Walter Richard Sickert

(England 31 May 1860–22 Jan 1942)

Title

Sketch for 'The raising of Lazarus'

Year

1929-1932

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on canvas

Dimensions

71.1 x 28.0cm stretcher; 97.0 x 57.0 x 5.5cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.l., black paint "Sickert". Not dated.

Credit

Gift of Margaret Olley 1994

Accession number

14.1994

Copyright

Location

19th & 20th c European art

Further information

In 1929 Walter Sickert was given a life-size lay figure, alleged to have once belonged to William Hogarth, and the sight of it being delivered to his studio inspired him to paint three works based on the event which he reinterpreted as the raising of Lazarus.

Eager to record the scene before it faded in his mind, Sickert painted the first of the three works directly onto the wallpaper of his studio wall; this hastily painted version is now in the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia. In fact, Sickert was so inspired by the event he had it re-enacted and professionally photographed with himself posed as Christ, and Cecily Hey as Lazarus' sister.

Sketch for 'The raising of Lazarus' circa 1929-1932 is the second, and much smaller study, and was painted by Sickert as a rehearsal for the final version which is now in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.

Provenance (5)

Margaret Olley (Australia, b.1923, d.2011), pre 24 Feb 1994, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia, Gift of Margaret Olley 1994

Robert Haines (Australia; France, b.1910, d.2005), pre Dec 1993, Sydney/New South Wales/Australia

Fine Art Society (London) (England, estab. 1876), London/England, Fine Arts Society, London

Rt Hon Trevor Roberts (2nd Baron Clwyd) (Wales, b.1900, d.1987), England, by 1953, lent to 'An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Walter Sickert' 1953

Beaux Arts Gallery (England), London/England, presented by Sickert to Major Lessore (Sickert's brother-in-law) owner of Beaux Arts Gallery, London

Bibliography (11)

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Great gifts, great patrons: an exhibition celebrating private patronage of the Gallery 1994, Sydney, 1994. no catalogue numbers

Wendy Baron, Sickert, London, 1973, 380. mentioned in reference to cat.no. 404

Wendy Baron, Sickert: paintings and drawings, 2006. cat.no.698.2

Wendy Baron and Richard Shone (Editors), Sickert Paintings 1992, Unknown, 1992, 294, 295 (colour illus.). cat.no. 106

Beaux Arts Gallery, Paintings by Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A. 1933, 1933. cat.no.19

Beaux Arts Gallery, Notable paintings by Richard Sickert 1937, 1937. cat.no.17

David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Walter Richard Sickert 1860-1942: Paintings and Drawings from Public and Private Collections in Australia 1980, 1980. cat.no.33

Ted Gott, Laurie Benson and Sophie Matthiesson, Modern Britain 1900-1960 2007, Melbourne, 2007, 76 (colour illus.).

Royal Scottish Academy, An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Walter Sickert 1953, 1953. cat.no.106

Peter Tomory and Anne Kirker, British painting 1800-1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections, Sydney, 1997, 158. cat.no. 1971

Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, Walter Sickert: 'drawing is the thing' 2004, 2004, (illus.).

Exhibition history (7)

Paintings by Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A., Beaux Arts Gallery, London, Jul 1933–Jul 1933

Notable paintings by Richard Sickert, Beaux Arts Gallery, London, Apr 1937–May 1937

An Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by Walter Sickert, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Jan 1953–Jan 1953

Walter Richard Sickert 1860-1942: Paintings and Drawings from Public and Private Collections in Australia, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Sydney, 14 Aug 1980–30 Aug 1980

Sickert Paintings:

Royal Academy of Arts, London 20 Nov 1992–14 Feb 1993
Van Gogh Museum, Netherlands 25 Feb 1993–31 May 1993

Great gifts, great patrons, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Aug 1994–19 Oct 1994

Modern Britain 1900-1960, NGV: International, Australia, 15 Nov 2007–24 Feb 2008