Howard Bliss
Waddington Galleries, London, where acquired by Mrs Heidi Burklin
Robert Sandelson, London
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, where acquired by the present owner, March 2009

Original canvas. Unexamined out of the frame. The canvas appears sound. There are some fine, scattered lines of craquelure apparent in places, most apparent to the dark red pigment at the right side of the work. There are some extremely small flecks of loss in one or two places as a result of the craquelure. There are two small frame abrasions around the edges of the canvas, one in the upper left corner and one towards the left side of the upper edge. There is one small indentation visible to the canvas towards the right side of the lower edge. There are a couple of very tiny pressure mark in the lower right quadrant, in the red and orangey brown pigment. There is some light surface dirt in places. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching. The work is presented in a painted and gilded wooden frame, held 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."

‘Setting up canvas and box in all weathers, I seek first to unravel the essential meaning of my subject, which is synonymous with its structure, and to understand my own psychological reactions to it. Next I must decide how best it can be rendered in paint, not by literal copying of objects but by combinations and juxtapositions of lines, forms, planes, tones, colours etc., such as will have an aesthetic meaning when put down on canvas. My method usually is to paint a “sketch”, then to work out a careful, well-knit design, then to destroy this and start again, painting freely, regardless of the literal proportions of forms because of the way colour reactions of space and form tend to destroy or cut across the actual edges of forms. All the while there should be a dialogue between artist and canvas, so that the picture grows from both ends, like stalactite and stalagmite.’ (The Artist, adapted from a personal memorandum, circa 1954, quoted in Peter Khoroche, Ivon Hitchens, Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2007, p.73)