Beschreibung:

Ceri Richards (British, 1903-1971)Trafalgar Square
signed and dated '51/53/Ceri Richards' (centre right); further signed and titled 'Ceri Richards/Trafalgar Square' (on the stretcher)
oil on canvas
80.7 x 98.4 cm. (31 3/4 x 38 3/4 in.)FootnotesProvenance
The Artist, thence by family descent to the present owner
Private Collection, U.K.
Exhibited
London, Marlborough Gallery, Ceri Richards Retrospective Exhibition, June 1965, cat.no.15
Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Academy, sponsored by the Edinburgh Festival Society, Ceri Richards 24 August-14 September 1975, cat.no.30
London, Tate Gallery, Ceri Richards July-September 1981, cat.no.57
Literature
Mel Gooding, Ceri Richards Cameron & Hollis, Moffat, 2002, p.111 (col.ill.)
Ceri Richards first painted Trafalgar Square for the Festival of Britain exhibition, 60 Paintings for '51, with the resultant painting Trafalgar Square, London (1950) currently residing in the Tate Collection. Given free reign over the subject of the commission, Richards nevertheless chose a London subject which celebrated the city and was a fitting choice for the forthcoming exhibition: as Mel Gooding comments, 'For Richards, Trafalgar Square was not only the heart of the capital, but a place of national celebration and political demonstration, a grand civic public space visited and enjoyed by ordinary people in their thousands.' (Mel Gooding Ceri Richards Cameron & Hollis, Moffat, 2002, p.108).
The present work, executed in 1951-3, was one of several subsequent paintings on the same theme which explored the motifs further and were executed in a variety of rich colours: with jewel-bright tones of turquoise, red, teal and orange, the painting positively glows, the strong delineation of figures and shapes in a deep inky blue serving to heighten the contrast further. Cycling through a range of primary-based tones between each work on this theme – the first painted in a variety of blues, the six later variations using yellow, green and red respectively – this simplified but rich tonal palette stands in for the overall greyness of the square, a kaleidoscopic lens transforming the presentation of this familiar landmark. As Richards commented on the first in this series: 'the all over blueness, as well as being used spatially and achieving simplicity in the saturation quality of blue, was finally an expression of the all-over greyness of the Square itself' (Ceri Richards Letter to Tate, Reference No. T00292).
Here, Ceri Richards has captured the hustle and bustle of life in the capital, and indeed his process of painting was fluid and dynamic as he strove to capture the essence of the place, without conventional perspective or faithfulness to the exact geographical layout of the Square. Having made numerous notes on its features, he then chose to paint instinctively onto the canvas, allowing the elements to appear and change. Recognisable landmarks populate the scene, including the fountain and lions at the base of Nelson's Column, while in the distance Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament can just be seen. As he has commented, these are reference points only: 'The included features of fountain, Nelson's Column, pigeons, figures, houses, vista down Whitehall to Big Ben, were not so much selected and isolated features, but effects which formed the essential character of the place, and which I wanted to feel I was expressing as a natural fluent whole - lively, varying, but always the same' (Ceri Richards ibid.).
Overwhelmingly, this is a scene of movement and flourish: the fountain jets its flurries of water high into the air, white spray flicking up and out, while the pool of water below dances and shimmers. Several people feed the pigeons which flutter and jostle for space whether in the air or crowded on the ground, the young girl in the lower right corner a portrait of the artist's daughter, Rhiannon. A central figure holds his camera ready, leaning forward with arm outstretched as though hoping to still the scene momentarily, his anticipation tangible. Even the tessellated squares of the paving slabs seem filled with movement, the squares themselves varying in size and colour and outlined by strokes which traverse the picture. Using the motif of the square as a feature of the overall design too, Richards has highlighted in bright cadmium red three snapshots of the scene: his young daughter feeding the pigeons, the camera-wielding figure and the iconic towers of Westminster in the background, leading our eye skilfully through the picture.
Filled with the vigour that characterises much of Richards' best work, Trafalgar Square is a richly coloured gem from his most sought-after period, with impeccable provenance from the artist's own family. In addition to the painting in the Tate Collection, a smaller version on this theme is also in the collection of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. The presentation of this work at auction presents a rare opportunity to acquire a museum-quality work by the artist.Read MoreAdditional informationAuction informationBuyers' ObligationsALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.Buyers' Premium and ChargesFor all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows: Buyer's Premium Rates
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