Modern British Art
2007 saw two sales dedicated to 20th Century British Art, in May and November. This schedule will continue for 2008, so please contact the department directly for exact dates of the sales and consignment deadlines.
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| David Hockney (b. 1937) Landscape, 1964, graphite and coloured crayons on paper 20 x 12 in., 50.8 x 30.5 cm |
Our expertise in handling works on paper continues to grow, with some notable sales achieved over the year. In the May sale, an early drawing by David Hockney from 1964 (lot. 59) fetched just over £23,000 (including premium), showing that this celebrated artist's early career may just be beginning to catch up on his later Pop years with which we are all familiar. Other highlights from the sale included a beautiful Howard Hodgkin watercolour, originally designed as a catalogue cover for the artist's 1998 exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery, New York (lot. 94). This work was given to the catalogue designer and is one of only three unfolded versions, amongst frenetic bidding it finally made £14,500 (including premium). Other notable results from the sale included drawings by pre-war British artists, in particular works by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Eric Gill, Percy Wyndham Lewis, William Roberts, Edward Burra and John Buckland-Wright.
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| Anwar Jelal Shemza (1928-1985) Untitled, 1963, oil on canvas, 20 x 12 in., 50.8 x 30.5 cm |
The November sale totalled some 223 lots and included a fascinating collection of Sub-Continental artists amassed by an English collector in the early 1960s. From this private collection, examples of works by F.N. Souza continued to prove very popular with the market but it was the excitement surrounding an unusual oil by a somewhat forgotten Pakistani artist called Anwar Jelal Shemza that really stole the show. Never seen at auction before, his beautiful Constructivist oil on canvas from 1963 (lot. 17) finally realised almost £8000 (including premium) against a modest estimate of only £800-£1200.
The rest of the sale provided some notable results in the realm of 20th Century British Art. A lovely 1973 oil by Helen Bradley (lot. 55) from the family's private collection sold well at just under £30,000 (including premium), whilst there was phenomenal support for a rare 1914 watercolour by Henry Scott Tuke that finally realised £12,500 (including premium). Other artists who performed particularly well included Barbara Rae, Joe Tilson, William Crozier, Scottie Wilson, Gwen John, Stanley William Hayter, and not forgetting Wales' favourite 20th Century artist, the recently-deceased, and much-mourned, Sir Kyffin Williams.
We are currently welcoming consignments for our next sale scheduled for 8th May 2008. If you have works of art by 20th Century British artists (paintings, works on paper or sculpture), that you are considering selling, we would be delighted to help and offer a free valuation and consultation service.
Angus Maguire
Angus Maguire is available Monday to Friday for valuations and for any questions regarding modern or contemporary artworks.
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7495 9494