Lot Essay
Margaret Morris recalled, 'At this period, Fergus was making sketches in cafés all the time - I have dozens of sketch books with hundreds of wonderful sketches! Some of them he enlarged and did in charcoal and ink, sometimes with touches of colour. He mounted them, then took them to dealers - I am sure this is the only time in his life he did such a thing, but they were easy to sell and enabled him to settle to serious painting' (M. Morris, The Art of J.D. Fergusson, Glasgow, 1974, p. 55). The present work is dedicated by the artist to his friend, Harry McColl (see lot 194).