Walter Sickert

The Camden Town painter is renowned for portraying a darker side of life, yet behind the salacious subjects lies an artist on a simple quest to paint with honesty, says STEVE PILL

- STEVE PILL

One of Walter Sickert’s most celebrated paintings is titled simply Ennui – the French word for “boredom”. Everything about the work exudes a suitably apathetic atmosphere, from the dulled lack of tonal range and reliance on muted earth colors, through to the mundane domestic setting and unexpectedly large size – viewed in reproduction, one might presume this to be a small, intimate work yet it measures more than a metre and a half high, a further suggestion that this mood could, like the grey walls, go on indefinitely.

Nevertheless, nothing about this modestly captivating painting appears excessive or unnecessary. Every element is carefully considered. A glass sits on the table, the water line just below the halfway mark, decidedly more empty than full, while the taxidermy birds in the bell jar underline the sense of restricted freedoms. Two figures at the same angle almost merge into one another. He is suited, reclining and contemplative as he smokes a cigar; she faces away, utterly bereft, leaning upon the dresser like her life depends upon it.