Prints & Photography

March 1924, 2022
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LOT 11

Lot 11

Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)

Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
Lot 11 Details
Sybil Andrews (1898-1992), British/Canadian

IN FULL CRY, 1931 [SA, 13; WHITE, 13; LEAPER, 15]


Colour linocut printed in Chinese orange, spectrum red and Prussian blue on Japon laid paper; signed, titled and numbered 40/50 in pencil upper right.
Image 11.3 ins x 16.5 ins; 28.6 cms x 41.8 cms; Sheet 13 ins x 17.6 ins; 33 cms x 44.7 cms

Estimate $25,000-$35,000

Realised: $24,000
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
  • Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
  • Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
  • Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
  • Sybil Andrews (1898-1992)
Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the Mrs. Audrey Taylor, from the Art Gallery in London, ON where Andrews was having an exhibition, circa 1952 or 1953, one of 5 prints purchased from the artist;
By descent to the present Private Collection, Toronto

Literature:

A Detail of "In Full Cry" is illustrated in colour on the inside front cover of Hana Leaper's "Sybil Andrews Linocuts: A Complete Catalogue" with foreword by Gordon Samuel. In this revised edition, published in August 2015, "In Full Cry" (Leaper Cat. No. 15) is illustrated in colour on a full page and describes Andrews' linocut numbered 45/50 in the series.

Exhibited:

A print of this edition, on Japon paper, was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in "Selections from the Department of Drawings and Prints: Collectors' Collections," February 19, 2020–October 5, 2020.

Note:

The consignor's mother, Mrs. Audrey Taylor, also acquired "Speedway" (1934); "Football" (1937) and "Racing" (1934) at the same time she purchased this print directly from the artist. These three prints were all sold at Waddington's.

In this well inked equestrian-themed linocut, Sybil Andrews, the English-born, Grosvenor School printmaker and artist, transforms a familiar genre scene of equestrians on the hunt into a modernist study of motion. The artist removes all extraneous details—including the fox and hounds—drawing focus sharply towards the riders. During her career, Andrews made several linocuts depicting sporting themes, though her interest was less documentary than an enduring interest in capturing the thrill and exhilaration of these activities.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art which holds a print from this same edition in their permanent collection, notes that the composition exhibits the same “velocity and potential for danger” that she captures with motorbikes in Speedway. The Met cites the print’s “machinelike aesthetic,” which they link to the artist’s work as a welder in an airplane factory during World War I. That said, the arciform shapes seem to tend more towards the free-flowing than the Fordian. The reductionist equine forms echo the tessellated work of M.C. Escher in the way that the subjects mirror and nest into one another—one needs look no further than the tightly-strung hocks of the lead horse and the way in which they curve around the head of the palomino in the rear. Andrews’s vigorous lines so effortlessly draw the eye around the page in a never-ending loop, proving that in this instance, less is most certainly more.

After WWII, Sybil and her husband, Walter Morgan, left Britain and settled in Campbell River, British Columbia in 1947.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 11
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.