Jack Butler Yeats RHA (1871-1957)
A Pub in Devon (1890)
Indian ink, 37 x 53.3cm (14½ x 21'')
Signed and dated (18)90 Provenance: Previously with Theo Waddington Fine Art, London (label...

Jack Butler Yeats RHA (1871-1957)
A Pub in Devon (1890)
Indian ink, 37 x 53.3cm (14½ x 21'')
Signed and dated (18)90 Provenance: Previously with Theo Waddington Fine Art, London (label verso).   A young man, smartly dressed in riding breeches, is being confronted by a stern pub landlord. Yeats provides clues to the nature of the dispute. Two prominent signs above the bar refer to payment and to the rules of the establishment in this regard, based on past experience. Chalk is useful say what you will. But it dont pay .... and Old Trust is Dead. Bad Pay Killed Him. Clearly the naive young man has not paid his account and the fact that his hands are thrust deep into his pockets suggests that he is not in a position to do so.   Above the wide gap between the two men, hanging over the fireplace, is a large picture of a volcano erupting. This indicates that the barmans calm exterior will not last long. The fact that the regular clients have retreated outside the door from where they can safely observe the proceedings also suggests that an outbreak of temper is expected. This inclusion of onlookers is a typical trope of Yeats. It alleviates the tension and allows the viewer to participate in the drama by empathising with these figures. The final confirmation of a showdown comes from the two large settees which have been turned inwards to the fireplace, barricading those seated on them off from the inevitable tirade.   This detailed drawing alludes to Yeatss time in Devon where he bought a house in 1895, and where he sketched the antics of local farmers and labourers. Carefully scrutinized, it conveys his ability to extract drama and humour from his observations of contemporary life. Similar to the type of wit displayed in his cartoons, the complexity of the detail makes this a more ambitious work, in which many of the themes of his later art is evident. It is an early exploration of the world of consumerism that he was to develop in later works such as the Country Shop (1912, National Gallery of Ireland) and in several oil paintings. It is also a delightful representation of an encounter between youth and age and between different social classes in which the arrogance of youth clearly does not know what it has let itself in for.   Dr Roisin Kennedy  

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