artists' interests. It was he who drafted the Copyright (Artistic) Bill, which was presented to the Lords for their consideration. Despite the efforts of the Committee and of Scrutton, there would be no Copyright Act passed for 10 years. None the less, the members of the committee were pleased with Scrutton's continued efforts and, by way of thanks, presented him with this cabinet of artworks.

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