The Return (1948)
Photo: Sotheby's      
© Sotheby's

The Return

1948

Oil on canvas
51 x 61 cm

With Waterman Fine Art (as of c1990)

More details...


Recto: Signed lower left: R Eurich

Aka: The Return [RE diary, Bradford, Sotheby's 1986]]; Seascape, The Return [RE diary]; The Ship Inn, Weymouth [Sotheby's 1992]; Rainbow over the Harbour [Bridgeman]

Other measurements: 51.8 x 61 cms [IWM]; 61 x 51.5 [Southampton]

beached boats berthed dinghy disembarking figures funnel harbour hills horse and cart island lighthouses man in swimming trunks markers oars passenger ship pub public house rainbow rowing boat sea seabirds seawall tugs tug boat undressed undressing yellow sky

Not to be confused with The Return (c1952).

REP / PC

7th May 1948: "Painting all day on ‘The Return’, made no progress whatever. Most humiliating."

1948 - "3 pictures for ‘Paintings for Schools' at the Tate : 1) Seascape, the Return (20x24”), 2) Two Tigers, 3) Twelfth Night"

RE diary entries

All three paintings sold. 'The Return' was acquired by L.C.C. (London County Council). They also bought 'Twelfth Night'. "Tigers" sold to Keighley Girls' Grammar School in Yorkshire. 

In 1986 the L.C.C. sold on the 'The Return' and 'Twelfth Night' through auction to private collectors. 'Tigers' eventually found its way into the the Cartwright Hall Gallery collection in Bradford.

REP - PC

There has been some confusion about the title and attribution of this work. It has been known as 'The Return' and also as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth' as well as 'Rainbow over the Harbour'.

The confusion seems to have arisen sometime between the time when it was first sold in 1986 as 'The Return' (1948) and then sold again in 1992 as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth' (1932). In 1992 it was exhibited as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth'. These earlier dates are probably references to a painting titled The Ship Inn, Weymouth (1932) shown in the 'Dorset Seaports' exhibiition at the …

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There has been some confusion about the title and attribution of this work. It has been known as 'The Return' and also as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth' as well as 'Rainbow over the Harbour'.

The confusion seems to have arisen sometime between the time when it was first sold in 1986 as 'The Return' (1948) and then sold again in 1992 as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth' (1932). In 1992 it was exhibited as 'The Ship Inn, Weymouth'. These earlier dates are probably references to a painting titled The Ship Inn, Weymouth (1932) shown in the 'Dorset Seaports' exhibiition at the Redfern in 1933.  There is no record of how the name and date came to be changed.

The collector who bought the painting from the 1986 auction has confirmed that this work is the 1948 version of 'The Return'. The painting was first acquired by the London County Council from the Tate's 1948 exhibition 'Pictures for Schools'.  The Pictures for Schools programme was an initiative to put original works of art into schools all over the UK. The collector told us "it came in a fabulous travel box and I think it had some sort of label saying something like ‘Art for schools loan system'. This links the work to the London County Council whose collection was being sold in the 1986 auction. 

We have no record of the The Ship Inn, Weymouth (1932) as ever being sold. It should not be confused with another work with the same title, the large well known painting in Liverpool's Walker Art Gallery, "The Ship Inn, Weymouth" painted in 1935. 

Just to complicate the story further, Richard did another painting titled The Return (c1952) which was shown in another 'Pictures for Schools' exhibition. However, the size and proportions of the two paintings are quite different.

Provenance

EXHIBITED | 18th Jun to 8th Jul 1948

"PICTURES FOR SCHOOLS: S.E.A. EXHIBITION" - Tate Gallery, London

ACQUIRED | 1948

bought by the London County Council from the Tate Gallery show for £35

AUCTIONED | 21st May 1986

"Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture", Sotheby’s, London

lot 242; illustrated; titled "The Return"; hammer price £1,600

IN COLLECTION | 1986

Andrew Bunce

ACQUIRED | c1990

sold to Brian Sinfield Gallery, Burford

WITH | c1990

Waterman Fine Art

EXHIBITED | 26th Sep 1991 to 12th Jan 1992

"Richard Eurich - From Dunkirk to D-Day" - Imperial War Museum, London, UK

Cat 3; shown as "The Ship Inn, Weymouth"

AUCTIONED | 30th Sep 1992

"Modern British & Irish Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture", Sotheby’s, London

lot 109, illustrated; titled "The Ship Inn, Weymouth"

EXHIBITED | 28th Jan to 13th Mar 1994

"The Edge of all the Land: Richard Eurich 1903-1992" - Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton    (toured to Manchester, Bradford, Ipswich)

Cat 17; shown as "The Ship Inn, Weymouth" (1933)

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Provenance:

  • ACQUIRED - 1948 - bought by the London County Council from the Tate Gallery show for £35
  • AUCTIONED - 21st May 1986 - "Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture", Sotheby’s, London
    lot 242; illustrated; titled "The Return"; hammer price £1,600
  • IN COLLECTION - 1986 - Andrew Bunce
  • ACQUIRED - c1990 - sold to Brian Sinfield Gallery, Burford
  • AUCTIONED - 30th Sep 1992 - "Modern British & Irish Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture", Sotheby’s, London
    lot 109, illustrated; titled "The Ship Inn, Weymouth"

Exhibitions:

  • 18th Jun to 8th Jul 1948 - "PICTURES FOR SCHOOLS: S.E.A. EXHIBITION", Tate Gallery, London
  • 26th Sep 1991 to 12th Jan 1992 - "Richard Eurich - From Dunkirk to D-Day", Imperial War Museum, London, UK
    Cat 3; shown as "The Ship Inn, Weymouth"
  • 28th Jan to 13th Mar 1994 - "The Edge of all the Land: Richard Eurich 1903-1992", Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton    (toured to Manchester, Bradford, Ipswich)
    Cat 17; shown as "The Ship Inn, Weymouth" (1933)

Notes:

  • c1990 - WITH
    Waterman Fine Art

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References:

  • Bridgeman Images [Art and media image library] [view image]