Composition 1947, a gouache on paper by John Tunnard, £34,000 at Lyon & Turnbull.
Measuring 16in x 2ft 2in (41 x 66cm), the meticulously painted gouache on paper titled simply Composition, 1947 was one of just 13 known gouaches created by the artist that year, with others of a similar style and quality held in American museum collections. It was acquired by the vendor’s father directly from the artist in the 1960s and had not been seen in public for at least half a century.
One of the highlights of the inaugural Avant Garde sale at Lyon & Turnbull (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) in London on April 27, it was estimated at £30,000-50,000 and took £34,000.
