Rupert Lee playing the piano

Details

Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A. (1860-1942)
Rupert Lee playing the piano
signed and inscribed 'Sickert - St.Peter's in Thanet' (lower right)
pencil, charcoal and ink
10¼ x 7¾ in. (25.4 x 19.7 cm.)
signed and inscribed by the sitter 'Sickert made this drawing of me after dinner one night/in about 1923 while I was playing a Bach fugue for/him. In 1936 I took the drawing with me to Thanet/when lunching with him and he signed it for me/Rupert Lee.' (on the reverse of the mount)

Provenance

A gift from the artist to the present owner's aunt and by descent.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Sale room notice

Please note this lot is unframed.

Lot Essay

Rupert Lee (1887-1959) was a painter, sculptor, critic and teacher. He studied at the Royal College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art, where he became friendly with Paul Nash. Nash describes Lee in detail in his autobiography Outline and further portrays him in a work entitled Musical Group which is housed in the National Portrait Gallery. Both this and the present work, portray Lee's amateur passion for music.
Sickert lived near Broadstairs, in St Peters in Thanet from 1934 until late 1938.

We are grateful to Wendy Baron for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.

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