This very rare drawing is a study for a major painting, Back to Broadmoor, that was included in Kossoff's solo show at the Beaux Arts Gallery in 1963 (cat.6) at which this preparatory drawing was also shown. The painting was subsequently destroyed.

This was the first work - and one of the only ones - in which Kossoff used as his source a newspaper photograph (rather than one of his own drawings). The other notable example was a painting on the assassination of President Kennedy which he abandoned as it was more urgent to paint the grand but very personal Woman Ill in Bed Surrounded by Her Family.

Broadmoor was a high-security psychiatric hospital and the image shows two recaptured prisoners on either side of a police officer. Questioned about the subject matter Kossoff explained that he identified with the desperation of the prisoners. Indeed the figure on our left has echoes of Kossoff's own appearance.

The drawing emphasises the way in which Kossoff makes his subjects - whether the streets of London, an old master painting or here a press photograph - personally meaningful. Indeed this suggestion of figures bound together is also found in other major paintings of this moment which were also included in the 1963 Beaux Arts exhibition such as Two Seated Figures (1962) (cat.7)

We are grateful to Leon Kossoff for information regarding this picture.