One of a series of London cityscapes the Modern British artist painted in the 1940s, the 2ft 11in x 2ft 4in (90 x 71cm) oil on canvas in a slightly grubby condition had been estimated at £800-1200 in the July 26 sale in Surrey.
While he also painted views of Green Park, Piccadilly Circus and Carlyle Square, which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1947, his London pictures from this period appear rarely on the secondary market.
The work at Ewbank’s, painted from a high viewpoint, had been purchased by the vendor’s mother-in-law from Leicester Galleries in 1946. It is among the highest prices for the artist at auction.
At the 'more affordable' end, another Mod Brit work drawing decent competition was a view of Kent by Archibald Sanderson (1901-72). Depicting Shoreham Valley in Sevenoaks, the c.1936 oil tipped over top estimate to sell for £650.
It was the largest of three works given to the vendor by the artist’s wife included in the sale.
