The Metamorphosis of Christ, with Mary Magdalene (1899)

This year’s Spring Fine Sale on April 18th has been blessed with good fortune. Marvellous vendors have been popping up at both the Lower Sloane Street and Fulham Road branches in Chelsea and offering truly extraordinary things. From these aristocratic collections of jewellery, paintings and sculpture both ancient and modern, the sale has developed a unique flavour that crosses the centuries yet has real swing – we hope you enjoy and find a chance to view at 158-164 Fulham Road.

Highlights of the Old Masters include Jan van Os, William Tomkins, Sir Joshua Reynolds, John Frederick Herring Senior and a Roman period Nicholas Poussin, while a stunning example of Marmaduke Cradock, being one of only three known signed works by the artist comes alongside an extraordinarily early painting of an elephant hunt attributed to Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus (1523-1605).The Old Masters are rich and varied across period, each artist a master of his subject matter and era.The British section of Old Masters includes a very early Cornelius Johnson of Frances Howard (later Carr), Countess of Somerset (1590-1632) in three quarter length, clothed and bejewelled in an appropriately aristocratic manner. From a nobleman's large consignment we discovered a previously unrecorded late drawing by Gainsborough – a study for The Cottage Door. We are grateful to Hugh Belsey for his invaluable assistance in cataloguing. Exciting stuff.

These stand in stark contrast to the collection of Peter Christoff Ouvaliev (Pierre Rouve), art critic, broadcaster, film director, and man about town. Rouve is the em- bodiment of the uprooted emigrant intellectual – urbane, cultured, polyglot, a consummate connection-maker. His life story is shaped by the forces of the Cold War, and the collection supports this. Large, abstract paintings and Brutalist paintings reflect the harsh and ever-shifting geopolitical climate of his time. Artists include Geoffrey Clarke, Branko Ružic, and Jerzy Stocki, not to mention three works by Vieira da Silva – notable and particularly relevant given Rouve’s younger sister was the famous art critic Dora Vallier who wrote the catalogue raisonne on her. Love Target boasts an inscription dedicated to Dora Vallier from da Silva. Roaming around his and his wife’s house in old Chelsea was a privilege and a very substantive reminder of the cultural intelligentsia of the 60’s and 70’s.

The sale is also to include hundreds of carvings from the oldest antique shop on the Pimlico Road, Ossowski. Sloane Street Auctions presents many of these lots to be sold without reserve.The carvings are exquisite. Largely 18th century, they are reminiscent of the Grinling Gibbons evergreen style, some possibly by the carver himself. They were collected by generations of Ossowskis and represent a rare chance to acquire rarity in one pace at one time. We are deeply grateful.

The sale presents an astounding 142 lots of jewellery including an exquisite diamond necklace with an approximate total weight of 35 carats and a central 4.72 carat brilliant cut diamond.This is presented alongside an equally impressive unheated 8.20 carat Burmese sapphire and diamond cluster dress ring and a 5.11 carat cushion-shaped yellow diamond and white diamond three-stone ring.

Again, Cecil Beaton forms a part of the sale. An additional 7 photographs come to us from an outstanding aristocratic collection. Depicting Coco Chanel, Ingrid Bergman, Madame Bricard, George de Chirico, Colette, Vivien Leigh as Anna Karenina, and Henry Beerbohm. These rare images of 20th Century icons include 1/1 prints that came directly from the artist’s studio to Sotheby’s, where purchased by the father of the present owner in the 1970’s. They are not only visually striking but historically important.

The 18th April comes a week before Islamic week, and so 30 carpets, shawls and textiles are to be offered.

We remain extremely grateful to our vendors who by refining their collections have allowed us access to the beautiful and the unique.