Augustus Edwin John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)
Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's… Read more
Augustus Edwin John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)

Female nude seated

Details
Augustus Edwin John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)
Female nude seated
signed 'John' (lower left)
pencil on paper
18 x 12 ½ in. (45.8 x 31.8 cm. )
Provenance
with Agnew's, London, where purchased by the present owners.
Special notice
Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent. These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Clare Keiller
Clare Keiller

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Lot Essay

Stylistically this striking full-length nude surely dates from circa 1907, when John was at the height of his ability as a draughtsman. In his economy of line there is an urgency and confidence which recalls Ingres, and his remarkable early technical ability shines through in his mastery of the female form. John, although later than the Pre-Raphaelites who make up most of this collection, shared not only their obsession with female beauty, but also their lyrical interpretation of its form through numerous studies and sketches of both heads and nudes.

There is something in the disposition of the sitters features, and the long, elegant nose which is reminiscent of Alexandra 'Alick' Schepeler, one of John's most striking and well known models, with whom he had a long-running affair, and obsessed over artistically from 1906-7. She was prone to fits of melancholy and depression, hinted at here in her downward gaze and self-absorption. She was renowned for her mystery, making her a particularly fascinating subject for John.

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