£3,200
Attributed to Leon Kossoff (1926 - 2019), Spitalfields circa 1991 - 1992, charcoal and crayon on paper, unsigned, 105cm x 72cm, framed
These 2 drawings have been kept in a private house in Hastings for the past 15 years.
The present owner purchased them from a local art collector. They had been torn and discarded by the artist when he was clearing work from his studio.
Both works have been seen in-person by the author of Kossoff's catalogue raisonne who stated that although they are certainly by Leon Kossoff, they were intended to be destroyed, as and such they could not be considered suitable for inclusion in the catalogue.
The restoration of the 2 drawings has been a lengthy and expensive process, by a highly skilled paper conservator. The repaired tears are almost invisible except through very close inspection.
The expert stated that the larger work is of 'Embankment Station and Hungerford Bridge', probably done in 1994 when Kossoff was painting this subject. There is a related painting on page 502 (entry 426) in the catalogue raisonne. Also a slightly larger drawing of the same subject in the catalogue "Leon Kossoff: London Landscapes", number 56.
The second drawing of Christ Church Spitalfields was probably done between 1991-1992. Kossoff made 18 paintings of Christ Church between 1987 and 2000, and a significant number of drawings. The nearest comparison in the catalogue raisonne of oils is on page 464 (entry 464).
Both drawings are catalogued as "attributed to Leon Kossoff" because they cannot be included in the artist's catalogue raisonne, and as such are sold "as seen" and without any guarantee.
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