This lot is offered by Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
Christie Manson & Woods Ltd
8 King Street, St. James's, London, SW1Y 6QT, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 7839 9060
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Lot Essay
Dateable to c. 1807, this is the earliest of the few known landscapes by Wilkie, and is believed to show a view near Cults, the town outside Aberdeen where the artist was born. Comparison with the drawing The Manse, Cults, Fife, The Artist’s Old Home (Yale Center for British Art, New Haven), establishes that this farmstead is not the Manse, however the character of the landscape and the buildings are perfectly in keeping with the area, and may have been painted to the East of the parish, near Cults Farm, or possibly Barbarafield, with Craigrothie beyond. The thin strip of blue behind the clump of trees may be Largo Bay, about six miles away.
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Condition report
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The paper support is well preserved; the chain lines are visile in areas due to the relining process, and there has been historic folds to it visible in raking light to the upper corner and to the sky centre left. The paper has been laid down on canvas; this is held under tension and remains stable. The painting presents very well in natural light, with the fluidity of execution and detailing to the buildings well preserved. Examination under UV light shows an old varnish that has pooled within the chain lines of the paper, especially in the lower half of the composition. There has been some minor scatered retouching to areas of craquelure in the sky, buildings and landscape. There has been some further minor retouching to the green tones. The paint remains stable.
Print Report
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