Sappho (1988)

Gillian Ayres

oil on canvas

Brighton & Hove Museums (Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Hove Museum of Creativity)

Image is currently unavailable

Classification:

Painting

Materials:

Oil, Canvas

Physical Object Description:

signed and dated lower left Gillian Ayres '88, inscribed and dated on reverse

Dimensions:

91.4 cm

Credit:

Donated by Eric and Jean Cass through the Contemporary Art Society, 2012

Scheme:

Eric and Jean Cass Gift (2010 - 2012)

Ownership history:

Purchased at auction by Eric and Jean Cass from Bonhams, London : Post War and Contemporary Art Sale 9 October 1990 (lot 183); gifted by Eric and Jean Cass to the Contemporary Art Society, 2012; presented to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove, 2012

Relationship:

Bonhams (Messers W. & F.C. Bonham), London Brighton & Hove Museums (Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Hove Museum of Creativity) Eric and Jean Cass Eric Victor Cass

Eric Cass had wanted to purchase a painting by Gillian Ayres and, preferring her smaller works, was waiting until one of her tondos became available. He succeeded in buying Sappho (1988) at auction at Bonhams, but it was without a frame. Having seen black frames on some of her other canvases, he took this to John Jones and was pleased with the result.

Gillian Ayres's colourful, gestural paintings are intuitive and, depending on the scale, marks are made in relation to her reach. As Marina Vaizey wrote in the catalogue to Ayres's exhibition at the Seventh Indian Triennale, 'The act of painting for Ayres is literally hands on, intuitive, the paintbrush often abandoned for other direct methods.'

All rights reserved. Any further use will need to be cleared with the rights holder. Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only. Commercial copying, hiring, lending is prohibited. The collection that owns this artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

For further information, please consult our section of our copyright policy.