Details

Provenance

Commissioned direct from the artist in 1982 Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Chequers Residence, Private CollectionThence by descent to the Estate of Baroness Margaret Thatcher Peter Harrington, London Purchased from the above by the present owner In Spring of 1982 the artist Jonathan Warrender was invited by Margaret Thatcher to lunch at the Prime Minister's country retreat, Chequers, located in Buckinghamshire. Conflict had begun just a few weeks earlier between Argentina and the United Kingdom in the Falklands which lasted for 74 days ending on 14 June, the war cabinet for which was sternly led by the 'Iron Lady' herself. It was during these tumultuous times that Warrender was to meet Thatcher.Thatcher had admired a painting by Warrender hanging in close friend Lord Hector Laing's Dunphail residence and he suggested that he would like to gift Thatcher a painting of Chequers for her personal collection. Warrender spent his childhood in Somerset amongst the undulating Mendip hills, captivated by the vast landscape and the patterns that sprawled across the pastures. In 1966, his family moved to Scotland where he resides today with his wife and children in Ayrshire. Warrender studied at Camberwell School of Art but he found it difficult to find his path during a period when abstraction was all the rage. He focused on his meticulous eye for detail and fascination with perspective. After studying at Camberwell School of Art, Warrender was introduced to a circle of Sotheby's clients by a dear friend and fellow artist Andrew Festing. He used his skill in producing infinite detail to create copies for these clients who were looking to sell important works of art. In 1980 Sir Iain Tennant commissioned Warrender to paint his residence in Morayshire, Innes House. This event catapulted his career working on commissions in both the UK and abroad. Warrender's style became extremely recognisable as he used a 'bird's eye view' perspective to depict the estates and their landscapes. His attention to detail is mesmerising capturing the texture of every brick and the light catching every blade of grass. On Saturday 17th April 1982, Warrender found himself in the back of Lord Laing's Bentley whirling through the country lanes to Chequers, to attend lunch with Margaret Thatcher. The surreal commission commenced. Warrender recalls arriving at the house and being immediately struck by the gardens and landscape surrounding the iconic house. 'Bluebells were getting ready to chime in the woods and the leafy buds on the lime trees in the Park were the size of [a] mouse's ear.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir, February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSSThe artist recollects the intimate setting, sat closely together on a round table with Thatcher, her husband Denis, Lord Laing and his wife Marion. 'As we sat down I remember having to overcome a hot moment of panic due to my extreme proximity to the Prime Minister.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSSAfter lunch Tha

Catalog summary

Jonathan Warrender λ JONATHAN WARRENDER (BRITISH B. 1954)CHEQUERS Oil on canvas Signed with initials and dated 1982 (lower right) 39 x 32.5cm (15¼ x 12¾ in.)Provenance:Commissioned direct from the artist in 1982 Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Chequers Residence, Private CollectionThence by descent to the Estate of Baroness Margaret Thatcher Peter Harrington, London Purchased from the above by the present owner In Spring of 1982 the artist Jonathan Warrender was invited by Margaret Thatcher to lunch at the Prime Minister's country retreat, Chequers, located in Buckinghamshire. Conflict had begun just a few weeks earlier between Argentina and the United Kingdom in the Falklands which lasted for 74 days ending on 14 June, the war cabinet for which was sternly led by the 'Iron Lady' herself. It was during these tumultuous times that Warrender was to meet Thatcher.Thatcher had admired a painting by Warrender hanging in close friend Lord Hector Laing's Dunphail residence and he suggested that he would like to gift Thatcher a painting of Chequers for her personal collection. Warrender spent his childhood in Somerset amongst the undulating Mendip hills, captivated by the vast landscape and the patterns that sprawled across the pastures. In 1966, his family moved to Scotland where he resides today with his wife and children in Ayrshire. Warrender studied at Camberwell School of Art but he found it difficult to find his path during a period when abstraction was all the rage. He focused on his meticulous eye for detail and fascination with perspective. After studying at Camberwell School of Art, Warrender was introduced to a circle of Sotheby's clients by a dear friend and fellow artist Andrew Festing. He used his skill in producing infinite detail to create copies for these clients who were looking to sell important works of art. In 1980 Sir Iain Tennant commissioned Warrender to paint his residence in Morayshire, Innes House. This event catapulted his career working on commissions in both the UK and abroad. Warrender's style became extremely recognisable as he used a 'bird's eye view' perspective to depict the estates and their landscapes. His attention to detail is mesmerising capturing the texture of every brick and the light catching every blade of grass. On Saturday 17th April 1982, Warrender found himself in the back of Lord Laing's Bentley whirling through the country lanes to Chequers, to attend lunch with Margaret Thatcher. The surreal commission commenced. Warrender recalls arriving at the house and being immediately struck by the gardens and landscape surrounding the iconic house. 'Bluebells were getting ready to chime in the woods and the leafy buds on the lime trees in the Park were the size of [a] mouse's ear.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir, February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSSThe artist recollects the intimate setting, sat closely together on a round table with Thatcher, her husband Denis, Lord Laing and his wife Marion. 'As we sat down I remember having to overcome a hot moment of panic due to my extreme proximity to the Prime Minister.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSSAfter lunch Thatcher invited Warrender to accompany her in the gardens to locate a view from which to paint the house. They settled on a viewpoint under a tulip tree just opposite the front door. As the whirlwind afternoon drew to a close Warrender remembers Thatcher proclaiming 'And now I must see what is happening in those bloody islands.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSS Warrender started in the May and spent three weeks painting at Chequers which was coming to life as the summer months took hold. 'What an irony it was for me, that at the same time as Mrs Thatcher handed the historians a pen, she handed me a brush.' Jonathan Warrender Memoir February 2013, Archive Thatcher MSS Oil on canvas λ Indicates that this lot may be subject to Droit de Suite royalty charges. From 1st January 2012 all UK art market professionals are required to collect a royalty payment for all works of art that have been produced by qualifying artists each time a work is re-sold during the artist’s lifetime and for a period up to 70 years following the artists death. This payment is only calculated on qualifying works of art which are sold for a hammer price more than the UK sterling equivalent of EURO 1,000. Please see our Terms and Conditions for a full definition of these charges. For a complete list of the royalty charges and threshold levels, please see www.dacs.org.uk.