λ Colin Middleton (Irish 1910-1983) Sundown: Carnalridge. No. 2 Oil on canvas Signed with monogram (lower left), further signed, titled and dated January 1960 (verso) 51 x 61cm (20 x 24 in.) Provenance: Private collection, Ireland Purchased from the above by the present owner Colin Middleton (1910-1983) was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to English parents. Middleton painted from a very early age, encouraged by his father who was an amateur painter but who exhibited regularly. Middleton began exhibiting in the early 30s and his first solo exhibition, comprised of 100 works, was held at the Belfast Museum (now The Ulster Museum) in 1943. Middleton was a fulltime damask designer with the partnership Page and Middleton up until 1947. By 1950 Middleton was contracted by Victor Waddington in Dublin who regularly exhibited his works. In the present lot Sundown: Carnalridge, No. 2 Middleton has stripped back the landscape into the components that were used to build it, the earth, the hills and the sky all broken into small brushstrokes stretching repetitively across the canvas. The warmth of the colour palette evokes a sense of heat rising from the canvas and we see strong influences of Vincent Van Gogh, an artist that made a lasting impact on Middleton. Condition Report: The canvas is not relined. There is an old water stain to the reverse of the canvas, lower left (as visible in images online), this does not appear to have affected the image recto. There are a few spots of scattered surface dirt, otherwise in good original condition. There is no evidence of retouching visible under ultraviolet light. Condition Report Disclaimer