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Click here to subscribeA gold coloured foliate engraved propelling pencil, circa 1900. Length extended 14.5 cm. CONDITION REPORT: The mechanism slides as it should. There is no lead, we would however be surprised if the pencil does not function as it should. There is a capital M on the collar at the sharp end of the extending mechanism. There are no splits, however the seam of the main barrel is visible.
A quantity of hard back and paperback railway and other transports books. By OPC, Ian Allan, Capital etc. Titles include - B.R. Steam Locomotives 1948-1968. Stratford Shed in the 1950's. Southern Branch Lines, Sussex Steam, B.R. 1st Generation DMU's. Southern Electric Album. A Lifetime In Traction. Locomotive Engineers. 3x Diesel Retrospective Class 33, 237 & 47. An Age of Kings. From CIE to IR. Historical Survey of Southern Sheds. B.R. Mk1 Coaches. Isle of White Album. THe First RT's. Routemaster Jubilee. Devon General, The Last Years of The General. Waverley, Channel Sweep, The Royal Navy in Focus 1960-69. All VGC (73) £50-70
24 bus and commercial vehicle books. Mostly bus related books published by Capital Transport, MH&B, Ian Allan, David & Charles, etc. Titles include; Roads & Rails of London 1900-1933, 4x Shire Albums, London’s Tramways, Morris Commercials, Preserved Lorries, Blue Triangle – AEC Buses, The Country Bus, Glory Days; Maidstone & District, etc. Dustjackets where appropriate. GC-VGC. £30-50
SAM BOUGH R.S.A. (SCOTTISH 1822-1878) FIREWORKS OVER EDINBURGH 10TH MARCH 1863 Signed and indistinctly dated, inscribed on a contemporary label verso 'The Marriage of the Prince of Wales', oil on panel 24cm x 54.5cm (9.5in x 21.5in) Note: There is a contemporary cutting from The Courant newspaper verso dated March 16, 1863 which states 'We had the pleasure of seeing in Mr Bough's studio on Saturday last, a small sketch in oils of the splendid illuminations which gave such universal satisfaction on Tuesday evening. The sketch is taken from the Calton Hill; and the long line of Princes Street filled with a living tide of happy and good humoured sightseers; the deep valley between the Old and New Town; the Scott Monument; the steep slope of the Castle bank blazing with padelle (sic), the grand old fortress itself with its battlements and embrasures lit up with flickering flames; the spire of St.Giles with its coronets of coloured lights and the beautiful outlines of the dome of St.George's defined by long lines of pure white light are all brought before us within the space of a foot square ......No artist in our school is so well fitted as Mr Bough to depict 'The festal city's blaze'. Considered to be one of the most influential and prolific Scottish landscape painters of the 19th century, Sam Bough was a self-taught artist who spent much of his career working in Scotland. Born in 1822 in Carlisle, Bough settled in Manchester where he worked as a scene painter in the Theatre Royal. After moving to Glasgow he continued to paint whilst working at the New Princes Theatre. Bough's reputation as a topographical and landscape painter grew during the 1850's, and by the time he resettled in Edinburgh he had established himself as a successful landscape artist. Whilst living in the capital he created some of his most important paintings. Fireworks over Edinburgh 10th March 1863 masterfully depicts the city amidst its celebrations of the marriage of Prince Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Bough's experience of working as a theatre scene painter is reflected through the confidence by which he works in a small scale and effortlessly captures the fleeing atmospheric effects. Sketched from the top of Calton Hill, the painting is both a celebration of the wedding and the city itself. The firework display illuminates the city's landmarks including the fortress, Scott Monument and spires of St. Giles Cathedral. Bough's interest in the depiction of the changing effects of light is reflected through the dramatic representation of the fiery night sky over the city, whilst in the foreground a tide of sightseers adds to the sense of vitality to the scene. Bough's restless energy is revealed through his expressive colouring which effortlessly captures the mood of the joyous event. His spontaneity, loose technique and interest in capturing the fleeting atmospheric effects establishes him as an important predecessor of the Scottish Impressionists, paving the way for the development towards a freer, plein air style. Contemporary historical records reveal the extent to which this Royal Wedding was a national celebration. In the English village of Goudhurst, there was a full day of public celebrations, starting with the 'distribution of meat to the widowers, widows, sick poor and aged,' followed by a procession, different servings of tea and refreshments, and a large bonfire in the evening. In the week following the wedding, a whole ox was roasted on the Plain, and the meat distributed to over 400 people in the course of the next few days. A rib from the ox remains in the collection of the Goudhurst historical society. The sale of this striking painting coincides with another Royal wedding, that of the Prince of Wales and Meghan Markle on 19th May 2018.
SINATRA FRANK: (1915-1998) American Singer & Actor, Academy Award winner. T.L.S., `Frank Sinatra´, one page, oblong 6 x 4, n.p., February 1978, with his embossed capital letters “F.S” to the upper left corner, to Marjorie Sullivan. On a stiff white folding sheet, Sinatra thanks his correspondent stating in part `Thank you so much for thinking of me on my birthday…it is people like you, who make the concert tours such a worthwhile experience.´ Accompanied by the original printed stationery envelope, showing the printed addressee to the verso “Frank Sinatra - 1041 North Formosa Avenue - Hollywood, California 90046”. VG £150-200
CASANOVA GIACOMO: (1725-1798) Italian Author and Adventurer. A.L.S., Casanova, two pages (written on the first and third sides of the conjugate leaves), 4to, Prague, 18th May 1788, to Count Antonio Collalto ('Your Excellency, my Beloved Lord') in Vienna, in Italian. Casanova announces `This modern evil called Grippe, after travelling through the Austrian capital, did not forgive the Bohemian capital and caught me, obliging me to attend V[ostra] E[ccellenza] with such an ungrateful appearance; but thank God, V E is free of it, not me, I am in bed´ further remarking `I have here with me your precious letters dated 10th and 13th, but with my headache I am unable to remember if I have already answered to the first or not, so in order not to fail, I´ll answer to both of them.´ Casanova continues to refer to some books sent to his correspondent and also to some other individuals, `I understand, according to your letter, that you have received the box with the books, and I read also and appreciate the news regarding the call from the French Ambassador´s to Venice, and as a consequence the imbroglio with Naples, an affair on which I fully ignore the cause. According to your second letter I understand that with your usual excess of goodness, V.E. went personally to deliver to Countess Clari-Ligne the volumes, and that you refused to accept the nine Guilders. V.E. acted wisely, nevertheless I will write today to the Prince of Liechtenstein who knows me, and I hope that all will be taken care of in a noble way.´ He further writes `My brother wrote to me and he praised your kindness in sending the thirty volumes, and promised he will send the money to you as soon as he will receive it from the associates… Count Waldstein has the first 72 copies…and my brother promises he will get 24 more associates....´ Casanova concludes his letter `Additionally to all mentioned, I beg you to send me on the 27th of the present month the money you may have for me as I have to pay a bill of exchange before the end of the month. The third volume was welcomed here with applause and allowed me to get eight more associates. The King´s speech on page 261 pleased a lot.´ An attractive, boldly penned letter. A few very minor, insignificant holes to some words of text, evidently caused by the ink burning the paper, otherwise VG £10000 - 15000Count Antonio Collalto - Italian Nobleman and Military officer. Aloys I (1759-1805) Prince of Liechtenstein. He expanded the Liechtenstein library through the purchase of complete collections of books. Joseph Karl Emanuel Waldstein (1755-1814) Count Waldstein. Casanova spent the last years of his life in Bohemia as a librarian in Count Waldstein's household, where he also wrote the story of his life. Casanova's autobiography, Histoire de ma vie, is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century. Casanova is remembered today for his often elaborate and complicated affairs with women and his name is synonymous with 'womanisers'. He associated himself with European Royalty, Popes and Cardinals as well as luminaries including Voltaire, Goethe and Mozart.
CHARLES X: (1757-1836) King of France 1824-30. Brief A.L.S., Charles Philippe, one page, 4to, Paris, 1st May n.y. (1814), to an unidentified correspondent, in French. The King states, in full, `The King´s entry into Paris is positively fixed for next Tuesday at ten in the morning.´ With blank integral leaf. Some very light, minor wrinkling to the right edge and light overall age toning, otherwise VG £600 - 900The present letter is written at an important date in the Bourbon Restoration. In January 1814, Charles covertly left his home in London to join the Coalition forces in southern France. His brother Louis XVIII, by then wheelchair-bound and in exile in England, supplied Charles, his younger brother, with letters patent creating him Lieutenant General of the kingdom. On 31st March, the Allies captured Paris and a few days later, on 4th April, Napoleon I abdicated. The Senate declared King Louis XVIII restored. Charles had arrived in the capital on 12th April and acted as Lieutenant General of the kingdom until Louis XVIII arrived from England. Two days after the present letter was written, on 3rd May, the King was greeted with great rejoicing from the Parisians and proceeded to occupy the Tuileries Palace. Charles X, known as the Count of Artois for much of his life, reigned as the last Bourbon King of France from 1824-30. An uncle of the uncrowned King Louis XVII and the younger brother of reigning Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, Charles supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him. During his brief tenure as regent, Charles created an ultra-royalist secret police that reported directly back to him without Louis XVIII's knowledge. It operated for over five years. His rule of almost six years ended in the July Revolution of 1830, which resulted in his abdication and the election of Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans, as King of the French.
WILLIAM IV: (1765-1837) King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland 1830-37. A.L.S., William R, as King, two pages, 4to, St. James´s, n.d. (`Friday night´, Lujy 1818), to Lady Sarah. The King thanks his correspondent for their kind congratulations on his marriage, stating `I must thank you sincerely and observe…the amiability and sweetness of the disposition and manners of the Duchess´, and continuing `I lament from the present state of our engagements I cannot at present name a day for introducing your ladyship ; but trust it will be in my powers before we go abroad´. In concluding the King congratulates his correspondent on their success at Southampton. With blank integral leaf. Together with ADELAIDE OF SAXE-MEININGEN (1792-1849) Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and of Hanover, spouse of King William IV. The capital city of South Australia is named after her. Dark ink signature (`Adelaide´) on a piece, neatly laid down. G to generally VG, 2 £150-200
[BALKANS]: An excellent selection of Autograph Statements signed by a variety of famous Greek (2), Yugoslavian (2) and Romanian (1) personalities, beneath an original pen and ink drawing by the German-Swiss artist Robert Kastor, the well-executed works depicting each personality in head and shoulders poses, one page each, large folio, various places and dates, comprising, Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936) Eminent Greek Leader, eight times elected Prime Minister of Greece between 1910 and 1933. Known as the Leader of the modern Greece; Nikola Pasic (1845-1926) Serbian and Yugoslav Politician. Considered the most important Serbian political figure for 40 years, five times Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Serbia between 1891 and 1918, and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia 1918, 1921-24 and 1924-26. An important politician in the Balkans, who, together with his counterparts like Eleftherios Venizelos in Greece, managed to strengthen their small and still emerging national states. Pasic states `The XIXth century brought freedom and equality to citizens; the XXth century brought freedom and equality to each nation´; Theodoros Diligiannis (1826-1905) Greek Statesman; Ante Trumbic (1864-1938) Croatian Statesman and Take Ionescu (1858-1922) Romanian Statesman, Prime Minister and Foreign affairs Minister 1921-22. Together with Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia (1928-2000) Son of Alexander I of Yugoslavia and Maria of Romania. A.L.S., `Tomislav of Yugoslavia´, one page, 8vo, Kent, 19th June 1948, on his personal printed stationery, bearing a crown and a capital "T", to Robert brown. Prince Tomislav states in part `King Peter has at the moment been living in the States or Canada, Prince Paul is in South-Africa, Kenia or Cairo, and my mother is in London….If you write a letter to my mother to London, but not to the Yugoslav Embassy..´ VG, 5 £100-150
STALIN JOSEPH: (1878-1953) Soviet Dictator. Leader of the Soviet Union as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party 1922-52. Rare and unusual A.N., `Drawing by Setanka the Housekeeper´, in Cyrillic, one page, 5.5 x 3,8 page removed from a notebook. The document being a colourful drawing, in the hand of Stalin´s daughter Svetlana Iosifovna, showing a ship with its name in red letters `Aurora´, beneath a childish written text at the heading, in capital red letters, stating `Aurora! Aurora, Hurry to Storm the Winter Palace!´, in Cyrillic. Rare autograph note by Stalin, boldly written in pencil, to the lower border of the document, underlining the last two words. The page shows a wheel and wing watermark. With few extremely small pinholes, and a very small professional repair to the verso, otherwise, G £4000-6000Svetlana Iosifovna Stalina (1926-2011), also known as Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva, and later known as Lana Peters. Youngest child and only daughter of Stalin and his second wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva. It has often been reported that she was one of the very few persons Stalin deeply loved. Winston Churchill recalled her as `A handsome red-haired girl, who kissed her father dutifully..´ Svetlana was raised by a nanny when her mother committed suicide when she was only six. She did not learn the real cause of her mother´s death until she was fifteen. According to Svetlana´s memoir “Twenty Letters to a Friend” (1967), Stalin used to affectionately call her “Setanka the Housekeeper” as annotated on the present document. Svetlana defected in 1967 and became a U.S citizen. She only returned to the Soviet Union in 1984, and in 1992 became British citizen. Aurora was a 1900 Russian cruiser. It was considered a symbol of the 1917 Revolution for firing the shot to signal the revolutionaries to storm the Winter Palace. The Aurora is currently preserved as a museum ship in Saint Petersburg.
FEODOROVNA ALEXANDRA: (1872-1918) Alix of Hesse. Empress Consort of Russia 1894-1917, wife of Tsar Nicholas II. The last Tsarina of Russia, known for her notorious friendship with the Russian mystic Rasputin. An excellent set of two documents comprising a 4 x 6.5 cabinet photograph of the Empress, photograph by Pasetti in St. Petersburg, with two annotations in her hand, most probably addressed to the photographer, indicating the changes she expects on this photograph. At the base of the image, to the white lower border and beneath her printed name in Cyrillic, Alexandra Feodorovna annotates `à refaire´ in French, (“to redo”), and to the upper left corner she adds ` 2 Col´. To the upper left corner, in another hand, annotated `Enlevez l´ombre´, “take off the shadow”. Bearing to the verso the A. Pasetti printed logo, including a list of Royalty family members they are photographers of, such as the Saxe Meiningen court or the Queen of Greece, Grand Dukes and Grand Duchesses, etc.. Together with an A.N.S., `Alexandra´, to her personal 3.5 x 2.5 card, in Frencg, bearing to the left border a Royal gilt crown embossed, above her gilt embossed name, Alexandra, in capital Cyrillic letters. The Empress sends a warm message `Avec mes felicitations de coeur´, Alexandra´, also dated in her hand, 7th March 1913. Matted in purple, attractively framed in gilt wood, richly ornated and glazed to an overall size of 11 x 16.5. The framing shows to the verso, also glazed, the verso of the photograph and the card. VG £2500-3500
ROMANOV NIKOLAEVNA ANASTASIA: (1901-1918) Grand Duchess of Russia, youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II. Assassinated. An extremely rare A.L.S., Anastasia, in Cyrillic, four pages, yellow paper, Moscow, 29th May 1912, to Shura (Alexandra), in Cyrillic. The letter bears the printed heading “Moscow - Kremlin”, with attractive initial capital letters in red, and to the fourth page showing a funny sketch showing the back of two small animals, coloured by Anastasia, and possibly also drawn by her. The ten years old Grand Duchess explains the heat they are suffering in Moscow, her visits to Neskuchnoe Manor park and the morning spent at the Assumption cathedral. She further reports on their recent trips before reaching Moscow, and referring to Crimea states in part `I felt so sorry to leave Livadia, and I am sorry that you are not here…. We had a wonderful voyage from Yalta to Sebastopol…After Moscow I want to go to Livadia..´ Anastasia further explains in which way they are sharing the rooms in Moscow, and mentions most family members saying `Marie and I are staying in the blue room; Olga and Tatiana in the red one. Nikita, Fiodor and Andrey drink tea and play…Nikita has been awfully naughty... It was very hot during the trip in the train. Olga, Mother, Father and Tatiana were wearing noble clothes, same as in Kiev. I feel already better, but sometime I feel bad again… We stopped at Kharkov. There, Mother and Father got a visit…Today Tatiana got good presents on the occasion of her celebration´. Further again Anastasia explains what the near future plans are stating `The inauguration of the commemorative monument is taking place tomorrow,,, They say that on June 29th we will be going out on the yacht Standart…´ An interesting letter, written by a ten years old child, about eleven, mixing matters, with small mistakes, etc… Very small overall, minor age wear, folded, otherwise VG £5000-8000The Livadia Palace was the summer house of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in Livadiya, Crimea.Anastasia refers to family members such as Father - Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918); Mother - Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918); Olga - Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna (1895-1918); Tatiana - Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna (1897-1918); Marie - Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (1899-1918). All of them assassinated in Yekaterinburg, 17th July 1918.The Standart was the Imperial Russian yacht of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. The largest yacht in its time. During World War II the converted yacht played an important role in the defense of Leningrad.
Early 19th Century giltwood and gesso pier mirror, the inverted breakfront cornice over guilloche frieze upon reeded columns flanking a later bevelled mirror plate, 66cm wide x 90cm high Condition: Flake losses to right hand section of frieze above capital, further minor flaking, bevelled plate a probable replacement - Please see extra images and TELEPHONE department if you require further information
French brass and bronzed spelter figural table lamp, the cylindrical burner collar with plaque GAGNEAU 115 R.LAFAYETTE, over cast capital and pair of spelter cherub figures, raised on bulbous base with cast swags and square plinth, 56cm high excluding fittings Condition: Converted to electricity - **General condition consistent with age
19th Century rosewood torchère or vase stand, the circular top with scroll pierced brass gallery over gadrooned collar, raised upon three turned supports, each with brass capital, tripartite base and three scroll feet on further tripartite plinth, 32cm diameter x 110cm high Condition: Minor cracking to triangular base but otherwise sound - Please see extra images and TELEPHONE department if you require further information
POLENOV, VASILY(1844-1927)The Vault under Al-Aqsa Mosque. Temple Mount, Jerusalem, signed.Oil on canvas, 69.5 by 92 cm.Provenance: Collection of Nicolai Ghiaurov (1929–2004), a Bulgarian opera singer, from the 1970s. Thence by descent. Private collection, Europe. Authenticity of the work has been confirmed by the expert V. Petrov. The picture now presented for auction, The Vault under Al-Aqsa Mosque. Temple Mount, Jerusalem, was painted by Vasily Polenov in 1899–1900s, following his second great journey to the Middle East, where he went in 1899 to gather material for the grandiose Gospel series From the Life of Christ. His route lay through Constantinople, Athens, Smyrna, Cairo and Port Said, and then onwards to Jerusalem and Beirut. The culminating point of the journey for the artist was his stay in the Holy Land, since his desire to go on the trip had been prompted by the need to see once again, at first hand, the location of the events recounted by the Bible, studied during his first visit to the Palestine in 1881–1882. He again returns to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which had been called Solomon’s Temple since the time of the Crusaders. The present composition is linked to a visit that Polenov paid to the square on the site of the destroyed Temple of Solomon. In his letters home, he enthusiastically wrote home about that square: “How many interesting and beautiful things there are; but the best of all is the square of Solomon’s Temple... I have not seen anything grander except, perhaps, for the Eski Saray Hill in Istanbul.” The interior in the composition is the underground level of the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the so-called “Solomon’s Stables”), a vaulted structure that, according to legend, survived when Solomon’s Temple had been destroyed by the Romans in the first century A.D. On a small, first version of this composition, executed in 1881, there is even an inscription in Polenov’s handwriting: “the so-called Solomon’s Basement”. It comes as no surprise then, that Polenov, who was interested in the “biblical” layer of Jerusalem’s architectural monuments, was drawn to this very ancient part of the vast mosque complex. The view of the stately ancient vault opens up through a dim archway – a technique pioneered by Polenov in his depictions of the interiors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and its lower level, the Chapel of Saint Helena. The ray of sunlight that illuminates the carved capital of the arch abutment directs the gaze, towards the back of the composition, where there is a dark stairway and an enticing small spot of bright light from the hanging lamp. The space of the church is visually expanded through the sweeping curves of the arches, positioned sideways and backwards, yet its outlines are concealed in the dimness in the corners and passages. Compared to its study, which is suffused with light but is far more general and less detailed, the present composition seems to be far more complete and “picturesque”. Polenov deliberately emphasises the subterranean character of the interior and dramatises its architectural space. This interpretation is reinforced by the fact that the Muslim quarter, in which the Temple Mount and the Al-Aqsa Mosque were located, was not so easily accessible to Christian travellers in the 19th century. Opportunities to officially visit – and subsequently to depict – the interior of the mosque came about rarely and were highly valued. This is why it is so hard to find in European and Russian painting other examples of the images of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The appearance at auction of such a significant work from Polenov’s celebrated series of images of the Holy Land sights is a rare, outstanding event.
PIMENOV, YURY(1903-1977)Wet Posters, signed with initials and dated 1973.Oil on canvas, 70 by 55 cm.Provenance: Private collection, Europe. Authenticity certificate from the expert T. Zeliukina. Authenticity certificate from the expert T. Levina. Related literature: For a poster design, see Yu. Pimenov, Tainstvennyi mir zrelishch, Moscow, Sovetskii khudozhnik, 1974, Liubov k trem apelsinam, illustrated. For similar work and a poster design, see Yury Ivanovich Pimenov, Moscow, Sovetskii khudozhnik, 1986, No. 123, illustrated; p. 194, No. 446, listed; No. 114, illustrated. Yury Pimenov, one of the leading artists in the legendary Society of Easel Painters (OST) in the 1920s and later – of the “thaw” generation in the 1950–1960s, worked a lot as a set designer for the theatre and cinema. For 50 years, he designed many productions in the most diverse genres – drama, ballet and opera – at various theatres in Moscow, Leningrad and London. When creating a unified image for a play or film, besides handling the stage layout and creating costume sketches, Yury Pimenov focused particularly on the poster as the defining exponent of this multiple system of “spectacle art”. A poster, in his view, extended its purpose significantly, having as its main purpose not only sudden attraction of a viewer’s attention, but also preservation of the heartfelt feeling of empathy or elation gained from what has been seen in a film or stage performance or at an art exhibition in a museum. It was this “mysterious world of spectacles” that caused a whole eponymous series of paintings to appear in Yury Pimenov’s work in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The presented for auction painting Wet Posters belongs to this series (there were three versions of the canvas). Being an artist of the “ordinary, real-life occurrences of every day”, in Wet Posters Yury Pimenov switched to an updated form of impressionism, acknowledging that his main creative principle was “the wonderful moment, the delicate and artistic image of an impression”. We are grateful to the art historians Tatiana Zeliukina and Liubov Lapteva for providing additional catalogue information. Yury Pimenov’s lyrical canvas Wet Posters is one of the artist’s most recognisable and popular images. It is impossible to determine the genre to which it belongs – urban sketch, decorative fantasy or landscape: everything blends seamlessly together in this wonderful, delicately coloured canvas. We have a city scene. Warm summer rain is pouring down, blurring the clarity of the outlines. The city folk are going about their business, hurrying past a building plastered with posters. In the foreground is a graceful, girlish profile beneath a black, rain-dampened umbrella. At one and the same time, this alludes to the artist’s earlier compositions of the 1950s and 1960s (Heavy Rain, 1957; Downpour, 1963 and Pensive Girl 1965), pays homage to Renoir’s The Umbrellas (1881–1886) and acknowledges the lyrical mood of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, an extremely popular film in the late 1960s that drew on the legendary music of Michel Legrand. Such Moscow scenes provided the basic inspiration for Pimenov’s best works from the second half of the 1950s to the early 1970s. The everyday life of the capital and the vibrant signs of the times, viewed seemingly by chance and in passing, emerge from the features of the city, its squares and main thoroughfares, and from the poster pillars with their announcements marking the major events of the moment. Even if the work had not been dated, it would be quite easy to identify the time at which it was painted. The artist embarks on a kind of game with the viewer, making real posters about Moscow’s cultural life in the early 1970s integral subjects of the canvas. These posters – about Sergei Prokofiev’s opera Love for Three Oranges at the Bolshoi Theatre and Viktor Borisov-Musatov’s exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery – were created by Pimenov too. But the life of a theatrical poster is short. Once the sounds of the orchestra have died away, the footlights have faded and the exhibition in a museum has given way to another, then no trace is left of the posters recently pasted all over the city. The artist, who is upset by this fleeting and ephemeral nature of his creations, brings some of these works together in a special series, Tainstvennyi mir zrelishch (The Mysterious World of Spectacles), and also finds a clever solution by including depictions of his favourite ones in his easel paintings. This artistic technique, which is found in the composition Wet Posters, proved to be so successful that the artist used it twice in his later works with a similar title. In particular, the Museum of Russian Impressionism (Moscow) houses another variation on the same theme, in which Pimenov alters the characters in the foreground and brings his main female figures as close as possible to the surface of the wall. But, most importantly, the posters themselves change. Now they are advertising an exhibition of Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva’s work, a show based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s play Talents and Admirers and even the autumn racing at the racetrack. The idea of including posters that clearly record the onward march of time into the lives of the characters in his painting and graphic compositions occurred to Pimenov in the 1950s (Fresh Posters). This was influenced not only by the artist’s characteristic fondness in his work for depicting the “present moment” and for the still-life element that is invariably present in his urban compositions, but also by a poignant attitude towards his characters, whose simple, mundane affairs and day-to-day toil make up the life of any city. In the pictures of the early 1970s, however, thanks to the “personalisation” of the rain-sodden poster images that are literally disappearing before one’s very eyes under the streams of water, Pimenov brings a personal, nostalgic note to his work by giving the decorative element in the background its own meaning. The traditional idea of vanitas in classical painting, the transience of all that exists, becomes in Pimenov’s canvases an optimistic appeal to admire and cherish every moment of being by discovering, as the artist himself put it, “the world of the tremulous sensation of the unusualness of ordinary life”.
Africa.- Lyon (Capt. George Francis) A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa... accompanied by geographical notices of Soudan, and of the course of the Niger, first edition, signed and inscribed by the author to his aunt "The Lady Sophia Fitzgerald from her very affectionate nephew Geo. F.Lyon" in ink at head of title, 17 hand-coloured lithographed plates after Lyon, folding engraved map with routes supplied by hand in red and blue, illustrations, preliminaries misbound, some light spotting and soiling, title reinforced at fore-edge, 3A4 defective at upper outer corner not affecting text, contemporary half roan, a little worn, [Abbey, Travel 304; Blackmer 1044], 4to, 1821.⁂ Accompanied by Joseph Ritchie, Lyon left Tripoli to discover the source of the Niger river. They travelled disguised as Muslims but at Murzuq, the capital of Fezzan, Ritchie fell ill and died.
A pair of silver plated two branch three light candelabra, the circular base with applied shell and scroll decoration, the tapering knopped column supporting two curled reeded branches each terminating in a half reeded capital and circular reeded edged drip pan, with detachable nozzle to match, the top of the column housing the third capital, loaded
A VERY FINE WHITE CARVED STATUARY MARBLE MANTELPIECE, in the Adams style. The inverted break-front shelf with a moulded edge, above a central frieze panel, with an oval partrea, crested with a ribbon bow, issuing drapes and rosettes. Each jamb with a turned upward tapering column, with doric capital, on plinth base. 5ft1 (155cm) high x 6ft (183cm) wide. (1)
Paul Henry RHA (1876-1958) APOLLO, CIGALE, FOL-BERG and LADY WITH FEATHERED HAT AND BOA, c.1898-1899 gouache on board; (4) each signed lower left; three titled upper right 9 by 4in. (22.9 by 10.2cm) Apollo is very similar in style to another gouache titled Female Dancer in S.B. Kennedy's text catalogue nos. 116 and 117. All four of these gouaches were probably done while a student at a Paris atelier and date to c.1898 to 1899. All of equal size and framed uniformly.We are grateful to Dr S.B. Kennedy for his kind assistance in cataloguing this lot. A set of three similar works sold through Whyte’s on 28 November 2006 as lot 104 (€19,000) _____ Paul Henry arrived in Paris in about September 1898. It was the Paris of La Belle Époque, of George Moore, Oscar Wilde and the later Impressionists Toulouse -Lautrec and Degas. This was a turning point in the artist’s life. He became a student at the Académie Julian and later at the Académie Carmen where Whistler – one of the most important influences in his development as an artist - taught. One of the highlights of the art students’ year was the Four Arts Ball, held each spring at the Moulin Rouge and attended by droves of students and professors from the French capital after the submissions to the Salon were settled. The balls were usually a raucous affair in fancy dress with each studio also given a theme and a float to decorate and procession to the famous music-hall. The style and subject of the present collection - executed during his formitative years as an artist -exude the charm and excitement of the era. For further reading see Dr S.B. Kennedy’s text, chapter three Paris 1898-1900 pp.15-20.
GERARD BURNSTHIS PLACE AND THIS TIMEoil on canvas, signed70cm x 70cm Framed.Note: Gerard Burns is one of Scotland's best known and most successful living artists. He trained at Glasgow School of Art and achieved UK wide acclaim as Winner of the Daily Mail ''Not the Turner'' Competition in 2003 with a £20,000 first prize. His many private collectors include The Malaysian Royal Family, Ewan McGregor, Sir Tom Hunter and numerous celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, sport and politics. Exhibiting Galleries include: Thompson's Gallery, London; Contemporary Fine Art Gallery Eton; Richmond Hill Gallery, Loch Gallery, Toronto; Robertson's Fine Art Gallery, Edinburgh. Works in Corporate Collections include: Aberdeen Asset Management New York and Aberdeen, RBS Scotland, Standard Charter Bank, West Coast Capital, Accenture, Dublin, Stagecoach Group, Norwood Club, New York. National Public Collections include: Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow; Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow; Burns Museum Alloway, Ayr; Scottish National Portrait Gallery (Portraits of former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, and author Denise Mina entered into the permanent collection at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2015). The Scottish Parliament (''The Rowan'' hung in the former First Minister Alex Salmond's office for the duration of his tenure and Portrait of Margo McDonald entered into the permanent collection and installed at the Scottish Parliament in Sept 2016. Glasgow Caledonian University Portrait of Chancellor Professor Yunus installed 2016, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow. Portrait of former President Frank Dunn installed April 2016.
TURNER TINA: (1939- ) American Singer, Songwriter and Actress. Signed 10 x 8 photograph, the image depicting the singer in a seductive full length pose in a publicity shot for Capital Records. Signed in black ink with her name alone to a slightly darker area of the image. The signature is a little weak, though perfectly legible. About EX
Art Nouveau Royal Dux Bohemia Fine Quality - Tall and Impressive Hand Painted Porcelain Figural Centre Piece. Mould No 1128. c.1900 - 1910. Depicts a Semi-Nude Maiden Holding a Large Shell, Marked to Base Royal Dux Bohemia and Capital E within a Pink Triangle. Standing 17.25 Inches High. Nr Mint Condition.
Art Nouveau Royal Dux Bohemia Fine Quality Pair of Tall and Impressive Hand Painted Porcelain Figurines Depicting Female Dancers / Musicians. c.1900 - 1910. Mould No 1409 & 1410. Marked to Base Royal Dux Bohemia and a Capital E, within a Pink Triangle. Each Figure Stands 18 Inches High. Both Vases In Nr Mint Condition - Please See Photo.
Royal Dux Bohemia Pair of Good Quality Handpainted Porcelain Figures of Roman/Classical Young Maidens - Water carriers standing by a column holding water vases/urns. Raised on circular bases, mould number 2064 and 2063. Each figure standing 14.5 inches tall. Marks to underside of figures 'Royal Dux Bohemia' with capital E in a pink triangle. Both figures are in excellent condition.
62nd Oldenburg Field Artillery Regiment Ersatz Enlisted Mans Pickelhaube, a beautiful condition fur felt helmet of good size, perfect body, all of the fittings including the artillery ball top matching, the Prussian front plate with its overlaid Oldenburg coat of arms, brown leather chinstrap, complete with its serrated style national and Oldenburg blue and red cockade. The interior leather liner in mid tan, good and supple, with all of the tongues intact. The rear peak is size marked ‘55’ and also has a capital ‘F’ meaning it was for field service, two very faint rectangular stamps and remains of an original owner’s name.
3rd-4th century AD. A bronze dress pin with hatching to the tapering shank, square capital with ram standing erect modelled in the round. 52 grams, 19.5cm (7 3/4"). Property of a British gentleman; formerly in the private collection of Russian businessman Yuri Golubev (1942-2007), some of his collection was published in his book 'Symbols and Images'; acquired on the London art market 1990s-2007. [No Reserve] Very fine condition.
10th-12th century AD. A carved marble column capital formed as four panels of acanthus-leaf ornament with moulding between extending to lobes with bulbs between. 97.5 kg, 43cm (17"). Property of a Surrey lady; acquired by her father Christopher Terry in the late 1970s-early 1980s. Fine condition.
1st-2nd century AD. A schist column capital in the form of a scrolling acanthus leaf, central section with figure of Buddha seated in meditation, hands resting on lap, wearing lose robes, hair pulled up into top knot; two scrolling leaves to side of central panel; mounted on a custom-made stand. 23.7 kg total, 55 x 20 x 20cm including stand (21 1/2 x 8 x 8"). UK art market, acquired prior to 2000. Fair condition.
20th century AD. A gold-coloured metal expanding-arm cross pendant with ribbed suspension loop, raised borders, roundel to each arm with facing nimbate bust, central robed figure with arms spread and hands open beneath a rectangular capital. 29 grams, pendant: 79mm (3 1/4"). Property of a British gentleman; formerly in the private collection of Russian businessman Yuri Golubev (1942-2007), some of his collection was published in his book 'Symbols and Images'; acquired by auction on 6 June 2006. [No Reserve] Fine condition.
7th century BC. An impressive bronze vessel mount of a finely modelled bull's head with powerful features, horns curving up, detailing of fur to the front of the head, engraved lines to delineate the eyes, snout and mouth; attached to plate in form of outspread wings, tail below, with engraved details to the feathers; attachment holes to wings and tail. Cf. Mildenberg Collection, no.18 (reign of Argishti II, King of Uratu, 713-685 BC); and for a similar example in the British Museum, see accession number 91242; and also see Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1998, lot 218. 900 grams, 17.5cm (6 7/8"). Property of a European gentleman; formerly acquired on the German art market before 1980. Accompanied by X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate number 00955-2018WA. The fitting would have been one of four to the rim of a large bronze cauldron. Urartu was centered in eastern Anatolia, around Lake Van; the capital, Tushpa, was located on the eastern shore of the lake, situated on a high and elongated rock outcrop. Most sites boasted a well-built temple situated at the highest point, as well as a number of large storage rooms containing rows of large vessels for storing oil and grains, and massive well-built fortification walls. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] Very fine condition. Rare and impressive.
Rare double vertical strings “The Crown” lawn tennis racquet by Williams and Co.,an example with perfect stringing, was manufactured for sale at the “Old England Paris” store, one of many Old England stores dotted around Europe's capital cities, complete with original full-length cover upon which the French owner has written his name and address; sold together with a “Club” fishtail lawn tennis racket stamped “Bridgend” (Wales) with a fine polished frame; the lot also including a modern classic, a Wilson T2000 lawn tennis racket as popularised by Jimmy Connors in the 1970s (3)
An early 20th Century woven Votes for Women sash, the white central band printed with black capital letters with green and purple stripes to the edge, retains original hock and eye fastening stamped Nicklin's with large hook sewn to the pointIt is widely believed that the Votes for Women sash was first seen at the Women's Sunday demonstration held in Hyde Park, London on 21st June 1908. Through the 'Votes for Women' magazine, editor Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence encouraged supporters to attend the demonstration in their best white dress (dressed in white, the sash would have been clearly visible). Pethick-Lawrence encouraged women to look their best - women seen to be walking in procession (much like an army would procession in their finest dress uniform), in their best attire would not only likely attract more women but it would also show the gentle ladylike appearance of the movement and so defuse fears about violent tactics.Created by the Women's Social and Political Union, the design for the sash itself is thought to have come from Sylvia Pankhurst (daughter of Emmeline Pankhurst). The distinctive tri-colours became emblematic of the Suffrage movement - green for hope, white for purity and purple for loyalty and dignity. The Votes for Women magazine would prove vital not only for promoting the cause but also in generating funds. It is known that 'fashionable' department stores such as Dickens and Jones, Lilly and Skinner, Burberry and Selfridges frequently advertised within the magazine, often taking full-page advertisements. Whilst it is not known for certainity, it is likely the sashs would have been retailed through such department stores. Selfridges in particular stocked a range of dresses, brooches, ribbons, hats and drapery in the suffrage colours.
King Louis XIV document signed Louis countersigned by his Chief Minister Jean Baptiste Colbert. renewing the powers of the governor of the city and chateau of Brest, 1 page large oblong folio on vellum. Pencil annotation Versailles 6 August 1691. Measures 19 x 11 inches. Some age toning, otherwise in good order. Louis XIV 5 September 1638 - 1 September 1715, known as Louis the Great, Louis le Grand or the Sun King, Roi Soleil, was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who reigned as King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. Starting at the age of 4, his reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country in European history. In the age of absolutism in Europe, Louis XIVs France was a leader in the growing centralization of power. Louis began his personal rule of France in 1661, after the death of his chief minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin. An adherent of the concept of the divine right of kings, which advocates the divine origin of monarchical rule, Louis continued his predecessors work of creating a centralized state governed from the capital. He sought to eliminate the remnants of feudalism persisting in parts of France and, by compelling many members of the nobility to inhabit his lavish Palace of Versailles, succeeded in pacifying the aristocracy, many members of which had participated in the Fronde rebellion during Louis minority. By these means he became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution. Louis encouraged and benefited from the work of prominent political, military, and cultural figures such as Mazarin, Colbert, Louvois, the Grand Condé, Turenne, and Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, as well as André Charles Boulle, Molière, Racine, Boileau, La Fontaine, Lully, Marais, Le Brun, Rigaud, Bossuet, Le Vau, Mansart, Charles and Claude Perrault, and Le Notre. Under his rule, the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to Huguenots, was abolished. The revocation effectively forced Huguenots to emigrate or convert in a wave of dragonnades, which managed to virtually destroy the French Protestant minority. During Louis reign, France was the leading European power, and it fought three major wars: the Franco-Dutch War, the War of the League of Augsburg, and the War of the Spanish Succession. There were also two lesser conflicts: the War of Devolution and the War of the Reunions. Warfare defined the foreign policy of Louis XIV, and his personality shaped his approach. Impelled "by a mix of commerce, revenge, and pique", Louis sensed that warfare was the ideal way to enhance his glory. In peacetime he concentrated on preparing for the next war. He taught his diplomats that their job was to create tactical and strategic advantages for the French military. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy, 1665-1746. Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Torcy, generally called Colbert de Torcy, was the namesake of his uncle, Jean Baptiste Colbert, Le Grand Colbert, Louis Chief Advisor and Minister of Finance and the Father of Mercantilism - for whom the title of Torcy was created. He was also the son of Charles Colbert, Louis Minister of Foreign Affairs; the young Marquis de Torcy had a heady pedigree. Colbert de Torcy was a brilliant and precocious legal student. Following the death of his father and uncle Torcy proved himself so able that in 1689 Louis XIV granted him the right to succeed to his fathers position as Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until Louis death. He negotiated some of the most important treaties towards the end of Louis XIVs reign, notably the treaty, 1700 that occasioned the Spanish Succession, 1701-1714, in which the dying Charles II of Spain named Louis XIVs grandson, Philippe, Duc d'Anjou, heir to the Spanish throne, eventually founding the line of Spanish Bourbons. Torcy was the guiding spirit of French diplomacy at the series of international conferences that resulted in the Treaty of Utrecht, 1713 and the Treaty of Rastatt, 1714. Colbert de Torcy was concerned with professionalizing the conduct of diplomacy. He instituted an Académie Politique to train young professionals in the equivalent of a foreign service bureaucracy: it did not survive his retirement, but his establishment at Versailles of a centralized diplomatic archive, 1710 has been a service to historians. The aged king, recognizing that Torcy had been a de facto Secretary of State, named him such in his will. But when Louis died in 1715, his will was broken by the Regent, Philippe Duc d'Orléans, who deprived Torcy of any political power and he settled into a long but vociferous retirement. Good Condition. All signed items come with our certificate of authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £3.95, EU from £4.99, Overseas from £7.95
*The Motor Union. A two-colour enamel sign in red and white, in horizontal format surmounted by a triangle, measuring 55 1/2 x 66cm (22 x 26-inches). The triangle has the Motor Union insignia in red with 'The Motor Union' in white capitals below, while the horizontal base has the words 'Special Caution' in even larger red capital letters. Apart from very minor wear to the edges, a surprisingly clean and bright sign. (1)
*Motorine Motor Oils. A large rectangular format three-colour advertising sign, with the lettering against a red background within a blue and white border. The lettering is in white, and reads 'for longer, smoother, easier running always use' in the upper left, then a blue diagonal banner with 'Motorine' in large capital letters, and 'Motor Oils, Price's' and the 'Ship Brand' emblem lower right. Chipping to the edges and some surface loss. 54 x 64cm (21 x 25-inches). (1)
*Dunlop Stock. A circular four-colour double-sided hanging sign with the words 'Dunlop Stock' in black-and-white block capital letters against a horizontal yellow banner background the top and bottom of the disc being in black and red and the edges in white. Chipping to the edges and some minor surface loss, but otherwise sound. 45 1/2cm (18-inches) diameter. (1)
*For Quality Choose Bigg's Tobaccos. A rectangular format three-colour double-sided advertising sign with a right-angled section in white. The wording is in black-and-white block capital embossed letters against a navy-blue background, the sign being edged in white. Some minor edge chipping, but generally sound. 28 x 43cm (11 x 17-inches). (1)
*Agency Petrol: Shell and B.P. A large vertical format four-colour single-sided advertising sign, with the words 'Agency Petrol' in large black block capital letters halfway down, the Shell emblem in red and white against a red circular background above, and the BP shield in green and white below, the design set against a white background. Chipping to the edges, but the main body of the sign in good condition, with only minor surface loss. 99 x 68 1/2cm (39 x 27 1/4-inches). (1)
*Goldol Lionoil 'Super' Motor Oil. A large rectangular format three-colour single-sided advertising sign with turned edges, depicting the head of a lion in black and white, its claws over the word 'Goldol' in red and on the top of the letter 'O' in 'Lionoil', which is in large red and black block capital letters. Chipping to the edges, but the main body of the sign in reasonable condition, with minor surface loss to the white background and small sections of the lion's mane. 73 x 98cm (28 3/4 x 38 1/2-inches). (1)
Horneman (Frederick). The Journal of Frederick Horneman's Travels from Cairo to Mourzouk, the Capital of the Kingdom of Fezzan, in Africa in the Years 1797-8, 1st English edition, 1802, two folding engraved maps, small sketch map, American Museum pf Natural History library ink stamp at foot of page 85, some spotting and toning, endpapers renewed, contemporary half calf, rebacked, light edge wear, 4to (1)
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