Philip C. Duschnes, New York, where acquired by the previous owner, 7th January 1970
Sale, Sotheby's London, 28th September 1994, lot 20 (part lot), where acquired by David Bowie

The sheet is sound and not laid down. The edges of the sheet are deckled, with a few small folds in places. There are light creases in all four corners and there is a small tear in the upper right corner and a further small tear to the upper half of the right hand edge. The sheet is slightly discoloured in the lower left corner. There are a few very small spots of staining scattered across the sheet. There is a light layer of surface dirt and a few light handling marks. Subject to the above the work is in very good overall condition. The work is window mounted and presented in a simple wood frame under glass. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Gill was great friends with Father John O’Connor, priest of St Cuthbert’s church, Heaton, Bradford from 1919-1952, and carved several sculptures for him. In 1934 O’Connor proposed that a chapel of ease be built nearby to cater for the steady rise in population in that area of Bradford. The architect was Jack Langtry-Langton, and the brick-built church has an octagonal ground plan and a centrally placed altar, the first church in England with such a feature. Both O’Connor and Gill were in favour of a central altar, and Gill wrote: ‘ I see no hope whatever of any liturgical revival until the Mass is brought away from the mystery mongering of obscure sanctuaries separated from the people by rows of clergy and stuff.’

This new church became a separate parish in 1936 with Father Bernard Blackburn as the first parish priest. On 14^th May 1938 Gill drew this design for a central altar for the church, which proposes a stone cube, three foot square, with carved reliefs of gamboling cherubs, not perhaps the most suitable response to the church’s dedication to ‘Our Lady and the First Martyrs of Rome’. The design was not accepted, and this drawing is the only evidence of Gill’s proposal. However, around this time, Gill wrote and published a pamphlet entitled Mass for the Masses, and 🤪as he wrote to a friend in Septemb✨er 1938: ‘no sooner was that essay published than I got the job to build a real church with a central altar…at Gorleston-on-Sea near Yarmouth…It is an interesting plan with crossed arches to make an octagonal centre space.’  There is no central altar in this church, but Gill instead carved a wooden Crucifix which hangs from the ceiling.

Wဣe are grateful to Judy Collins for her catalogue nꦜote on the present work.