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Lot 54: Harry Clarke RHA (1889-1931)

Est: €8,000 EUR - €10,000 EURSold:
Whyte'sBallsbridge, IrelandNovember 29, 2010

Item Overview

Description

ILLUSTRATION TO JOHN KEAT'S POEM, THE EVE OF ST. AGNES; pencil, pen and ink and watercolour on Bristol board;

Dimensions

36 by 27cm., 14.2 5 by 10.5in.

Artist or Maker

Provenance

Purchased by the present owner at Sotheby's, London, early 1980s

Notes

"They glide, like phantoms, into the wide hall;Like phantoms, to the iron porch, they glide;Where lay the Porter, in uneasy sprawl,With a huge empty flaggon by his side:The wakeful bloodhound rose, and shook his hide,But his sagacious eye an inmate owns:By one, and one, the bolts full easy slide: -The chains lie silent on the footworn stones; -The key turns, and the door upon its hinges groans."

Harry Clarke's fertile imagination was ideally suited to Keats' sensuous poeticnarrative, steeped as it is in "the romantic atmosphere of love and religious ritual".Among a number of writers the young artist specially noted down in his 1914 diarywere Keats, Poe, Goethe, Ronsard, Villon, Flaubert, Coleridge and Synge - all ofwhose works he was to subsequently illustrate during his tragically short working life,either in special edition illustrated books or in stained glass panels. The previousyear, aged 24, he had made two illustrations of Keats' poems - the illustrationfeatured here, to The Eve of St. Agnes, and another of similar scale to La Belle Damesans Merci, as part of the portfolio he prepared to take round prospective publishersin London after he had left the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art as a prize-winningstudent in the summer of 1913. Although neither was ever published, along with anumber of others illustrating Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Hans Christian Andersenand W.B. Yeats, for example, they were responsible for securing his first bookillustrating commission, from the London publisher George Harrap. Keats' name alsofeatures among his favourite authors in the pile of books depicted in the bookplatehe drew for his first major patron, the Epicurean Dublin stockbroker and bibliophileLaurence A. Waldron, during this period. And of course, ten years later, in 1923,Clarke would embark on his secular masterpiece, the twenty two small stained glasspanels illustrating The Eve of St. Agnes, the "revel in blue" he made into a window forthe staircase of the Jacob family's residence, St. Michael's, on the corner of AilesburyRoad, Dublin (now in the Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane).

This surprisingly large, detailed work uses a miniaturist's technique to illustrate thepenultimate stanza of Keats' evocative poem, in which the thwarted lovers escapefrom their warring families in the wintery night of auspicious St. Agnes' Eve. With fullartistic licence, Clarke depicts "thoughtful Madeline" poised apprehensively on tinyslippered feet. Exquisitely coiffed and tiara'd, she is modishly made up, diaphanouslyswathed in a veiled scarf and vogueishly dressed in an exquisitely embroideredchiffon ballgown - despite the "bitter chill" and storm that awaits her outside herfamily's baronial fortress. She is framed by the billowing satin-lined cloak of her"impassion'd" lover, Porphyro, dressed in signature Clarke chequered skull cap,peacock feather and cape. The spiky fingers of his right hand hover around herwillowy waist while the other points the way forward to their life together beyondthe huge castle door. Theatrically made-up and wearing black-laced ballet pumpsand a belted harlequin cat-suit, he is poised like a dancer about to leap - amarionette hero inspired by the Ballets Russes production of Carnaval (1910) whichClarke is known to have greatly admired. These two figures are closer to theunearthly "phantoms" Keats likens them to in his poem than to the majesticallydressed hero and heroine who re-emerge in the artist's subsequent secular stainedglass masterpiece. Behind them, true to Keats' vivid descriptions, we can discern theblue-toned vaulted hall, which would re-appear in Clarke's Jacob window ten yearslater, the thick tapestry hanging that Porphyro has pulled back to unlock the heavydoor, the "chain-droop'd lamp" flickering in the deserted, moonlit night and, slumpedin the lower right-hand corner, the drunken porter clutching "a huge empty flaggonby his side". Similarly, as in the penultimate panel of the later Eve of St. Agnes window,the only sign of stirring life is "the wakeful bloodhound", who goes back to sleeponce he recognises his mistress.

As in his contemporary and slightly later illustrations to Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales,Clarke shows himself a master of decoration. The Irish Times wrote that even "if hewere to produce a drawing of, let us say, an isosceles triangle, on an otherwise blanksheet of paper, he would somehow or another contrive to make it decorative".Madeline's distinctive profile, immaculately arranged and decorated hair, subtlemaquillage, her voiled stole, pointy ringed fingers and exotically patterned roberecall those of the Elf Maidens from Hans Andersen's The Elf-Hill, the Princess in thetale of The Travelling Companions, even the Emperor in The Nightingale (all three,National Gallery of Ireland collection). The two large whorling medallions decoratingMadeline's skirt and her floriated bodice indicate that the artist was well acquaintedwith currently fashionable Japanese mon and katagami ornamental devices, while hissubtle colour palette, posturing protagonists and use of surface pattern mirror KayNielsen's illustrations for the recently published book, In Powder and Crinoline (1912).This finely wrought image heralds Clarke's consummate Lady of the Decoration andhis Hans Andersen illustrations completed over the next two years. It also anticipateshis imaginative textile designs for Sefton five years later, and shows how close textand image were always to be in his work - even at such an early stage in his career.

Dr. Nicola Gordon Bowe
October, 2010

For works by the artist's son, David Clarke, see lots 120-122.

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Other, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

The buyer will be responsible for all removal, storage and insurance charges in respect of any lot which has not been collected within fourteen days of the date of sale.

Auction Details

Important Irish Art

by
Whyte's
November 29, 2010, 06:00 PM GMT

Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Anglesea Road Entrance, Ballsbridge, Dublin, D04 HY94, IE

Terms

Buyer's Premium

20.0%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
€0€299€20
€300€1,299€50
€1,300€2,999€100
€3,000€6,999€200
€7,000€12,999€500
€13,000€29,999€1,000
€30,000€69,999€2,000
€70,000€119,999€5,000
€120,000€249,999€10,000
€250,000+€20,000

Terms and Conditions of Sale Notice

Whyte & Sons Auctioneers Limited, trading as Whyte's, hereinafter called "the auctioneer" exercises all reasonable care to ensure that all descriptions are reliable and accurate, and that each item is genuine unless the contrary is indicated. However, the descriptions are not intended to be, are not and are not to be taken to be, statements of fact or representations of fact in relation to the lot. They are statements of the opinion of the auctioneers, and attention is particularly drawn to clause 5 set out below. Comments and opinions, which may be found in or on lots as labels, notes, lists, catalogue prices, or any other means of expression, do not constitute part of lot descriptions and are not to be taken as such unless they are made or specifically verified by the auctioneers. Clause 1 (a) Each lot is put up subject to any reserve price imposed by the vendor (b) Subject to sub-clause (a) of this clause, the highest bidder for each lot shall be the purchaser thereof (c) If any dispute arises as to the highest bidder the auctioneer shall have absolute discretion to determine the dispute and may put up again and re-sell the lot in respect of which the dispute arises. Clause 2 (a) The bidding and advances shall be regulated by and at the absolute discretion of the auctioneer and he shall have the right to refuse any bid or bids. NOTE: Where an agent bids, even on behalf of a disclosed client, the auctioneer nevertheless has the right at his discretion to refuse any such bid. (b) The purchaser of each lot shall immediately on its sale, if required by the auctioneer, give him the name and address of the purchaser and pay to the auctioneer at his discretion the whole or part of the purchase money. If the purchaser of any lot fails to comply with any such requirement the auctioneer may put up again and re-sell the lot; if upon such re-sale a lower price is obtained than was obtained on the first sale the purchaser in default on the first sale shall make good the difference in price and expenses of re-sale which shall become a debt due from him. (c) Where an agent purchases on behalf of an undisclosed client such agent shall be personally liable for payment of the purchase money to the auctioneer and for safe delivery of the lot to the said client. Clause 3 (a) The auctioneer reserves the rights to bid on behalf of clients including vendors, but shall not be liable for errors or omissions in executing instructions to bid. (b) The auctioneer reserves the rights, before or during a sale, to group together lots belonging to the same vendor, to split up and to withdraw any lot or lots at the auctioneer's absolute discretion and without giving any reason in any case. (c) The auctioneer acts as agent only, and therefore shall not be liable for any default of the purchaser or vendor. Clause 4 (a) Each lot shall be at the purchaser's risk from the fall of the hammer and shall be paid for in full before delivery and taken away at his expense within one day of the sale. The buyer will be responsible for all removal, storage and insurance charges in respect of any lot which has not been collected within one day of the date of sale. (b) If any purchaser fails to pay in full for any lot within 21 days of the date of sale such lot may at any time thereafter at the auctioneer's discretion be put up for sale by auction again or sold privately; if upon such re-sale a lower price is obtained than was obtained on the first sale the purchaser in default on the first sale shall make good the difference in price and the expenses of re-sale which shall become debt due from him. (c) Interest at 2 per cent per month and legal costs (if any) for recovery of monies due shall be payable by the purchaser on any overdue account. Clause 5 (a) All lots are made available for inspection before each sale and each buyer, by making a bid, acknowledges that he has satisfied himself as to the physical condition, age and catalogue description of each lot (including but not restricted to whether the lot is damaged or has been repaired or restored). (b) All lots are sold with all faults and imperfections and errors of description and the Auctioneer and its employees, servants or agents shall not be responsible for any error of description or for the condition or authenticity of any lot, save for Clause 5 (c) below. Written or verbal condition reports may be supplied by the Auctioneer on request but these are merely statements of opinion, and any error or omission in these reports may not be taken as grounds for a cancellation of sale or refund of any part of the purchase price or the cost of any repairs to the lot or lots reported on (c) A purchaser shall be at liberty to reject any lot if he - (i) gives the auctioneer written notice of intention to question the genuineness of the lot within seven days from the date of sale; AND (ii) proves that the lot is a deliberate forgery and (iii) returns to the auctioneer within 20 days from the date of sale the lot in the same condition as it was at the time of sale; provided that the auctioneer may, at his discretion, on receiving a request in writing from the purchaser, extend for a reasonable period the time for return of the lot to enable it to be submitted to expertisation. NOTE: The onus of proving a lot to be a deliberate forgery is on the purchaser. (d) Where a lot has been submitted to expertisation, all costs of such expertisation shall be paid by the person who retains the certificate of expertisation and item or items to which the certificate relates. (e) Where the purchaser of a lot discharges the onus and acts in accordance with sub-clause (b) of this clause, the auctioneer shall rescind the sale and repay to the purchaser the purchase money paid by him in respect of the lot. (f) No lot shall be rejected if, subsequent to the sale, it has been marked by an expert committee or treated by any other process unless the auctioneer's permission to subject the lot to such treatment has first been obtained in writing. (g) Any lot listed as a "collection, range, portfolio etc." or stated to comprise or contain a collection or range of items which are not described shall be put up for sale not subject to rejection and shall be taken by the purchaser with all (if any) faults, lack of genuineness and errors of description and numbers of items in the lot, and the purchaser shall have no right to reject the lot; except that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this sub-clause, where before a sale a person intending to bid at the sale gives notice in writing to, and satisfies the auctioneer that any such lot contains any item or items undescribed in the sale catalogue and that person specifically describes that item or those items in that notice, then that item or those items shall, as between the auctioneer and that person, to be taken to form part of the description of the lot. Clause 6 The respective rights and obligations of the parties shall be governed and interpreted by Irish law, and the buyer hereby submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish Courts. SPECIAL CONDITIONS (a) The buyer shall pay the Auctioneer a commission at the rate of 16.52% (which excludes VAT at the prevailing rate under The Margin Scheme and which is not reclaimable (b) The Auctioneer or its employees, servants or agents may, on request organise packing and shipping of lots purchased or may order on the buyer's behalf third parties to pack or ship purchases. Under no circumstances does the Auctioneer accept any liability whatsoever for any loss or damage howsoever occasioned in the course of such service. (c) The buyer authorises the Auctioneer to use any photographs or illustrations of any lot purchased for any or all purposes as the Auctioneer may require. The placing of a bid will be taken as full agreement to all the above conditions. WHYTE & SONS AUCTIONEERS LIMITED 38 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

Credit Cards, continued

NB: There is a surcharge of 1.5% for payments by Credit Card, - no charge for Laser/Maestro/Switch/Solo Debit Card payments.

Condition

Whyte & Sons Auctioneers Limited, trading as Whyte's, hereinafter called "the auctioneer" exercises all reasonable care to ensure that all descriptions are reliable and accurate, and that each item is genuine unless the contrary is indicated. However, the descriptions are not intended to be, are not and are not to be taken to be, statements of fact or representations of fact in relation to the lot. They are statements of the opinion of the auctioneers, and attention is particularly drawn to clause 5 in our full Terms & Conditions. Comments and opinions, which may be found in or on lots as labels, notes, lists, catalogue prices, or any other means of expression, do not constitute part of lot descriptions and are not to be taken as such unless they are made or specifically verified by the auctioneers.

Premium & Taxes

The buyer shall pay the Auctioneer a commission at the rate of 16.52% (which excludes VAT at the prevailing rate under The Margin Scheme and which is not reclaimable). This amounts to a gross rate of 20% inclusive. There is NO extra charge for bidding on line.

Payment

Each lot shall be paid for in full before delivery and taken away at his/her expense within fourteen days of the sale.

Shipping

The buyer will be responsible for all removal, storage and insurance charges in respect of any lot which has not been collected within fourteen days of the date of sale.