Beschreibung:

Property from a Private CollectionHenry Wallis, R. W. S.British1830 - 1916Shakespeare and Spenser
signed and dated H. Wallis. / 1864 lower right; titled, signed and inscribed with the artist's address Shakespeare and Spenser / Henry Wallis / 4 Grove End Rd. / St. Johns Wood. on the stretcher and signed and inscribed with the artist's studio address H Wallis Esq / The Mews / Campden Hill on a label attached to the stretcheroil on canvasUnframed: 51 by 66.5cm., 20 by 26in.Framed: 64 by 80cm., 25 by 31½in.Condition reportThe canvas does not appear to be lined. There is a pattern of craquelure. There is surface dirt and some small white spots on the surface notably to the lower left corner and near the centre right edge. Examination under ultra-violet light reveals a very dirty and opaque varnish layer. There are some scattered areas of retouching; notably to the upper left corner, some small spots to the head of the Shakespeare and one line to the forehead of Spenser, a small area below the upper right edge, to the upper right corner and centre right framing edge, some spots to the body of Shakespeare, to the desk on the left and along the lower framing edge.
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.ProvenanceThe artist's studio and thence to the artist's daughter-in-law Alice Julyan Wallis (née Roberts)
Thence to her great-niece Mrs. Vera G. Whiting of Purley, Surrey (sale: Sotheby's, Belgravia, 10 April 1973, lot 192)
B Cohen (purchased at the above sale)
Private collection, IrelandLiteratureFraser's Magazine, 1865, vol. 71, p. 751
The Art Journal, New Series, 1865, vol. IV, p. 166
The Athenaeum, 1 April 1865, no. 1953, p. 462
The Illustrated London News, 22 April 1865, p. 386
Pall Mall Gazette, 6 May 1865, p. 10
The Athenaeum, 13 May 1865, vol. 1959, p. 657
The Illustrated London News, 13 May 1865, p. 451
The Examiner, 10 June 1865, p. 362
Ronald Lessens, 'Henry Wallis (1830-1916) A Neglected Pre-Raphaelite', The British Art Journal, Autumn 2014, vol. XV, no. 1, p. 54
Ronald Lessens and Dennis Lanigan, Henry Wallis (1830-1916) From Pre-Raphaelite Painter to Collector/Connoisseur, 2019, pp. 113-114, cat. 50, p. 114, illustratedExhibitedLondon, Royal Academy, 1865, no. 7Catalogue note'Mr. Wallis gives us a pleasant glimpse at Shakespeare's home life and the troubles of Spenser during the few months that preceded the death of the latter. Shakespeare and Spenser shows how the latter might have visited the former in London, and just after his return from Kilcolman, of what remained of its ruins, he is pallid and worn with grief; his sensitive nature and delicate look are admirably expressed by the figure which that of the healthier Shakespeare so warmly, yet unaffectedly, shakes by the hand. Of several subjects of this class which Mr. Wallis has painted none have approached this one as a story or in execution.'
(The Athenaeum, 1 April 1865, no. 1953, p. 462)
Henry Wallis had painted several pictures of famous British writers, including Dr. Johnson at Cave's, the Publisher (sold in these rooms, 19 November 2008, lot 102), The Death of Christopher Marlowe painted in 1862 (whereabouts unknown) and his best-known picture The Death of Chatterton of 1855-56 (primary version at Tate). Unsurprisingly Shakespeare was of particular interest to him and he painted, in collaboration with Edwin Landseer  In Shakespeare's House, Stratford-upon-Avon in 1854 (Victoria & Albert Museum, London) and A Sculptor's Workshop, Stratford-upon-Avon, AD 1617, in 1857 (present whereabouts unknown, replica in The Royal Shakespeare Company Collection, Stratford-upon-Avon) depicting Gerard Johnson creating the famous likeness of the play-write.