The Importance of Provenance and Exhibition Histories: James Elder Christie, “Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me” – Part 1

 

 

James Elder Christie’s painting, Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me, is among the

works in Lyon and Turnbull’s auction, Taste of Art: Selected Works from the Paisley

Art Institute Collection, which was held in Edinburgh, and online, on the 26th of

September 2024. It was Lot 28.

 

Information from the ‘Past Auction’ pages on the firm’s website, includes:

 

“… we offered a selection of paintings by leading Scottish and European artists on behalf

of the Paisley Art Institute as a major part of an ongoing effort to secure the future of the

organisation. 

 

“A Taste for Art : Selected Works from the Paisley Art Institute Collection features 97 works,

selected by the team at the Paisley Art Institute from their 450-strong collection of artworks.

Highlights will include works by artists such as Sir John Lavery, F.C.B. Cadell, Sir James Guthrie,

Sir Joseph Noel Paton, E.A. Hornel, George Henry and E.A. Walton.

 

“Paisley Art Institute has been at the forefront of promoting and supporting Scottish artists’ work

since 1876. It is a lively artists collective run by artists and art lovers which continues to be focused

on its original aims including its annual large-scale exhibition for contemporary artists, now in its

135th year.”

 

The image of the signed oil painting on canvas, at the top of this page, is from the Art UK website,

and there the measurements are 199 x 257 cm, whereas Lyon and Turnbull’s are 198 x 268 cm,

unframed.

 

The Provenance is given as: Presented by Cranston’s Tea Rooms, Ltd., 1938, meaning the firm

presented Suffer Little Children to the Paisley Institute.

 

However, this is just part of the painting’s provenance history. More information will be

added to this website.

 

There is no Exhibition History provided in the catalogue.

 

 

 

 

 

George Fairfull-Smith, June 2025.