Portland, Quarries and Houses

Details

John Piper, C.H. (1903-1992)
Portland, Quarries and Houses
signed 'John Piper' (lower right), signed again, inscribed and dated again 'Water-colour by John Piper 1954/Portland, quarries and houses' (on the reverse)
ink, watercolor and gouache on paper
13 ½ x 21 1/8 in. (34.4 x 53.7 cm.)
Executed in 1954.

Provenance

Anonymous sale; Bonhams, London, 26 June 2007, lot 93, where purchased by the present owner.

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.

Brought to you by

Albany Bell

abell@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2738

Lot Essay

Throughout his career, John Piper was periodically drawn to the distinctive seaside and industrial landscapes of Portland Bill, a rocky mass which juts out from England's Dorset coast: this spartan and angular locality became a subject which he made his own. Many of the best paintings date from the early to mid 1950s. A dozen or so were exhibited in 1955 at the Curt Valentin Gallery, New York (John Piper, February - March 1955) with the catalogue listing a gouache (no. 25) which was an identically titled and dated, but larger version of the present lot.

We are very grateful to Rev. Dr Stephen Laird FSA for preparing this catalogue entry.

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