Two large drawings on a single sheet.

A characteristic example of Gill's spiritual outsider art, a rare double-sided work exhibited at her first major retrospective in Grosvenor Gallery in 1968. We believe this piece to be number 130, "Complex Forms", in the exhibition list. The pencil drawing contains a woman's face, a signature motif in Gill's art, and the ink drawing shows naturalistic geometric patterns. Gill (1882-1961) was a key exponent of mediumistic art and remains one of the foremost British Outsider artists. She first became compelled to produce art in 1920 and shortly after was first "possessed" by her spirit-guide, Myrninerest. Over the next three decades, she produced a vast amount of art on cloth, card, and paper. Her work was exhibited at the Whitechapel Gallery between 1932 and 1947, and was widely acclaimed. However, she rejected an offer of a show in a larger West End gallery, stating that her art belonged to her spirit guide and could not be sold. After her death, the Grosvenor Gallery held a large exhibition of her work focussed on her ink and wash drawings, titled Madge Gill: The Guided Hand. Gill's artwork is in the original frame provided by the Grosvenor Gallery, and is accompanied by a guide to the exhibition and a typewritten exhibition list. Gill never received any formal artistic training, and produced her work in a trance-like state, possibly influenced by synaesthetic experiences. The pencil drawing is reminiscent of Girl in High Hat and Milliner's Dream in the formations around the face, both of which are dated c.1940. She turned to larger card drawings in the 1950s. Producing her artwork could sometimes take its toll on her, as she wrote in a letter to a friend "The crust of the earth, beneath lies untold wealth, so it is with the mastermind true genius will out. Dear Louise, I wish I could be normal" (quoted in Cardinal, p. 138). Following Gill's death, her son Laurie donated many of her drawings to the London Borough of Newham Heritage Service, where they are still held today. The majority of Gill's work available in commerce is postcard sized, with larger drawings appearing occasionally. We have traced just two examples of her double-sided works in the last ten years, sold by Christie's in 2022 and 2017. Roger Cardinal, Outsider Art, 1973. Two drawings on white card (245 x 312 mm), recto in ink, verso in pencil, framed and glazed in 1960s wooden frame painted silver (framed size 331 x 395) with Grosvenor Gallery sticker to back. Together trifold exhibition catalogue (page size 298 x 120 mm) and 4 pp. wire-stitched typescript list. Housed in an archival box. Card a little browned, paint to frame a slightly scratched and chipped in places, exhibition list folded. In very good condition.…