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Lot Essay
One of the most generous supporters of the Australian artist Charles Conder (1868-1909) during the closing years of his life was Pickford Waller (1849-1930), who had one room in his London house entirely hung with Conder's works on silk. Soon after Conder's death in February 1909, Waller commissioned Nicholson to paint a conversation piece of himself and his daughter Sybil in the Conder Room. Why Nicholson was chosen is unclear. He and Conder were founder members of the Society of Twelve in 1904, and James Pryde had been a friend and an enthusiast for Conder's work since the 1890s, but there is no evidence that they were more than mere acquaintances.
Pickford Waller shared Nicholson's enthusiasm for Whistler and had a large collection of his works, as well as being an early collector of Beardsley. He had also commissioned works from Greiffenhagen, George Lambert, and Sir James Jebusa Shannon, and continued to support Austin Spare until he died. Waller was himself a designer and interior decorator whose family firm, Waller & Co., had built part of Belgravia and Pimlico for Thomas Cubitt and who were still active as builders, interior decorators and estate agents. It was at 27 St George's Road (now Drive), at the southern corner of Eccleston Square, Pimlico, that Waller's house was located. The first floor Conder Room appears to have curved walls, which perhaps suggested the circular nature of the composition.
The focus of the composition, and of Nicholson's interest, is the large silk panel Decoration (National Gallery of Australia) set in an alcove. On its glazed surface we can see reflected Pickford Waller who appears in the foreground looking over his right shoulder towards the artist (outside the picture), while his daughter looks in the opposite direction at her Scottie dog. To her left can be seen one of Conder's fan studies Dreamland of Blue, (sold Christie's, London, 12 October 1973, together with Decoration). Possibly Waller is in conversation with the artist who may also be reflected on the glass protecting Decoration. The painting of the reflective surfaces is masterly, and the handling of the black gauze over the pink silk evening dress would have delighted Conder, as it did the sitter. However, the figure of Sibyl Waller does not seem entirely part of the conversation group perhaps because, as she related in her recollections of sitting to artists, 'Nicholson was a strange man; he had a decidedly artificial manner which rather debarred one from intimacy although he was a very witty and amusing companion. He was a complete masher, yet his costume was so eccentric as almost to verge on fancy dress'. In this he sounds rather like Conder who in his early, impoverished days in Paris had adopted the costume of an 1830s French dandy. Conder, Waller and Nicholson all shared a love of fancy dress parties; an undated illustrated letter from Nicholson to Pickford Waller was sold Sotheby's, London, 10 June 1981, lot 71 'The Artist's Costume'. It is a reply to an invitation to a fancy dress party where Nicholson will wear Regency costume, the same that he wore in his portrait by his first wife Mabel Nicholson, exhibited at the NEAC in 1912, no. 165.
The work can be seen as part of the 'homage to an artist' group of paintings, in particular Orpen's Homage to Manet which had been in progress since 1906, the year Nicholson began sharing Orpen's studio, and was completed with several revisions in 1909, the year The Conder Room was begun. The latter was completed in 1910 following a gap of six months which Sibyl Waller attributed to Nicholson having a nervous breakdown, although he was actually in Rottingdean enjoying his new home and working on other projects.
A portrait of Pickford Waller in coloured chalks (undated) by Nicholson was for sale through Abbott and Holder, London, in September 1978 (untraced). It is also possible that Waller was the dedicatee of the Still Life inscribed April 1910 where the artist appears reflected in the glazed surface of a painting; see London, Royal Academy, The Art of William Nicholson, 2004, no. 9. April 1910 was the month The Conder Room was shown at the International Society.
We are very grateful to Patricia Reed for providing the catalogue entry for lots 26-28.
Pickford Waller shared Nicholson's enthusiasm for Whistler and had a large collection of his works, as well as being an early collector of Beardsley. He had also commissioned works from Greiffenhagen, George Lambert, and Sir James Jebusa Shannon, and continued to support Austin Spare until he died. Waller was himself a designer and interior decorator whose family firm, Waller & Co., had built part of Belgravia and Pimlico for Thomas Cubitt and who were still active as builders, interior decorators and estate agents. It was at 27 St George's Road (now Drive), at the southern corner of Eccleston Square, Pimlico, that Waller's house was located. The first floor Conder Room appears to have curved walls, which perhaps suggested the circular nature of the composition.
The focus of the composition, and of Nicholson's interest, is the large silk panel Decoration (National Gallery of Australia) set in an alcove. On its glazed surface we can see reflected Pickford Waller who appears in the foreground looking over his right shoulder towards the artist (outside the picture), while his daughter looks in the opposite direction at her Scottie dog. To her left can be seen one of Conder's fan studies Dreamland of Blue, (sold Christie's, London, 12 October 1973, together with Decoration). Possibly Waller is in conversation with the artist who may also be reflected on the glass protecting Decoration. The painting of the reflective surfaces is masterly, and the handling of the black gauze over the pink silk evening dress would have delighted Conder, as it did the sitter. However, the figure of Sibyl Waller does not seem entirely part of the conversation group perhaps because, as she related in her recollections of sitting to artists, 'Nicholson was a strange man; he had a decidedly artificial manner which rather debarred one from intimacy although he was a very witty and amusing companion. He was a complete masher, yet his costume was so eccentric as almost to verge on fancy dress'. In this he sounds rather like Conder who in his early, impoverished days in Paris had adopted the costume of an 1830s French dandy. Conder, Waller and Nicholson all shared a love of fancy dress parties; an undated illustrated letter from Nicholson to Pickford Waller was sold Sotheby's, London, 10 June 1981, lot 71 'The Artist's Costume'. It is a reply to an invitation to a fancy dress party where Nicholson will wear Regency costume, the same that he wore in his portrait by his first wife Mabel Nicholson, exhibited at the NEAC in 1912, no. 165.
The work can be seen as part of the 'homage to an artist' group of paintings, in particular Orpen's Homage to Manet which had been in progress since 1906, the year Nicholson began sharing Orpen's studio, and was completed with several revisions in 1909, the year The Conder Room was begun. The latter was completed in 1910 following a gap of six months which Sibyl Waller attributed to Nicholson having a nervous breakdown, although he was actually in Rottingdean enjoying his new home and working on other projects.
A portrait of Pickford Waller in coloured chalks (undated) by Nicholson was for sale through Abbott and Holder, London, in September 1978 (untraced). It is also possible that Waller was the dedicatee of the Still Life inscribed April 1910 where the artist appears reflected in the glazed surface of a painting; see London, Royal Academy, The Art of William Nicholson, 2004, no. 9. April 1910 was the month The Conder Room was shown at the International Society.
We are very grateful to Patricia Reed for providing the catalogue entry for lots 26-28.