Modern British Art

Among the contents of the home of the late Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-93) and later her son, Lin Jammet (1958-2017), offered at auction last week, was the sculptor’s Royal Academy diploma.

Belgrave St Ives is moving from its premises of 22 years to operate as an online gallery from September 1. Formerly using a space on Fore Street, it will now run out of its studio and art store in nearby Towednack, where individual viewings may be arranged.

A group of works on paper generated decent action at Keys’ (20% buyer’s premium) online-only sale of 20th Century design and modern art this summer.

The linocuts produced by artists from the Grosvenor School provided an ideal medium to portray speed and movement in the inter-war machine age – and were perfect for sport subjects too. Those created by Sybil Andrews, such as her classic speedway image, are the best known on this theme.

This summer UK dealers are holding a host of shows featuring British artists and many are devoted to sunny views of holiday destinations.

Last year Messums rescued the Wolland studio of artist Elisabeth Frink (1930-93) from collapse and has now reconstructed it in its Wiltshire premises.

Abbott & Holder recently sold a bronze head of Duncan Grant (1885-1975) by Stephen Tomlin (1901-37) to the Charleston Trust, owners of the East Sussex home where Grant once lived and worked with other members of the Bloomsbury Group.

A second tranche of works from the estate of Tony Venison, the long-serving gardens editor of Country Life, lifted the latest Modern British and 20th century art auction at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium).

Cedric Morris (1889-1982) is now a major name in the Mod Brit market whose most bountiful flower paintings can sell for over £100,000. While Sworders has a strong track-record with the artist-plantsman, works depicting two rather different subjects were offered at the latest sale in this category.

Edward Bawden (1903-89) is an artist whose work appears frequently at Sworders.

Providing a major boost to Bonhams’ first sale in London with room bidding since the lockdown, a portrait of the writer EM Forster by Roger Fry (1866-1934) set an auction record both for the artist and any Bloomsbury Group picture.

A record price of £10,200 was paid last month for a pen and ink sketch by fell-walking legend Alfred Wainwright at 1818 Auctioneers of Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

Consignments from vendors with a close connection to famous artists are always a welcome boon for any auction.

This 8 x 10in (21 x 25cm) oil on canvas board sketch of two farmhands cutting grasses with a scythe is unsigned but it carries a label on the back from an Ipswich Borough Council exhibition which identifies the artist as Harry Becker (1865-1928) and the picture’s title as Fieldworkers in Mid-Summer.

Rebecca Eames runs Eames Fine Art, which currently hosts an exhibition on Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore in its south London premises.

The stand-out lot at David Lay’s latest Cornish art sale was an oil by Dod Procter (1891-1972), a leading member of the colony of avant garde artists working in Cornwall in the 1920s-30s.

London auction of dealer's works follows similar 2013 sale and Rafael Valls offering held this April

Different in style, medium and subject but both bringing demand, two contrasting works by David Bomberg (1890-1957) sold above estimate at Sotheby’s auction of works from the Daniel Katz collection.