CHRISTOPHER WOOD (BRITISH, 1901-1930)
The Church on the Cliff, Dieppe
pencil on paper mounted onto card
31.7 x 40.1 cm. (12 1/2 x 16 in.)
Executed in 1929

Please note there is an inscription on the reverse 'With love from Kit's mother to Ala. Dieppe Church drawn by my son Christoper Wood 1929. Clara D Wood'

Provenance
The artist, from whom gifted by his mother to
Ana Storey, from whom acquired by
Peter Cochrane
With Redfern Gallery, London
With England & Co, London, 8 August 2005, where purchased by the family of the present owners

Exhibited
Penzance, Newlyn Gallery, Christopher Wood: The Last Years, 1928-1930, 28 Oct-25 Nov 1989; this exhibition toured Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, Dec 1989-Jan 1990, Swansea, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Jan-Mar 1990 and Cambridge, Kettle's Yard, Mar-Apr 1990

Literature
Hilary Gresty, Christopher Wood: The Last Years, 1928-1930, Penzance, Newlyn Art Gallery, 1989, p.18-20, cat.no.33 (ill.b&w): this exhibition travelled to Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, December 1989-January 1990; Swansea, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, January-March 1990; and Cambridge, Kettle's Yard, March-April 1990

“I seem to live on the very edge of the world. But what an edge it is.” - Christopher Wood

Wood first visited Dieppe in the mid-1920s and was immediately taken by its charm. The town, which had become a popular destination for artists and society's elite, offered a serene escape from the more chaotic bohemian lifestyle he experienced in Paris. He found inspiration in the harbor, the seaside landscapes, and the unique light of the area. Over the last fifteen months of his life, Dieppe became his favored painting site. He described it as a place where he experienced "complete happiness," a feeling he had never known before.

Dieppe's appeal was twofold: it provided an antidote to the urban grind of Paris, and it allowed Wood to focus deeply on his art, capturing the town's atmospheric qualities with his distinct style. His work during this period is characterized by its bold color schemes and simplified forms, with influences from the self-taught artist Alfred Wallis, whose rough surfaces and directness of style Wood admired.

Sadly, Christopher Wood's time in Dieppe was short-lived. Struggling with depression, addiction, and personal turmoil, Wood's life was marked by emotional instability and a series of failed relationships. These challenges likely influenced the darker, more melancholic tones that appear in his later works, including those painted in Dieppe. Despite his troubled personal life, Dieppe remains a symbol of happiness and creative fulfillment for him—a final place of peace before his untimely death.

Wood died in 1930 at the age of 29 under tragic circumstances, when he fell under a train at Salisbury station. His early death, combined with the poignant and evocative nature of his works from Dieppe, has contributed to his enduring legacy as a talented but tragic figure in early 20th-century British art.