The subject of this work is the 'great Picnic' of 6 May 1919 at Harlech, Wales referred to by Robert Graves in his diary. Robert Graves had married Nicholson's daughter, Nancy in January 1918 and the spring and summer of 1919 was a particularly happy time for the couple. Robert had formed the Mutual Improvement Society with his sister Rosaleen, brother Charles and his friend Diccon (Richard) Hughes and Nicholson and Graves were jointly producing an Arts journal,'The Owl', the first number was published later the same month.

In the second number of 'The Owl, published in October 1919, 'Sketch for 'The Picnic'' is illustrated showing the group stretched out around the picnic rug and indentifying the sitters as Edith Stuart-Wortley, Nicholson's second wife, Nancy Nicholson in blue, the two Stuart-Wortley children, Robert Graves standing in khaki, Siegfried Sassoon lying down, 'R.M.', and the artist and his poodle, Bingo. In the sketch the German prisoner of War is facing up the hill

We are very grateful to Patricia Reed and Tim Nicholson for their help in cataloguing this lot