British & Irish Art Week (highlights)


	Sale 6460, Lot 5 Thomas Gainsborough, R.A. (1727-1788) Tristram and Fox Black and white chalk and stump, on paper prepared with pale wash Estimate: Ł180,000-250,000				Contact: Clare Roberts 020.7380.2964 Buy British at Christie's Christie's celebrates British Art Week in June with major works by Burne-Jones, Cadogan Cowper, Gainsborough, Munnings, Turner and Van Dyck British Art Week At Christie's 7-15 June 2001 London - Christie's, the leading auctioneers for British and Irish Art, celebrates the very best of British and Irish Art with a week-long series of sales spanning the 16th to the 20th Centuries. Major works by such masters as Burne-Jones, Cadogan Cowper, Gainsborough, Munnings, Turner and Van Dyck will be offered in sales that collectively are expected to realize over Ł10 million. On the centenary of Queen Victoria's death, it is fitting that the evening sale of Important British and Irish Art on 13 June is led by a number of paintings by Victorian artists, demonstrating their taste for the ornate and exotic, together with their love of fantasies, fables and fairytales. The Prince entering the Briar Wood, by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, is a version of one of the famous 'Briar Rose' series based on the fairytale Sleeping Beauty (estimate: Ł500,000-700,000). Having conceived the designs in the 1860s for sets of tiles manufactured by William Morris's firm, Burne-Jones repeated the theme many times over the next 30 years and this picture is thought to have been executed in 1869. The painting is large scale and while the figures of the prince and the sleeping knights are unfinished, the briar-wood background is highly developed, giving the canvas a sumptuously decorated and tapestry-like effect. The sale also boasts what is arguably Edmund Blair Leighton's masterpiece in the Mediaeval mode. The Accolade (estimate: Ł800,000-1,200,000), was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1901, the year Queen Victoria died. Blair Leighton specialized in historical genre scenes, ranging from the early Middle Ages to the Regency era and this painting belongs to a group of works that refer at a deeper level to the Boer War. Like his contemporary Alma-Tadema, Blair Leighton's pictures were often modern subjects thinly disguised in the trappings of the past. Another highlight of the sale is Frank Cadogan Cowper's Titania sleeps, A Midsummer Night's Dream (estimate: Ł120,000-180,000). Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1928 this jewel-like canvas looks back to the fairy paintings that were so popular in early Victorian times. Cadogan Cowper is one of the best known artists who depicted literary and fantasy themes, painting such subjects long past the Victorian era right up until his death at the age of 81 in 1958. Mariana in the South is another notable lot by Cadogan Cowper (estimate: Ł25,000-35,000) and takes its subject from the famous poem by Tennyson. This watercolour borrows a number of motifs from Van Eyck's Arnolfini Marriage portrait in the National Gallery, a picture enormously admired by the Pre-Raphaelites. George Frederic Watts's, O.M., R.A sensational painting, Hope (estimate: Ł300,000-500,000), is a version of the best-known and most admired of all his pictures. This allegorical work depicting Hope with bandaged eyes sitting on a globe and trying to play a lyre with broken strings, came to be seen as one of the most profound icons of the Victorian age. British Art Week also celebrates the nation's love of horses with a number of important equestrian works. The evening sale on 13 June features the magnificent Huntsmen and Hunters on Bredon Hill, Worcestershire by Thomas Woodward, one of thirteen works by the artist to be sold during the British Art sales series in June 2001 (estimate: Ł150,000-200,000). This highly gifted 19th century sporting artist is little known because significant works are so rarely seen on the market, making this work, together with a further twelve works by the artist to be offered in the British Pictures sale on 15 June, a truly remarkable single owner collection. The majority of the works offered came directly through the artist's family as Woodward's unmarried great-niece, who acquired the works upon his death and passed her collection to her godson. At the age of eight, Woodward's talent is said to have caught the eye of Benjamin West, then President of the Royal Academy. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were admirers of his talents and bought works during his lifetime. Woodward first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1821 and over the next 30 years he showed no less than 85 works. According to contemporary critics, one of the most impressive was Bredon Hill. A contemporary review in Sporting Magazine observed of the painting, "One of the grooms tightening the girth is so easy and natural that we almost fancied ourselves at the covert-side in reality, preparing for the 'tallyho' of the huntsman in the background." John Frederick Herring, Senior's Watering Place, near Dumfries (estimate: Ł150,000-200,000) is another notable lot. Signed and dated 1852 this oil on canvas is one of several Herring's offered for sale during British Art Week. Further highlights include two atmospheric works by Sir Alfred Munnings P.R.A, Changing Horses, depicting the artist's wife between two horses (estimate: Ł1,000,000-1,500,000), and Study for Cheltenham March Meeting (estimate: Ł250,000-300,000). Early works in the evening sale include Sir Anthony van Dyck's, Portrait of Lady Thimbleby (estimate: Ł250,000-350,000). The sitter is shown holding a lemon with a rose bush to her side, both considered to be symbols of love, and this portrait may have been executed shortly after her marriage in 1634. A previously unrecorded chalk drawing by Thomas Gainsborough, Tristram and Fox, Gainsborough's Favourites depicting his favourite dogs (estimate: Ł180,000-250,000) is also offered. Tristram and Fox were family pets in the 1780s and are portrayed with boundless energy in this lively chalk sketch. Two monumental canvases by the Northern Irish painter, William Scott are notable works by the artist. Large Still-life (estimate: Ł100,000-150,000) is the largest work he produced during his still life sequences while Dark blue, light blue and white from 1961, was painted after Scott had completed his renowned mural commission for the Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. J.M.W. Turner's remarkable Swiss mountain scene, traditionally identified as the Domleschg Valley in the Grisons will lead the British Art on Paper sale on 7 June (estimate: Ł180,000-250,000). It is very rare to see a late Swiss view such as this on the market as the majority of this type of watercolour are held in the Turner Bequest at Tate Britain. This sale also boasts an album of 37 drawings for the Composition from the Works and Days and Theogony of Hesiod by John Flaxman, R.A. (1755-1826) (estimate: Ł80,000-120,000), engraved by William Blake. Flaxman's outline illustrations to classic texts by Homer, Aeschylus, Dante and Hesiod won him European-wide fame and were central works in the neo-classical revival of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. Praised by Schlegel, these works had a strong influence on artists such as David, Ingres, Runge, Thorwaldsen and even Goya. Two superb private collections, one of paintings by Sir William Nicholson and the other paintings by L.S. Lowry lead the 20th Century British Art on 8 June 2001. The eight works offered by Sir William Nicholson include Silver Teapots (estimate: Ł50,000-80,000) and Scottish Still Life (estimate: Ł50,000-80,000) while the collection of nine paintings by Lowry features the compelling image of Lincoln entitled Northern River Scene (estimate: Ł200,000-300,000). Also offered is a rare painting by Victor Pasmore, R.A., entitled Abstract in Brown, White, Pink and Ochre (estimate: Ł20,000-30,000), this work demonstrates Pasmore's transitional period between his early and late styles, rarely seen at auction. Further highlights include two canvases by Sir Stanley Spencer, R.A, High Street, Cookham (estimate: Ł60,000-80,000) and Fishing Boats, St Ives (estimate: Ł20,000-30,000), painted during his honeymoon with his second wife Patricia Preece in 1937. The newly-weds stayed in St Ives during June and July of 1937, having married at Maidenhead Registry Office just days earlier. However she refused to allow him stay in her room and the marriage effectively ended before it had begun. George Elgar Hicks's stunning painting of The Croquet Match, 1864 (estimate: Ł60,000-80,000) is the magnificent highlight of the Victorian Pictures sale to be held on 12 June. Hicks depicts a croquet party at Pennington Cottage, a house with garden and outbuildings leased by the artist on an annual tenancy, with a view across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. The artist was known to have been a keen player of the game that was very popular during the 1850s and 1860s. A further highlight of the British Pictures sale on 15 June is John Constable, R.A.'s The Edge of a heath by moonlight (estimate: Ł60,000-80,000). Possibly depicting Hampstead Heath, of which Constable made many sketches and paintings, this picture is a rare moonlit scene in the artist's oeuvre. Mr Ridsdale's Bloomsbury, a bay racehorse in a stable (estimate: Ł30,000-40,000) by John Frederick Herring, senior, is also offered. This painting depicts the remarkable racehorse that won the Derby in June 1839, despite a snowstorm and odds of 25-1. A further notable lot is Thomas Hudson's charming Portrait of John Fytch Barker (estimate: Ł30,000-40,000), showing the small boy aspiring to be a jockey, clutching a whip in his raised right hand and holding the reins in his left hand as he comically rides his hobby horse. Offering British art dating from 16th to the 20th century, Christie's South Kensington's sale of British and Victorian Pictures on 7 June includes the whole spectrum of genres and artistic styles, with estimates ranging from Ł400 to Ł15,000. The highlight is a painting entitled Princes in the Tower by William Simson R.S.A (estimate: Ł15,000-20,000). Depicting the imprisonment of Edward V and his brother, the Duke of York, in the Tower of London in 1403, this painting was exhibited at the British Institute in 1842. The 20th Century British Art sale at Christie's South Kensington on 13 June is led by a mixed media painting by John Piper is the highlight of this sale. Depicting the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford, it is expected to fetch up to Ł7,000. Two pen and ink letters from E.H. Shepard, with original illustrations depicting Pooh Bear and Piglet are the highlights of the British & Continental Watercolours & Drawings, including Original Book Illustrations at Christie's South Kensington on 14 June. The letters, sent by Shepard to the owner as a young boy who is affectionately referred to as 'Duffkins', are apologies for not being able to attend his party. One of them depicts a comically touching scene of Pooh and Piglet sobbing beneath the inscription March 17th/Dere Duffkins/ we are so sory/ that we cant come to/ your party. This letter is expected to fetch up to Ł10,000, alongside its partner, dated 21st December 1930 (estimate: Ł6,000-8,000). Important English Furniture 14 June 2001 Timed to coincide with British Art Week, this sale includes furniture from some of the greatest British collections. A private collection of furniture formed at the beginning of the 20th Century by Captain Norman Colville, M.C., includes a pair of lyre-back mahogany armchairs made by John Linnell for Robert Child of Osterley Park, Middlesex (Ł70,000-100,000), a Chippendale commode (Ł100,000-150,000) and a group of early Georgian furniture. Percival Griffiths is represented by two pieces that were later owned by Geoffrey Blackwell O.B.E. A group of chairs (Ł150,000-250,000 per pair of armchairs, Ł25,000-40,000 pair of side chairs) and two magnificent side tables (Ł300,000-500,000) from Hagley Hall, Worcestershire were commissioned by the 1st Lord Lyttelton and have remained at the house ever since. A pair of George II mahogany commodes from Ashburnham Place, Sussex (Ł300,000-500,000) are attributed to the famous partnership of William Vile and John Cobb, while a pair of stone sphinxes (Ł100,000-150,000) originally came from Matthew's Bolton's house at Soho in Birmingham. The sale also includes a good selection of Georgian and Regency furniture. Important Needlework collected by the late Sir Frederick Richmond Bt. 14 June 2001 Christie's will be offering for sale one of the most remarkable British collections of needlework ever to be seen at auction which comprises over 50 needlework panels, tapestries and works of art that date from the late 16th century. In superb condition and extremely rare, the entire collection is expected to realize in the region of Ł750,000. One of the many highlights of the sale is a rare needlework casket (estimate: Ł30,000-50,000) which opens to reveal a garden of pressed silk. Magnolia, gillyflowers, pears and strawberries grow from a green featherwork lawn set with a woolen path. Caskets were worked panel by panel on one or several pieces of white satin with green thread woven into the selvedge. They were arranged on the satin so as to waste as little of the material as possible. The lid is embroidered in coloured silks depicting the Judgement of Paris and the back is worked with a lady dining with two gentlemen. The casket dates from the mid-17th century and only two other caskets of this quality are known to exist today. Special Exhibition An Exhibition of Important Paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings P.R.A will take place at Christie's King Street from 4 May until 10 May 2001 and will showcase an exceptional group of works by Sir Alfred Munnings to be included in the Sporting Art Sale in New York on 1 June and the Important British and Irish Art evening sale in London on 13 June. The exhibition will feature 17 paintings by Munnings that collectively are expected to fetch Ł7.5 million. Viewing Times Friday 4 May 9.00am-4.30pm Tuesday 8 May 9.00am-4.30pm Wednesday 9 May 9.00am-4.30pm Thursday 10 May 9.00am-4.30pm Lectures 5 June 2001, 6.30pm at Christie's King Street *Landscape and Form,* by Paul Atterbury, a free-lance lecturer and writer who regularly appears on the Antiques Road show as an expert on 19th and 20th Century Art and Design. 12 June 2001, 6.30pm at Christie's King Street *Munnings and the Art of Racing,* by Jonathan Horwich, International Head of British & Irish Art at Christie's. For further details please contact Sarah Muehlhausen on 020.7389.2506 ### Images available on request