Ruins, Florence

Details

William Gear, R.A. (1915-1997)
Ruins, Florence
signed and dated 'Gear/44.' (lower right), inscribed and dated again twice 'FIRENZE 44/ FLORENCE '44' (on the reverse), signed, inscribed and dated again 'WILLIAM GEAR./"RUINS, FLORENCE, 1944"' (on the artist's label attached to the backboard)
watercolour, gouache and coloured chalk on paper
15 ¼ x 17 ¼ in. (38.7 x 43.8 cm.)
Executed in 1944.

Provenance

Manchester Education Committee, from whom purchased by the present owner in October 1995.

Special notice

Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent.

Brought to you by

Philip Harley

pharley@christies.com +44 207 389 2687

Lot Essay

This is one of the multicoloured gouache paintings of ruined cities Gear made during the war years. Although he served in the army in Egypt, Palestine and Syria before being posted to Italy in 1943 where he served as a Liaison Officer with the Folgore combat group of the Italian army, Gear painted whenever possible. He even managed to organise an exhibition of his paintings in Florence at the Galleria Michelangelo in 1944. In Ruins, Florence, Gear’s characteristic use of black adds greatly to the tragedy of wartime destruction.

A.L.

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