Highlights of the Contemporary & Post War British Art auction on October 20 included Maggi Hambling’s North Sea Rolling and John Hoyland’s Sky Dance, which both sold at £10,000 each, and Chris Bennett’s On The Highland fetched £6200.
Lots were also donated from artists including Edward Bawden, Simon Chambers, Christopher Le Brun, Patrick George, John Hoyland, David Inshaw, Sarah Lucas, Julian Opie and William Pye.
James Grinter (centre) and Jonathan Benson (right) of auction house Reeman Dansie ran the charity auction for Gainsborough's House at Sudbury Town Hall.
James Grinter and Jonathan Benson of auction house Reeman Dansie ran the auction at Sudbury Town Hall. Grinter said: “We had a packed room on the night with over 200 people present, as well as over 150 online bidders. There was a real buzz to the bidding and Jonathan, our auctioneer, had a great time extracting every last penny for a great cause which we are delighted to have been associated with.”
Mark Bills, director of Gainsborough’s House, said that following the results of the auction it now has £6.5m towards the £7.7m project.
He added: “We have just less than six months to find the remaining £1.2m and artists have really made a really positive step forward in closing this funding gap.”
The Grade I-listed Georgian house in the Suffolk town was the birthplace and childhood home of Gainsborough.
