Lot Essay
Sickert left London for Dieppe in 1898 and did not return to London until 1905. The move enabled him to introduce a change of subject matter in his work. He painted St Jacques repeatedly, and in the present work the façade of the church can be seen on the left of the composition. Wendy Baron writes, 'His eye probed every stone of the façade of St Jacques as, with the diligence of an ant, he worked his way inch by inch round the church to leave no aspect unrecorded' (op. cit., p. 37).
About the present work Baron suggests that it was 'Probably painted c. 1902. The young trees dotted around the place in the dated panel of 1903 (Baron no. 154, York Art Gallery) and in other versions are absent from this picture, which suggests it was painted at an earlier date' (op. cit., p. 258).
We are very grateful to Dr Wendy Baron for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.
About the present work Baron suggests that it was 'Probably painted c. 1902. The young trees dotted around the place in the dated panel of 1903 (Baron no. 154, York Art Gallery) and in other versions are absent from this picture, which suggests it was painted at an earlier date' (op. cit., p. 258).
We are very grateful to Dr Wendy Baron for her assistance in preparing this catalogue entry.