The Red Curtain by William Ratcliffe (1870-1955) dates from c.1916 and has many trademark features associated with both the artist and the group, of which he was a leading light.
The 19 x 19½in (48 x 49cm) signed oil on canvas has close compositional similarities to The Artist’s Room, Letchworth, a work now in The Tate Gallery’s collection.
With similar furnishings, curtains, wall hangings and rugs, it has been suggested that the setting depicted was a room at the home of Stanley and Signe Parker in Letchworth Garden City where the artist was staying at the time, and it may even depict the same room as the Tate Gallery’s work, although from a different angle.
Ratcliffe had first moved to Letchworth with his family around 10 years earlier and had shortly afterwards come under the wing of his neighbour, the artist Harold Gilman (1876-1919), with whom he later exhibited at all Camden Town exhibitions.
This oil was originally exhibited at The Goupil Gallery in London 1916 and as such is a ‘known work’.
It is estimated at £20,000-30,000.
The auction will also offer works by artists such as William Nicholson (1872-1949) and Howard Hodgkin (1932-2017).
