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ART CATALOGUES: two boxes of catalogues and other art books, including modern and contemporary art. Including Malcolm Morley and others. From the collection of one of the world's foremost collectors of contemporary art.

AUCTION CATALOGUES: Sotheby's, Christies's etc. Mostly on Modern and Contemporary Art. Two boxes including some high-end magazines (Gagosian etc.).

ART CATALOGUES: two boxes of catalogues and other art books, including modern and contemporary art. Sean Scully, Antonio Tapies, David Hockney and many others. From the collection of one of the world's foremost collectors of contemporary art.

ART CATALOGUES: two boxes of modern, post-modern and contemporary art catalogues including Willem de Kooning, from the collection of one of the world's foremost buyers of Contemporary Art.

A pair of contemporary Art Nouveau style hallmarked silver photograph frames, wooden easel backs, 19cm high (2)

A collection of Christie's auction catalogues, mainly modern, impressionism and post-war art, including 'Impression/Modern' evening sale, London, June 2008, February 2012, June 2010, June 2012, May 2011, 'Post-War and Contemporary Art' evening sale, London 2010, New York 2012 (12)

A contemporary Penelope Wurr etched art glass vase, charcoal coloured, measuring 22cm tall

Five Contemporary Art blown glass and tree root sculptural vases

MisterAitch (British, b.1967) Untitled Queeny gag Print on canvas Limited edition numbered 1/1  MisterAitch official stamps Measures approx. 48cm x 48m (19" x 19") .  Misteraitch’s (British, b 1967) first verified exhibition was ’Rank’: picturing the social order 1516 – 2009 at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art in Sunderland in 2009, and the most recent exhibition was Hints to Workmen at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art in Sunderland in 2010. Misteraitch is exclusively exhibited in United Kingdom. Misteraitch has at least no solo shows but 3 group shows over the last one years (for more information, see biography). A notable show was Rank - Picturing the social order 1516-2009 at Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool, Lancashire in 2009. Another notable show was at Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art in Sunderland. Misteraitch has been exhibited with Nina Beier & Marie Lund and Chad McCail.

Beryl Cook (British, 1926-2008) Street Market Screenprint on paper Signed in pencil lower right Published by Alexander Gallery Publications Blind stamped FDA  Framed and glazed Measures approx. 40cm x 27cm (16" x 10.5") Beryl Cook, OBE (10 September 1926 – 28 May 2008) was a British artist best known for her original and instantly recognisable paintings. Often comical, her works pictured people whom she encountered in everyday life, including people enjoying themselves in pubs, girls shopping or out on a hen night, drag queen shows or a family picnicking by the seaside or abroad. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until her thirties.She was a shy and private person, and in her art often depicted the flamboyant and extrovert characters so different to herself. Cook admired the work of the English artist Stanley Spencer, his influence evident in her compositions and bold bulky figures. Another influence was Edward Burra, who painted sleazy cafés, nightclubs, gay bars, sailors and prostitutes, although, unlike Burra, she did not paint the sinister aspects of scenes. She had an almost photographic memory. Although widely popular and recognised as one of the most well-known contemporary British artists, Cook never enjoyed acceptance by the art establishment. This lot is also sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

Beryl Cook (British, 1926-2008) Two On A Stool Screenprint on paper Signed in pencil lower right Published by Alexander Gallery Publications Blind stamped ECA Framed and glazed Measures approx. 40cm x 27cm (16" x 10.5") Beryl Cook, OBE (10 September 1926 – 28 May 2008) was a British artist best known for her original and instantly recognisable paintings. Often comical, her works pictured people whom she encountered in everyday life, including people enjoying themselves in pubs, girls shopping or out on a hen night, drag queen shows or a family picnicking by the seaside or abroad. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until her thirties.She was a shy and private person, and in her art often depicted the flamboyant and extrovert characters so different to herself. Cook admired the work of the English artist Stanley Spencer, his influence evident in her compositions and bold bulky figures. Another influence was Edward Burra, who painted sleazy cafés, nightclubs, gay bars, sailors and prostitutes, although, unlike Burra, she did not paint the sinister aspects of scenes. She had an almost photographic memory. Although widely popular and recognised as one of the most well-known contemporary British artists, Cook never enjoyed acceptance by the art establishment. This lot is also sold subject to Artists Resale Rights, details of which can be found in our Terms and Conditions.

India, Nepal, Kashmir & Afghanistan.- Oldfield (Henry Ambrose, 1822-1871), Rajman Singh Chitrakar (1797-1865) & others. An album of 160 photographs and 13 original artworks, compiled by Lt. Gen. Sir James Hill-Johnes VC (1833-1919), including approximately 88 portrait and group photographs measuring from approx. 185 x 140 mm to 135 x 105 mm and smaller, 48 larger group, camp and landscape photographs approx. 175 x 235 mm, 24 large group and landscape photographs approx. 245 x 300mm, 12 large watercolours and drawings approx. 285 x 370 mm, and one smaller drawing approx. 115 x 190 mm, mounted on 66 leaves, contemporary black straight-grained half roan, sympathetically rebacked, label to upper cover with manuscript annotations, oblong folio, [circa 1850s to 1880s]Provenance:Lieutenant General Sir James Hills-Johnes VC (1833-1919); then by descent.*** An important and extensive mid-19th century album documenting Hill-Johnes' time in India, Nepal, Kashmir & Afghanistan.[Photographs]: include portraits of various officers, many with names captioned in ink; a group portrait of ‘G[overnor] G[eneral]'s Camp’, and below it a group shot of Col. Yule, Major Jones, Mr. Walters, Captain Stanley, Captain Baring, Captain Roberts V.C., Captain Hills V.C. and Sir E. Campbell Bart', the latter attributed to Jean Baptiste Oscar Mallitte; a portrait of Lady Canning taken c.1861 by Josiah Rowe (British, c. 1809-1874); some Indian landscapes, such as the bridge over Hindon River, Ghaziabad; stock photographs by Samuel Bourne of Government House, Calcutta; photographs by Clarence Comyn Taylor (1830-1879) of Maharaj Dhiraj Surendra Bikram Sah, King of Nepal (ruled 1846-1881); photographs of the family of Henry Ambrose Oldfield, doctor at the British Residency in Kathmandu, Nepal (1850-1863); portraits of Maharajah Jang Bahadur CB, Prime Minister & Commander-in-chief, Nepal; Raj Guru, the chief Hindu priest of Nepal and a brother of Jang Bahadur; and photographs from Kandahar, Afghanistan, amongst others.[Artworks]: Four large watercolours by Henry Ambrose Oldfield, including ‘A Gateway of Palace, Kathmandhoo,’ The Palace at Kathmandu', ‘Interior of principal temple, Pashputty Nepal [sic, Pashupatinath]’ and 'Swayambhunath Temple'; a group of 8 pencil landscape sketches in the style of Oldfield, but one is captioned "(Rajman)", a likely attribution to the local artist from Patan, one of the first painters from Nepal to incorporate Western art practices, Rajman Singh Chitrakar (1797-1865); a "Company School" watercolour of a bison, also possibly by Rajman.

Laser die-cut work.- Eliasson (Olafur) Your House, one of 225 copies, signed by the artist, 908 pp. illustrated by Olafur Eliasson using computer-aided laser die-cuts, original cloth, oblong folio (292 x 450 x 115 mm.), New York, Library Council of the Museum of Modern Art, 2006.*** Conceived by Olafur Eliasson as part of the Contemporary Editions series at the Museum of Modern Art, this book is one of the more exciting new achievements in book making in the 21st century. The subject is Eliasson’s house in Denmark rendered in a vertical cross section through an elaborate laser die-cut process of each page. The format of the book allows Eliasson the space to fully realise his idea on a scale of 85:1, so that each leaf corresponds to 2.2 centimeters of the actual house.Eliasson summarises the experience of viewing this book thus, “Reading a book is both a physical and a mental activity. It is like walking through a house, following the layout of the rooms with your body and mind: the movement from one room to another, or from one part of the book to another, constitutes an experiential narrative that is physical and conscious at the same time."Born of Icelandic extraction in Copenhagen, in 1967, Olafur Eliasson lives and works in Copenhagen and Berlin. His work has been exhibited in many international venues, including Tate Modern, London (2003), and the Menil Collection, Houston (2004). The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art organised a major retrospective of his work in 2007, which travelled to The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, New York, in 2008.

Gay (John) Trivia and other poems, from 'The Bibelots' series edited by J.Potter Briscoe, number 50 of 60 copies on japon signed by the publishers, pretty Art Nouveau brown morocco, gilt, by Kelly & Sons, both covers with panel of intertwining gilt flowers & leaves within single gilt fillet border, spine titled in gilt and with floral tendril weaving up spine across compartments & five raised bands, turn-ins with gilt rules and small leaves to corners, signed at foot of front turn-in, g.e., very slight rubbing to edges, Gay & Bird, 1899 § Book of Common Prayer (The), Oxford, [1901] bound with Hymns, [after 1916], 2 works in 1 vol, printed on india paper, contemporary blue morocco tooled in gilt with cross against a panelled ground with rules (some pointillé), rosettes & other ornaments, spine titled & ruled in gilt, g.e. § Ruskin (John) Unto This Last, Art Nouveau presentation binding of burgundy morocco tooled in gilt with title, rules and squares of flowers, spine gilt and a little rubbed and faded, g.e., 1909; and 3 others comprising vol. XIV & Index to Thomas Mosher's Bibelot anthology (one of only 12 & 8 copies on japon respectively), and a bound Maggs catalogue 893 'Bookbinding in Great Britain' of 1964 in brown morocco, v.s. (6)

Blake (William).- Thornton (Robert John, editor) The Pastorals of Virgil, with a course of English Reading, adapted for Schools..., 2 vol., third edition (first Blake edition), numerous wood-engraved and engraved plates including 17 wood-engravings and 6 engravings by William Blake and 4 other designs by Blake engraved by others, folding lithographed maps, some very light spotting and offsetting (mostly to vol.1) but a good copy internally, contemporary sheep (not quite uniform), a little rubbed and scuffed, rebacked, spines ruled in gilt with blue morocco labels, corners repaired, preserved in modern sheep-backed marbled board drop-back box, spine ruled and titled in gilt, slightly rubbed, [Bentley 504], 8vo, J.M'Gowan for F.C.& J.Rivington [& others], 1821.*** Blake's wonderful and typically unconventional wood-engravings for the first Eclogue were the first and only he produced. Thornton rejected Blake's initial relief etchings and requested wood-engravings. He was obviously a little worried but was persuaded by John Linnell and others to include them, judging by his comment at the foot of the frontispiece, "they display less of art than genius, and are much admired by some eminent painters".These wood-engravings were hugely influential on contemporary artists, particularly Samuel Palmer, George Richmond, and Edward Calvert, and later artists such as Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland. Samuel Palmer wrote, after seeing them for the first time, "They are visions of little dells, and nooks and corners of Paradise; models of the exquisitest pitch of intense poetry...There is in all such a mystic and dreamy glimmer as penetrates and kindles the immortal soul...". 

* JAMES ORR (SCOTTISH 1931 - 2019), THE SUN HAT oil on board, signed, titled labels versoframed and under glassimage size 21cm x 16cm, overall size 37cm x 33cm Handwritten artist's label versoLabel verso: The Rowan Gallery, DrymenNote: James Orr was a regular and successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions. A modest man when it came to his own achievements, his work is held in the collection of HRH The Late Duke of Edinburgh and in many private collections across the world. He won several awards for his work, including the RGI’s Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow Award. His paintings have given and continue to give great pleasure to many people. Renowned for his kindness and generosity, he also nurtured many budding artists and gave his time generously through artist demonstrations for many art clubs across Scotland.

CATRIONA MILLAR, ALBERT WITH CELIE oil on canvas, initialled, further signed and dated 2024 versounframedoverall size 31cm x 21cm Note: Catriona Millar's work takes its inspiration from the stories that lie at the heart of the human condition, and the sparkle of a narrative behind the eyes of her subjects hints at everything from longing to melancholy. Her work often juxtaposes human characters with a variety of animal confidants, with some seeming physically present in the composition while others take on a talismanic quality. Born in Glasgow, Catriona Millar studied at Harrogate School of Art and Grays School of Art, Aberdeen. Since the success of her sell-out 2005 degree show she has exhibited across the UK including the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. In October 2006 she came to the attention of Charles Saatchi with her first solo exhibition at the Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. Catriona Millar now lives and paints in the southeast of England. Catriona Millar is listed in the 2012 edition of Who's Who in Scotland. In the Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 3rd May 2015 lot 2138 "The Agency" by Millar sold for £2800 (hammer).

* SHEILA MACMILLAN DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2018), MONTASTRUC (FRANCE) oil on boardframed and under glassimage size 38cm x 38cm, overall size 57cm x 57cmNote: Sheila Macnab Macmillan was born in Glasgow in 1928. She attained a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and went on to train as a teacher. However, she had always painted and her talent was strongly encouraged by her uncle the distinguished Iain Macnab RE ROI (1890 - 1967) who persuaded Sheila to come to London and train under him. Iain Macnab had been Principal at Heatherley's Art School (1925 - 1940) and then went on to be founding Principal of the hugely influential Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Sheila's London influences and Glasgow School foundations evolved into a distinctive and individual style. She usually worked "en plein air" and her work is semi-abstract. She focused mainly on landscape where her training as a geographer, allowed her to use her understanding of land formation, the delicate balance of the seasons and the interaction between Man and the environment. Her uncle's concept of "rhythm" is evident in Sheila's work and remained a constant throughout her career. She painted in Scotland, Spain. France and Italy and exhibited widely, especially in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle. Her work appeared frequently at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute annual exhibitions and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (London). She won numerous awards and prizes over a long and distinguished career. In recent times we have offered a growing number of Sheila Macmillan's paintings with several achieving more than £1000. The current leading price is £1700 (hammer) for "Ronda, Spain", a 45 x 48cm oil on board (lot 510A, The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 24th October 2021).Condition is good overall, with no visible or known issues.

* MICHAEL SCOTT (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2006), PIED PIPER oil on canvas, signed, titled label verso framed and under glass image size 77cm x 62cm, overall size 93cm x 77cm Label verso: The Contemporary Fine Art Gallery, Eton. Note: Born in Aberdeenshire in 1946, Michael Scott (Mike Scott) studied Political Science at Liverpool before doing a one year's teacher training course in Huddersfield. After moving to Glasgow, Scott took a full-time research post at Glasgow University followed by a lecturing post at the re-named Glasgow Caledonian University. By 1997 demand for his work had become so great that he had to resign his post at the University to paint full time. Awards Include The David Cargill Senior Award, Royal Glasgow Institute. Exhibitions Include 1988~John D Kelly Gallery, Glasgow: 1994~Roger Billcliffe Fine Art, Glasgow ~Contemporary Fine Art, Eton; 1995~Portland Gallery, London; 1997~Fosse Gallery, Stowe on Trent ~Contemporary Fine Art, Eton; 1998~Portland Gallery, London; 2001~Portland Gallery, London, 2004~Portland Gallery, London; 2010~A Memorial Exhibition, Roger Billcliffe, Glasgow. Collections Include Distillers plc, Robert Fleming Holdings Ltd, Spencer Stuart & Associates, Teachers Whisky, Whyte and Mackay and others. To mark the 10th anniversary of Michael Scott's death, The Roger Billcliffe Gallery staged an exhibition of his work 1st April - 30th April 2016. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 24th October 2021, lot 599 "Echo & Narcissus" a 60 x 60cm oil by Michael Scott sold for £3800 (hammer) and in recent times, other examples in our auctions have more than once achieved prices in excess of £4000 (hammer). In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 23rd December 2021, lot 655 "Dancing The King" sold for £5000 (hammer). Condition of the picture is good overall, with no visible or known issues

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), THE PORTRAIT OF ALBERT IRVIN RA oil on canvas, signed and titled, dated 1987 verso framed image size 151cm x 121cm, overall size 170cm x 137cm Note 1: From 1973 to 1978 Bellany was head of the Faculty of Painting at Croydon College of Art, where his colleagues included David Royle, Denis Bowen, Barry Martin and Mel Gordon. It was at this time that he became a close friend of the abstract-expressionist painter Albert Irvin OBE RA. They had first met at the RCA and Irvin selected his "Three Fishermen" for a London Group exhibition. Bellany invited Irvin to teach at Croydon on a part-time basis, a compliment later returned when Bellany left Croydon and Irvin found him a job at Goldsmiths College of Art. Bellany was drinking heavily at this time and as Albert Irvin later commented "To go out with John meant you were going to lose two days of your life". Bellany's 1988 liver transplant started early in the morning of 30th April - the day before "May Day", the seafarers distress call. An irony not lost on him. Remarkably, he was deemed well enough to receive visitors by 12 May and the first were Bert and Betty Irvin. Irvin wrote: John was in his single room in Ward C9 with balloons tied to his bedhead. Watercolours and drawings that he's done since he's been here were on the walls as was the photograph of him and Helen by Lord Snowdon and several of his postcards.The rest were in a box under his bed. He looked yellow and his eyes were very yellow, as Helen had warned us. He was magnificent. His will to survive and his optimism were indomitable. His sense of humour was superbly and ridiculously intact, as when he insited that we have photographs taken with him with his pyjamas open & his operation and pipes, and bottles and bags on display". Albert Irvin was known as "Uncle Bert" to the Bellany family. Note 2: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), HIGHLAND BELLE oil on canvas, signedframedSaveimage size 76cm x 61cm, overall size 96cm x 81cmNote: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).Condition of the picture is good overall, with no visible or known issues.

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), WOMAN OF THE DORNOCH FIRTH pencil on paper, signed and titledmounted, framed and under glassimage size 55cm x 41cm, overall size 76cm x 61cmComment: an exceptional and detailed drawing by Bellany.Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November, lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).

* GERARD BURNS (SCOTTISH b. 1961), ANGEL oil on canvas, signed framed image size 59cm x 59cm, overall size 89cm x 89cm 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 was 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. Recent portraits include Judy Murray, Nicola Sturgeon (First Minister, Scotland), Neil Lennon, Kirsty Wark, Alan Cumming, Billy Connolly, Elaine C Smith, Doddie Weir & Sir Brian and Lady Soutar.

* COLIN FRASER (SCOTTISH b. 1956), BREAKING WAVES egg tempera on panel, signed, titled and dated 2000 label versoframed and under glassimage size 78cm x 108cm, overall size 107cm x 137cm Label verso: The Gatehouse Gallery, GlasgowComment: An outstanding and very large work by Colin Fraser and probably the largest example to be offered at auction.Note 1: By repute, the lady is the artist's wife. Colin Fraser's work rarely appears at auction but in 2021 Bonhams, London sold "Warm Light" (61 x 65cm egg tempera) by Fraser for £3000 (hammer) - lot 153, Modern British & Irish Art 28th April 2021 and in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 10th November 2022 lot 61 "Early Morning Light" (a 67 x 46cm egg tempera) by Colin Fraser sold for £2200 (hammer).Note 2: Colin Fraser was born in Glasgow in 1956. He studied art in Brighton while in his twenties before moving to Lund in southern Sweden, where he lives with his wife and children. He exhibits regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Show, Catto Gallery and Petley Fine Art in London, Mira Godard Gallery in Canada as well as at galleries in New York and Glasgow. His work is held in numerous private and corporate collections throughout North America, the UK, Europe and Asia. Ever since his first exhibition in Brighton in 1978, Colin Fraser has worked almost exclusively in egg tempera, which has the benefit of being very long lasting, with examples over two thousand years old still in existence, and was the most widely used painting medium until the sixteenth century, when it was superseded by oils. However, it is also extraordinarily time-consuming. The painted surface must be built up layer by translucent layer, with the paint drying instantaneously and not amenable to manipulation afterwards, unlike oil paints. Although a notoriously difficult medium, it has become a firm favourite of Fraser’s, who says that the “restrictions have been paramount in helping me be more direct in my approach to the work, with the instant drying and transparency of the paint actively contributing to a higher level of spontaneity of execution”. Colin Fraser is particularly drawn to its vitality which reminds him “of the dynamism of the sun – never static, always changing”. “Observed light is usually what attracts me into the process of painting,” he says. “The surface of a work painted in tempera simply has a unique glow which cannot be imitated in other mediums”. Constructing each painting is an arduous process, each beginning with an idea or a chance observation followed by weeks of experimentation with arrangements and preparatory drawings. Many of his scenes are staged with strategic placement of chairs, diaphanous textiles and trays of fruit. He believes that the painter “chooses the content and the arrangement, and then it becomes a question of striving to achieve a particular mood”. The prestigious Catto Gallery (London) has staged highly succesful solo shows for Colin Fraser in 2015, 2017, 2019 & 2022.

* SHEILA MACMILLAN DA PAI (SCOTTISH 1928 - 2018), CLYDE SHEDS oil on boardframed and under glassimage size 40cm x 57cm, overall size 58cm x 76cmNote: Sheila Macnab Macmillan was born in Glasgow in 1928. She attained a degree in Geography at Glasgow University and went on to train as a teacher. However, she had always painted and her talent was strongly encouraged by her uncle the distinguished Iain Macnab RE ROI (1890 - 1967) who persuaded Sheila to come to London and train under him. Iain Macnab had been Principal at Heatherley's Art School (1925 - 1940) and then went on to be founding Principal of the hugely influential Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Sheila's London influences and Glasgow School foundations evolved into a distinctive and individual style. She usually worked "en plein air" and her work is semi-abstract. She focused mainly on landscape where her training as a geographer, allowed her to use her understanding of land formation, the delicate balance of the seasons and the interaction between Man and the environment. Her uncle's concept of "rhythm" is evident in Sheila's work and remained a constant throughout her career. She painted in Scotland, Spain. France and Italy and exhibited widely, especially in Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Newcastle. Her work appeared frequently at the Royal Scottish Academy, Royal Glasgow Institute, Paisley Art Institute annual exhibitions and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (London). She won numerous awards and prizes over a long and distinguished career. In recent times we have offered a growing number of Sheila Macmillan's paintings with several achieving more than £1000. The current leading price is £1700 (hammer) for "Ronda, Spain", a 45 x 48cm oil on board (lot 510A, The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction 24th October 2021).

* ETHEL WALKER (SCOTTISH b. 1941), STUDY IN WHITE NO. 36 oil on board, signed, titled label versoframed and under glass image size 68cm x 44cm, overall size 90cm x 66cm Exhibition label verso: The Contemporary Fine Art Gallery, EtonNote: Ethel Walker was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1941. She graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1964 where she had been taught by David Donaldson, once the Queen's portrait painter. Beginning her career as a teacher, by the age of twenty-seven she was a full-time artist. Walker is one of the most successful female painters working in Scotland today. Her talent in capturing the ever-changing light of the Scottish landscape is outstanding, and her subtle but strong still life paintings are highly-prized. Work is held in many public and corporate collections worldwide, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sara Lee Holdings. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 12th September 2021 "The Silver Table" (lot 562), a mixed media by Ethel Walker sold for £2600 (hammer) and in our December 2021 auction "The Lace Cloth" achieved £3000 (hammer).

* STEVEN CAMPBELL (SCOTTISH 1953 - 2007), BALLOONISTS COMING TO EARTH oil on paper, signed, titled and dated 1987 verso framed and under glass image size 50cm x 39cm, overall size 70cm x 60cm Note: Steven Campbell was born in Glasgow and originally worked as a maintenance engineer in a steelworks in Cambulsang before attending Glasgow School of Art and becoming one of the leading Scottish figurative painters of his generation. Campbell worked alongside the artists Ken Currie, Peter Howson and Adrian Wiszniewski, a group which later became known as the 'New Glasgow Boys'. While their artistic output was not homogenous they all shared an interest in figurative painting during the early 1980s which broke away from the conceptual and minimal trends in Modern art at the turn of the twentieth century. After graduating from Glasgow School of Art in 1982 Campbell won a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Pratt Institute in the United States. Campbell worked from a studio in Brooklyn until 1986 and this period was key in establishing his status as an internationally renowned artist whilst raising awareness of Scottish contemporary art on a global scale. "Young Camper Discovering Grotto in The Ground" is a major work representative of this period. It appeared in a solo show held at the Barbara Toll Gallery in 1983. Within days of the show, the doyen of the New York art critics, John Russell, fully endorsed the painterly qualities of a young, unknown Scottish artist in his New York Times review. From here it was purchased by significant US contemporary art collectors, Boake and Marian Sells. Campbell had further solo exhibitions across the world in locations as far-reaching as Galerie Pierre Huiber in Geneva (1986) and Marlborough Fine Art in Tokyo (1990). His work is influenced by a diverse range of literary fiction from tales by the author P.G. Wodehouse to murder mysteries, resulting in his artworks appearing to be humorous and unsettling. Campbell was also influenced by children's book illustrations accounting for his use of a rich and vibrant palette which intensified after his U.S. period. Campbell's surreal compositions cannot be read as a conventional fictional narrative and his imaginary worlds intentionally challenge the viewer with their dreamlike quality leaving his artwork open to multiple interpretations.

CATRIONA MILLAR, GEORGE WITH JANE oil on canvas, initialled, further signed and dated 2024 versounframedoverall size 31cm x 21cm Note: Catriona Millar's work takes its inspiration from the stories that lie at the heart of the human condition, and the sparkle of a narrative behind the eyes of her subjects hints at everything from longing to melancholy. Her work often juxtaposes human characters with a variety of animal confidants, with some seeming physically present in the composition while others take on a talismanic quality. Born in Glasgow, Catriona Millar studied at Harrogate School of Art and Grays School of Art, Aberdeen. Since the success of her sell-out 2005 degree show she has exhibited across the UK including the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh. In October 2006 she came to the attention of Charles Saatchi with her first solo exhibition at the Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh. Catriona Millar now lives and paints in the southeast of England. Catriona Millar is listed in the 2012 edition of Who's Who in Scotland. In the Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 3rd May 2015 lot 2138 "The Agency" by Millar sold for £2800 (hammer).

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), UNTITLED watercolour on paper, signedmounted, framed and under glassimage size 54cm x 37cm, overall size 77cm x 58cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November 2023 lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).

* GEORGINA MCMASTER (SCOTTISH b. 1980), UNTITLED oil on canvas, signedframed and under glassimage size 60cm x 60cm, overall size 80cm x 80cmNote: In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 6th March 2022, "Camouflage" (lot 206, a 91 x 121cm oil on canvas) by Georgina McMaster sold for £4400 (hammer) setting another UK auction record price for one of Scotland's most notable young artists.

* KEN CURRIE (SCOTTISH b. 1960), THE JEW AND OTHER STORIES mixed media (charcoal, pastel, oil pastel and beeswax) on paper, signed, titled and dated 1993 versomounted, framed and under glassimage size 31cm x 23cm, overall size 57cm x 47cm Exhibition label verso: Raab Boukamel Gallery, London Note 1: A similar sized painting from this series titled “Fatherland” was in the collection of David Bowie and was sold in the Bowie sale in November 2016 (Sotheby's, London) for £35,000 (hammer).Note 2: Ken Currie is renowned for his unsettling portrayal of the human figure. The artist's rich, luminous paintings depict mysterious rites, rituals, and quasi-medical practices, offering a meditation on violence in its many guises. Currie studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1978-1983 and rose to attention within a generation of painters known as the "New Glasgow Boys" in the 1980s. In 1987, Currie completed a powerful series of large scale History paintings for the People’s Palace in Glasgow, commemorating the massacre of the Calton Weavers. Through the 90's deeply affected by humanitarian events in Eastern Europe Currie's works evolved, his focus shifting to confront ideas of mortality and corruption, both physical and moral. Over the last 10 years Currie's work has addressed the horrors of the contemporary world, without shying away from their brutality or grotesque nature. In 2009 Currie was commissioned to paint the theoretical scientist Peter Higgs following his receipt of the Nobel Prize, the painting now hangs at The University of Edinburgh. Ken Currie has exhibited widely internationally, including a 2013 solo exhibition at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery which also commissioned his painting Three Oncologists. Currie's work is held in many major public collections including Tate, London; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh; New York Public Library; Imperial War Museum, London; Campbelltown Arts Centre, New South Wales; Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon; and the British Council, London.Condition of the picture is good overall with no visible or known issues.

* ROBERT KELSEY DA MUniv PAI FRSA (SCOTTISH b. 1949), MARINA CALA D'OR oil on board, signed, titled and dated versoframed and under glass image size 17cm x 29cm, overall size 31cm x 43cm Label verso: The Torrance Gallery, Edinburgh Exhibition label verso: Paisley Art Institute ExhibitionNote: Robert Kelsey is one of Scotland's most prominent landscape painters working today. Born in Glasgow in 1949, Robert studied painting at the Glasgow School of Art from 1966-70 under David Donaldson, James Robertson, and Alexander Goudie. Kelsey went on to teach art until 1995, at which point he left education to paint full time. Since then, Robert Kelsey has developed a reputation as one of Scotland's finest and in-demand painters, particularly for his stunning coastlines. Lot 48 "Portree Bay, Skye" by Robert Kelsey from the same private collection as "Yacht In The Sound of Iona" sold in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 17th August 2023 sold for £2200 (hammer). Known collections include: Paisley Art Gallery, Lord Macfarlane of Bearsden, , Frances Shand Kydd, The Fleming Collection, Cairn Energy PLC, Credit Lyonnaise Bank, Turnberry Hotel, Taylor Woodrow, Lord Smith of Kelvin, His Grace, The Duke of Bedford, Anthony Shaffer, Highland Spring Water, Scottish Property Services, Arisaig Partners (Asia) Ltd, Enterprise Oil, Scottish Friendly Assurance.

* JAMES ORR (SCOTTISH 1931 - 2019), CAMP DE MAR, MAJORCA oil on board, signed, titled label versoframed and under glassimage size 29cm x 39cm, overall size 45cm x 55cm Handwritten artist's label versoLabel verso: The Rowan Gallery, DrymenNote: James Orr was a regular and successful contributor to The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions. A modest man when it came to his own achievements, his work is held in the collection of HRH The Late Duke of Edinburgh and in many private collections across the world. He won several awards for his work, including the RGI’s Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow Award. His paintings have given and continue to give great pleasure to many people. Renowned for his kindness and generosity, he also nurtured many budding artists and gave his time generously through artist demonstrations for many art clubs across Scotland.

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), NORTH BERWICK WOMAN watercolour on paper, signed and titledmounted, framed and under glassimage size 37cm x 27cm, overall size 60cm x 48cm Note: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November 2023 lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).

* SIMON LAURIE RSW RGI (SCOTTISH b. 1964), UNTITLED acrylic on boardframed and under glassimage size 57cm x 62cm, overall size 79cm x 84cmNote: Simon Laurie is a contemporary Scottish landscape and still life artist, whose paintings are characterised by references to Scottish life and society, incorporating fish, boats, religious symbols and everyday items. These objects are arranged upon a rich textural ground created by the application of multiple layers of acrylic paint. He has worked with acrylic paint for almost 30 years, developing his own individual style and fundamental visual language. Laurie was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art from 1982 to 1988. He was elected a member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) in 1991 and the Royal Glasgow Institute (RGI) in 2000, where he served as convener for six years. He has had many solo shows, both in the UK and abroad, and has won many prestigious and major awards. His work is held in many public, private and corporate collections including Aberdeen Art Gallery, Contemporary Arts Society, London; Feren Art Gallery, Hull; Freshfields, London; Leicestershire Education Committee; Lillie Art Gallery, Milngavie; Nationwide Building Society, London; Royal Bank of Scotland; TSB Headquarters, London; Unilever PLC; William Teacher and Sons Ltd; Wyse Group; Walter Scott Investments Ltd, Edinburgh; Biggart Baillie; Aberdeen Asset Management; The Whisky Society, Edinburgh; Adam and Co Bank; Provident Financial; The Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh.

* ALAN KING PAI (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2013) DAYDREAMER oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframed and under glassimage size 14cm x 44cm, overall size 37cm x 67cm Note: A fine example of the work of Alan King, a frequent contributor and a great favourite in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions between 2008 and 2013.. McTear's has established a succession of UK auction record prices for Alan King's work in recent years and the current record is £3600 for Weavers of Truth, lot 275 27th November 2016. Although Alan was a much respected and successful artist during his lifetime, auction prices since 2013 have continued to rise, even though very few collectors have so far opted to sell their examples of his work. The stripey trousers are an Alan King "trade mark".

* JOHN BELLANY CBE RA HRSA (SCOTTISH 1942 - 2013), THE MORNING TIPPLE watercolour on paper, signed, titled and dated 1994 label versomounted, framed and under glass image size 37cm x 27cm, overall size 62cm x 50cm Label verso: Cyril Gerber Fine Art, GlasgowNote: Collector demand has never been higher for the work of John Bellany and numerous examples have been sold in recent months by both McTear's and others at ever more impressive prices. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 29th May 2022 "The Finnon Smoker" by Bellany sold for £80,000 (hammer) and in the same sale, "Bass Rock Fable" (a 76 x 61cm unframed oil) sold for £12,000 (hammer). In our 21st August 2022 auction, lot 137 "The Newspaper Hat" (a 61 x 51cm oil) sold for £9500 (hammer). "Like-for-like" auction prices for original paintings are usually difficullt to assess, but in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of April 2023, two Bellany paintings which had been acquired in our auctions in September and November 2014 were consigned for sale by the same owner. The original 2014 selling prices were £1800 and £4000 and the same paintings sold in April for £3800 and £7000 (all hammer prices). This equates to a growth in value of 86.2% in fewer than nine years. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 25th May 2023, lot 282, "Restless Wave" a 90 x 90cm oil (by Bellany) sold for £9000 (hammer) and in our auction of 9th November 2023 lot 92, "Harbour" a 90 x 120cm oil by Bellany sold for £11000 (hammer).

* ALAN KING PAI (SCOTTISH 1946 - 2013) SMALL COLLECTOR oil on board, signed, titled verso framed and under glassimage size 12cm x 9cm, overall size 35cm x 32cm Note: Alan King was a frequent contributor and a great favourite in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auctions. McTear's has established a succession of UK auction record prices for Alan King's work in recent years and the current record is £3600 for Weavers of Truth, lot 275 27th November 2016. Although Alan was a much respected and successful artist during his lifetime, auction prices since 2013 have continued to rise, even though very few collectors have so far opted to sell their examples of his work.Condition of both picture and frame are good overall, with no visible or known issues.

* JOHN LOWRIE MORRISON OBE (JOLOMO) (SCOTTISH b. 1948), WINTER LIGHT, CORRYVRECKAN oil on canvas, signed, titled and dated 2008 versoframed and under glass image size 41cm x 41cm, overall size 65cm x 65cm Artist's label verso.Note: Jolomo remains one of Scotland's most celebrated contemporary artists. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 13th December 2020, lot 717 "Birlinn Leaving the Uists" by Jolomo sold for £7000 (hammer) and on 20th June 2021 lot 641 "Nick's Tug at Crinan" achieved £6000 (hammer). In our August 2021 auction, "Portnahaven, Islay" sold for £6000 (hammer). These being just three of numerous recent auction prices which reflect the strong and ever-growing collector demand from both the UK and abroad for the vibrant work of John Lowrie Morrison. In The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction of 28th September 2023 lot 38 LEE SHORE - NO LANDING ON STAFFA, sold for £8000 (hammer) setting a new auction record for a painting by John Lowrie Morrison.

* EMMA S DAVIS RSW PAI (SCOTTISH b. 1975), MORNING CHIT CHAT mixed media on board, signed framed and under glass image size 30cm x 30cm overall size 47cm x 47cm Note: Emma Davis studied contemporary art and painting at the Glasgow School of Art and graduated in 1998 with a sell-out Degree Show. From the time of graduating she has been working full time as an artist. She has received many awards over the years including the House for an Art Lover Award, the Sir William Gillies Award, the Miller’s Creativity Award, the Glasgow Art Club Award and others. She was the youngest ever winner of The Alexander Graham Munro Travel Award, which took her on an extensive tour of Italy in 2000. At the age of 23 she was also one of the youngest artists to receive the RSW Diploma which she received from HM The Queen. A few years later she also became one of the youngest ever artists to receive the Paisley Art Institute Diploma.

Mill House Furniture - Percy Range - A contemporary high end British designer Art Deco influenced armchair. The chair having a shell shaped backrest with cushioned seat. Brass studded detailing to the scrolled armrests with all upholstered in brown leather. Raised on turned legs. Measures approx. 75cm x 70cm x 61cm.    

David Hockney (British, b. 1937) - A vintage offset lithograph exhibition poster titled ' Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst / Museum of Contemporary Art. Humlebaek - Denmark '. Depicting Pool and Steps. Unframed. Measures approx. 84cm x 59cm (3" x 23").

Mandy Parslow - A contemporary studio art pottery stoneware salt glaze oval bowl vase. The bowl having a squatted oval shape with abstract decorations throughout. Stamped MP to base. Measures approx. 13cm x 25cm x 20cm.

Ted Jones (Irish, 1952) - Coel, Craic angus Rince - 2000 - A contemporary limited edition print on paper painting. Limited edition No. 148 / 500. Signed & numbered in pencil. Published by Killarney Art Gallery, Ireland. Framed & glazed. Measures approx. 40 x 31cm (16" x 11"). Ted Jones was born in Dublin in 1952. Apart from early instruction from his father, Ted was a completely self taught painter. He was encouraged to draw from a very early age and has nurtured and developed his immense talent into a style unmistakably his own. His unique style probably owes a lot to the fact that he never attended Art College, left to his own devices his style was able to evolve without influence, save his admiration for great artists such as Klimt, Rossetti & Caravaggio. His first (and only) one-man exhibition in Killarney in 2005 sold out completely in a matter of hours, hitting the headlines in many Irish newspapers. 2006 saw the publication, by Killarney Art Gallery, of "A Life, Wrapped up" a signed limited edition book on his life and work.

Gwilym Prichard (Welsh, 1931 - 2015), 'Sea Road', initialled GP (lower centre), oil on board, 60 x 121 cm, framed 70.5 x 132 cmMansard Art Gallery at Heal's (label verso)Very slight loss of paint near the signature, and discolouring of white impasto commensurate with age. Frame looks to be contemporary with staining and lifting of the fabric slip, and some wear especially to the corners.

Patrick Hennessy RHA (1915 - 1980) Rebuilding of Monte Cassino (1951) Oil on canvas 64 x 76cm (25¼ x 30”) SignedProvenance: Collection of Pamela and George Fegan, purchased directly from the artist, thence by descent to the present owners.Exhibited: Dublin, Royal Hibernian Academy, 1952, cat.no. 126 as ‘Rebuilding Cassino’; Dublin, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Patrick Hennessy: De Profundis, March/July 2016Literature: Patrick Hennessy: De Profundis, IMMA 2016, illustrated p. 43.Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about 130 kilometres southeast of Rome, and at an elevation of 520 m it commands a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is known for its abbey, the first house of the Benedictine Order, having been established around 529AD.After centuries of sackings by invaders, abandonment and rebuilding, the 11th and 12th centuries were the abbey's golden age, but this sadly was short-lived. In 1799, Monte Cassino was sacked again by French troops during the French Revolutionary Wars and was then dissolved by the Italian government in 1866, the building becoming a national monument with the monks as custodians of its treasures.During the later stages of World War II, it was the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino. On 15 February 1944 the abbey was nearly destroyed in a series of heavy, American-led air raids. The abbey was considered a key observation post and it was thought by the allies that it was occupied by the Germans. However, during the bombing no German troops were present in the abbey. Following the bombing the ruins of the monastery were occupied by the German 1st Parachute Division, due to the ruins providing excellent defensive cover. The Abbey was rebuilt after the war with the President of the Italian Republic Luigi Einaudi committing considerable resources to the rebuilding.By the early 1950’s Patrick Hennessy was enjoying considerable success and saw his painting De Profundis selected to tour North America as part of an exhibition of Contemporary Irish Painting. A retrospective exhibition of his work from the period 1941-51 mounted by the Dublin Painters further confirmed his growing reputation and by this time he was in a position to travel extensively in Europe.Paintings by Hennessy exhibited at the RHA annual exhibitions in 1952 and ‘53, including the Rebuilding of Monte Cassino suggest that he was travelling around Italy with titles referencing (Monte) Cassino, Rome and Venice. The present work which dates to 1951 depicts a view of the abbey under a dappled blue sky, shrouded in scaffolding and displays the artist’s passion for stone, with partially destroyed masonry and brickwork in the foreground reminding the viewer of the impact of the allied bombing raid from only seven years earlier.

Elias Sime (Ethiopian, born 1968)Migueb 1, Min Neber (What is it), 2004 bears a James Cohan Gallery Label (verso)textile and yarn stitch74.5 x 96.5cm (29 5/16 x 38in).Footnotes:ProvenanceA private collection.ExhibitedNew York, James Cohan Gallery, Elias Sime: Selected Early Works, (18 - 26 March 2022).With his first major solo European show, Eregata እርጋታ, ending just last month at the Arnolfini gallery, and opening at Hastings Contemporary Gallery running from the 16th March to 8th September 2024, Elias Sime's position on the contemporary art market landscape is intrinsically vital and prominent in this current moment. The retrospective exhibition of Sime's output over the past six years will conclude in the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf in 2025. The present work is an earlier example of Sime's work against the retrospective of his more recent work in the Eregata እርጋታ exhibition. While the artist currently holds a more concentrated view on electronically associated materials, Migueb 1, Min Neber (What is it) displays the origins of his experimental work with more traditional textile materials. The principles of the artist are realised in this present work, merging traditional techniques of weaving with contemplative abstraction, this concept of contemporary work with historic underpinnings remains a core theme to the artist's work to the present day. Bolstering a traditional narrative though these lyrical compositions, Sime's passion for history comes through in all of his works often travelling with the anthropologist Meskerem Assegued through rural villages in Ethiopia to research ancient rituals still in practice. In the same year as the work's creation, Sime represented Ethiopia at the 2004 Dak'Art Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar.Beyond the gallery walls, Sime's contribution to arts and education in Ethiopia has been of immeasurable impact. Co-founding the Zoma Museum based in Addis Ababa in 2019, Sime also contributed to the architectural execution of the building, making it relative to the history of his country and cultural continuity. Resilient to modern brutalist forms of architecture, the materiality of the museum ranges from mud, cement, wood and straw, fluid with the environmental consciousness that is so highly relevant today. In the same year, Sime received an African Art Award from the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, and he was shortlisted for the Hugo Boss Prize 2020. His work has been shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, and remains in permanent collections at the MET, Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Orlando; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan; Pérez Art Museum Miami, Miami, Florida; and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, Utah, among others. After his major commission for The Milk of Dreams at the Venice Biennale in 2022, Sime has been selected as an official Collateral Event for the Biennale in 2024. Undoubtedly an exciting year for the artist, Sime has further been selected to partake in a group show that will be held at Salisbury Cathedral in April of this year.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Billie Zangewa (Malawian, born 1973)Angel, 2016 signed and dated 'Billie'16' (lower centre)silk tapestry137 x 129cm (53 15/16 x 50 13/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired from Afronova gallery, 2016;A private collection.Residing in Johannesburg, Billie Zangewa incorporates her love of materiality and fashion into her oeuvre creating highly aesthetic and structurally considered pieces. Initially creating dramatically decorated handbags after completing a graphic design and printmaking degree at Rhodes University in South Africa, Zangewa would develop, dissect her technique and work to present us with the exquisitely constructed tapestries that we see in the present lot, Angel. Instead of beginning with a purely aesthetic idea, Zangewa now begins her work, motivated by self-reflection, using her medium as the narrator to communicate a feeling or experience personal to her identity.Her approach entails the layering and stitching of silk of varying colours, creating the illusion of three-dimensional images personifying and domesticising emotive scenes. Beginning with photography, Zangewa then creates paper stencils which she lays onto the silk, the artist then cuts and hand stitches the silk layers onto one another. These tapestries, informed by her observation of skyscrapers window glass in the central business district, are given a flowing freedom due to the reflective nature of the silk fabric. Unable to buy full metres of silk, her tapestries, often uneven, irregular, and raw due to her acquiring them as scraps, only contribute to the overall aesthetic of her work and accentuates its materiality. 'My creativity comes from lack – I had to work from scratch. I would never have discovered the technique if I'd been able to buy huge swathes of fabric.' (Billie Zangewa quoted in Ansie Van Der Walt, 'Silk Narratives: the artistic journey of Billie Zangewa', Mr x stitch, changing the way you think about embroidery, (online article)).Currently on show at the Barbican Centre in London, Billie Zangewa has further exhibited her work in Brussels, New York, Spain, France, Norway, California, Switzerland, North Carolina, Brighton, New Mexico, Seoul and San Francisco. She has also been exhibited at Frieze, the annual FNB JoburgArtFair and 1:54 art fairs. Her extensive exhibition history is testament to her unique and exquisitely executed work, marking her as one of the most exciting current Contemporary African Artists.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Demas Nwoko (Nigerian, born 1935)Terracotta Figure terracotta 46 x 21 x 14cm (18 1/8 x 8 1/4 x 5 1/2in).Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired direcly from the artist;The collection of Jean Kennedy;A private collection.LiteratureJean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press), p. 55. (illustrated).Ulli Beier, Contemporary Art in Africa, (London: Frederick A Praeger, 1968), p. 43. (illustrated).With a core focus on the human condition, Nwoko is explorative in his mediums and expressive in his depiction of figurative works. An artist that informs his work with his heritage as well as present day societal experiences and conveyed with architectural, aesthetic and historical understandings, the present work is a remarkably rare and synthesised example of the artist's theoretical and physical forms of expression. As the first contemporary Nigerian artist to produce highly artistically expressive baked clay works, the present lot holds a monumental role in the history of contemporary African Art.According to the inscription accompanying the illustration of the present work in Kennedy's book New Currents, Ancient Rivers, Terracotta Figure was completed between the years 1967 and 1968. However, a very similar work is labelled in The Zaria Art Society, A New Consciousness as 'Senegalese Woman' completed in 1965. More conspicuously a female figure, the latter rendition seems to be more gender specific, whilst the present lot possesses a more seemingly androgynous and ambiguous character alluding to a character of a more metaphysical nature.Designing and building his own studios enabled him to have a 'facility for pursuing painting, carving, and casting, and making terra-cotta sculptures'. (Jean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers: Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press), p. 55.). Redirecting his focus from painting to wooden sculpture from 1963, Nwoko would then move on to working with clays in 1964. This was the same clay used in the production of traditional pottery of Southern Nigeria. Terracotta too began to be a medium that Nwoko incorporated into his artistic production given its historical use in depicting figures of Nok and Ife inspiration. The process of creating terracotta sculptures such as the present lot is an intrinsically detailed process and one that Nwoko himself had to devise and ultimately concluded in constructing a blend of a necessary high temperature pottery kiln and the open firing of pottery traditionally used in Nigeria. The result was a teak lined and brick truncated cone below the earth which was then enclosed within a brick igloo, enabling isolation and control of the temperature. A wall of teak logs was further constructed down the centre of the cone to be ignited, and the various sculptures arranged in the centre of the cone at varying levels would then be gradually baked following this combustion.Informed by the Nok terracotta heads from 300 BC, the present work is informed by the the ancient sculptural work of his heritage, that being the works of Ile-Ife. 'Nwoko's artistic response to the Nok classical form can be best described as formal extrapolation, in the sense that he worked with stock elements, extending their possibilities, adding new ones.' (Chika Okeke-Agulu, 'Nationalism and the Rhetoric of Modernism in Nigeria: The Art of Uche Okeke and Demas Nwoko, 1960-1968', Vol. 39, No. 1, African Arts, (UCA James S. Coleman African Studies Centre, 2006), p. 34.) In keeping with the Natural Synthesis methodology formulated under the Zaria Art Society that Nwoko was a part of during his years as a student, the present work displays a modern translation inspired by the heritage of the artist. 'Nok formal tropes such as large, outsized heads; tubular, as if nonvertebral, body parts; and perforated pupils.' (Chika Okeke-Agulu, 'Nationalism and the Rhetoric of Modernism in Nigeria: The Art of Uche Okeke and Demas Nwoko, 1960-1968', Vol. 39, No. 1, African Arts, (UCA James S. Coleman African Studies Centre, 2006), p. 34.)Indeed, incorporating heritage, culture and society is a consistent thematic use executed by Nwoko in his work. This principle has been instilled in the artist's practice since his formal education and participation in the pivotal Zaria Art Society during his time studying at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology from 1959-1961. The groups significance lies in its insistence on developing a new art based on Nigerian and African traditional aesthetics, forms and processes, but with a modernist sensibility similar to that of the European avant-garde. This idea, theorised by his friend, Professor Uche-Okeke, as Natural Synthesis defined Nwoko's work as a painter, teacher, theatre director, designer, architect, and here as a sculptor.BibliographyPaul Chike Dike & Pat Oyelola, The Zaria Art Society, A New Consciousness, (Lagos: Publication of the National Gallery of Art, 1998), pp. 103- 10.Chika Okeke-Agulu, 'Nationalism and the Rhetoric of Modernism in Nigeria: The Art of Uche Okeke and Demas Nwoko, 1960-1968', Vol. 39, No. 1, African Arts, (UCA James S. Coleman African Studies Centre, 2006)This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

El Anatsui (Ghanaian, born 1944)Grandma's Cloth Series, 1993 signed and dated 'EL/ 93' (lower left of panel 13); titled 'Grandma's/ cloth Series' (verso of panel 1); each panel numbered 1-14 left to right, in chronological order (verso)incised, scorched and acrylic paint on wood panel76 x 130 x 2cm (29 15/16 x 51 3/16 x 13/16in).(in 14 pieces)Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired directly from the artist, 1993;A private collection.El Anatsui's wide body of work exemplifies an incorporation of traditional forms of art creation across Africa with contemporary motifs. Aiming to redress African history as it was understood, as it had mainly been communicated by European interpretations following colonisation, El researched linguistics and writing systems of his African heritage to inform works such as the present lot. This was an effort to reclaim his heritage identity.Created within the same year as his other Grandma's Cloth works, with the series spanning from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, El Anatsui uses wooden planks and incorporates uli and nsibidi symbols, etched into the wood. Indeed, the process of etching, incising and scorching was performed with modern tools such as blow torches and power saws, contrasting the everyday age-old material. Conceptually, the aggressive nature of moulding the wood is representative of the Western colonisation which fragmented Africa.Inspired by the vivacious graphics, historical significance, and identity that traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth imbues, the artist would eventually go on to expand the medium of his works to scrap pieces of metal, mimicking the action of weaving resonating with the creative process of Kente Cloth. From process to the end result, El Anatsui's work is heavily weighted in symbolism.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Sydney Alex Kumalo (South African, 1935-1988)St Francis of Assisi signed and numbered 'K VII | X' (beneath the figure's tunic)bronze on wooden base 70 x 27.5 x 22.5cm (27 9/16 x 10 13/16 x 8 7/8in). (including base)Footnotes:ProvenanceEgon Guenther Gallery, purchased 3rd November 1966;By descent;A private collection.ExhibitedJohannesburg, Egon Guenther Gallery, An Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings by Sydney Kumalo, (8 May 1962). (edition i/x).LiteratureGavin Watkins and Charles Skinner, The Sculptures of Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae, A Catalogue Raisonné, (South Africa: Strauss & Co, 2023), SK13, p. 143.H. Toerien & G. Duby, ed. Our Art, vol.3, (Pretoria), p. 66. (illustrated).Elizabeth Rankin, 'Sydney Kumalo', ed. E. Burroughs & K. Nel, Re/discovery and Memory: The works of Kumalo, Legae, Nitegeka & Villa,(Cape Town: ABC Press & Norval Foundation, 2018), p. 131. (different edition of the same work illustrated). S. Sack, The Neglected Tradition: Towards a New History of South African Art (1930-1988), (Johannesburg Art Gallery, 1988), p. 51. (different edition of the same work illustrated), (edition 6/10).Born in 1935 and raised in the old suburb of Johannesburg known as Sophiatown, Sydney Kumalo grew up with and became absorbed into a community that would be destroyed by the apartheid, catalysing a generation of some of South Africa's most passionate, driven, and famous artists. Being Zulu in this community meant that Kumalo grew up surrounded people of different political beliefs and cultures, developing a grounding of cohesive societal understanding that would reflect in his later works of art. Kumalo was only seventeen when he began studying at the Polly Street Art Centre in Johannesburg under the guidance of Cecil Skotnes and Edoardo Villa, before becoming a teacher there himself in 1964. Kumalo would go on to exhibit alongside the two aforementioned artists (also prominent figures in today's market) in collaborative shows. Given his background Kumalo would establish himself as a prominent figure in modern African Art who overcame challenging adversity given his position as a Black creative during apartheid, emphasising his importance. Guenther Gallery cast two terrazzos and the first bronze (edition i/x) of this sculpture for the May 1962 exhibition, An Exhibition of Sculpture and Drawings by Sydney Kumalo. Further casts were created on a basis of supply and demand; the present rendition was cast in November 1966. Evidently a popular cast, Egon Guenther Gallery sold all future editions of St Francis of Assisi from 1966 to 1971. Elizabeth Rankin notes that Carlo Gamberini of the foundry remembered 'how Kumalo used to come to the foundry to oversee the finishing of the bronze casts, and also to work on the waxes of his sculptures, often using a saw blade to introduce surface texture.' This practise can be seen on the present work, with hairline etchings of texture most notable to the head, shoulders, and back of the work. This technique would further animate the figures the artist produced and displayed the artist's continuous passionate development of his works. Figures expressing spiritual emotion is a theme that is consistent within his oeuvre. With regards to his wider body of work, Kumalo's renditions of strong semi-abstracted figures, whether they be animals or humans, are somewhat characteristic of traditional African sculptures. As Jean Kennedy notes on the artist's technique: 'The solidity and central axis of his forms convey strength, the interpretation of which ranges from protest to endurance.' (Jean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers; Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), p. 175.). In this instance, the image of St Francis of Assisi brings to the surface notions of peace which the figure is associated with. Differing from classical descriptive reproductions of the Saint, for instance often portrayed bearing stigmata in Old Master depictions of the Saint, Kumalo portrays the essence of Assisi, focusing on compositional form rather than the imitation of Christ which older western portraits tend to have leaned towards. While most associations of an animal interaction with the Saint are more famously through the legend of Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, doves themselves are symbols of peace and therefore contribute to the humility of the figure. St. Francis is one of Kumalo's best known works. Conceived in 1962, the sculpture depicts the Christian saint renowned for his acts of compassion. It was described by Watter in Our Art 3 contemporary critic thus:'The mask-like head radiates spiritual serenity, yet the neck is rigid with strain. The wide-legged stance asserts confidence but the arms are pathetically thin. This is a representation of a man rent by spiritual conflict, caught in his frail human body. Movement is concentrated at two points: on the saint's left hand that cuddles a dove protectively against his chest, and on the strong thrust of the right arm reaching heavenwards in a gesture that combines blessing with threat. This double significance reinforces the tension caused by the amalgam of Christian content with forms redolent of African ritual. The soft pot-belly is opposed to hard purpose. The ludicrous little legs provide a stylised base for a gesture that challenges the universe. In Sydney Kumalo's St. Francis a man is portrayed who has galvanised himself through the strength of selfless compassion and so overcomes the limitations set by his fallible human body.'Since the creation of this work, Sydney Kumalo represented South Africa at the Venice Biennale in 1966, and in 1967 participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale. Kumalo received a number of awards throughout his career; he was invited to the Artist of Fame and Promise Exhibition in 1960 further winning the award for most promising up and coming artist. In 1967 won a bronze medal from the Transvaal Academy and a travel bursary from the US-SALEP (the United States/ South African Leadership Exchange Programme) enabling him to travel to the US in 1967. It seems appropriate, given the religious motivation behind much of the artist's work such as the present lot, that Kumalo also received commissions from religious institutions, such as a mural in the Catholic Church in Kroonstad that was completed in 1957. Therefore, we see Kumalo's career extending beyond these art circle bounds and into physical and pivotal societal structures.We are grateful to Gavin Watkins for his assistance with the above footnote.BibliographyGavin Watkins and Charles Skinner, The Sculptures of Sydney Kumalo and Ezrom Legae, A Catalogue Raisonné, (South Africa: Strauss & Co, 2023), pp. 142-145.H.Toerien & G.Duby, ed. Our Art, vol.3, (Pretoria), pp. 66-68.Jean Kennedy, New Currents, Ancient Rivers; Contemporary African Artists in a Generation of Change, (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992), p. 175.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)Anyanwu inscribed 'ANYANWU/BY/BEN ENWONWU' (plaque)gilt bronze 91 x 28 x 14cm (35 13/16 x 11 x 5 7/8in) (excluding base).109 x 28 x 19.5cm (42 15/16 x 11 x 7 11/16in) (including base).Footnotes:ProvenanceThe collection of Dr Cecil and Mrs Jean Symons;Christie's Auction House, London, 2007;A private collection. LiteratureS. Ogbechie, Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist, (Rochester, 2008), (version illustrated) fig.4.3 and fig.4.4.B. Lawal, 'After an imaginary slumber: visual and verbal imagery of 'awakening' in Africa', Word & Image: A Journal of Verbal/Visual Enquiry, (Volume 26 number 4, 2010), (version illustrated), p. 423.O. Offoedu-Okeke, Artists of Nigeria, (Milan, 2012), (version illustrated), p. 57.'Anyanwu, which is the Onitsha Emotan of Benin'. Meaning 'eye of the sun', referring to the Igbo practice of saluting the sun as it rises to honour the Great Spirit ChiUkwu, a supreme being in Igbo spirituality, Anyanwu stands as one of Ben Enwonwu's most famous and credited works. The figure's noble bearing is underlined by her headdress and coral jewellery: the royal regalia of the Bini people. 'My aim was to symbolise our rising nation. I have tried to combine material, crafts, and traditions, to express a conception that is based on womanhood – woman, the mother and nourisher of man. In our rising nation, I see the forces embodied in womanhood; the beginning, and then, the development and flowering into the fullest stature of a nation – a people! This sculpture is spiritual in conception, rhythmical in movement, and three dimensional in its architectural setting – these qualities are characteristic of the sculpture of my ancestors.' (Enwonwu quoted in S. Ogbechie, p. 129-130.)The circumstances surrounding Anyanwu's creation – Enwonwu's spiritual inspiration – connects him with the Igbo tradition of the artist as spirit medium. Personified into the image of the Igbo earth goddess Ani, Anyanwu is a demonstration of divine feminine power. Viewing women as the pillars that uphold society, the female subject has held a prominent position throughout Enwonwu's oeuvre. The Igbo concept of nkais an 'invocation of ancestral spirits through giving concrete form or body to them' as Enwonwu himself said and has indeed practised in this case. (Ben Enwonwu quoted in Nkiru Nzegwu, 'Representational Axis: A Cultural Realignment of Enwonwu', (1999), p.168.)Often elongating their features in his paintings, such as in the Tutu series, Enwonwu embraces the Igbo traditions of image making. While his tendencies to elongate facial and body features was sometimes motivated by aesthetic experimentation, Anyanwu's form came to him in a vision early one morning as he awoke from sleeping:'A supple graceful female form arising out of the sun in a brilliant shower of light...she loomed towards him in a wide curvilinear arch...the classic Ethiopianized features of the face and the decorative horizontal slats of the lower torso that receded into the horizon, tapering off to a point...'The original Anyanwu sculpture was commissioned in 1953 for the National Museum in Lagos, where it still stands to this day. It received such acclaim that another was commissioned for the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1966. This version appears in several major public and private collections, often demonstrating a variety of patina, and small differences in the arms and length of the coiffure. The current work was cast in 1987 at the Burleighfeild foundry in High Wycombe, a foundry that cast many bronze sculptures for the artist from their founding in 1977 until his death in 1994. The present work differs from earlier casts given its fine gold layer; gilded versions came later in Enwonwu's more developed casts. BibliographyS. Ogbechie, Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist, (Rochester, 2008), pp, 128-131.N. Nzegwu, 'Representational Axis: A Cultural Realignment of Enwonwu', Contemporary Textures: Multidimensionality in Nigerian Art, ed. N. Nzegwu (New York, 1999), p. 163.Letter correspondence between Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu and Mrs Jean Symons, (27th January 1986).This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Alexander 'Skunder' Boghossian (Ethiopian, 1937-2003)Untitled signed and dated 'SKUNDER 62' (lower left)oil on board54.6 x 45.7cm (21 1/2 x 18in).(framed)Footnotes:Painted in 1962, the present work was created during a significant decade in Alexander 'Skunder' Boghossian's artistic development. The painting was created the year before Skunder embarked upon his most celebrated body of work: the Nourishers series (1963-1964). Comprised of twelve large-scale paintings, the series is widely understood to be the apex of Skunder's synthesisation of African and European iconography in his development of an Ethiopian modernism.Through swirling cosmic imagery and amorphous primordial forms, Skunder established a visual language which he described as an 'Afro-Metaphysics'. As Chika Okeke-Agulu suggests, the artist's intention in these works 'was to draw on the power of religion and myth to invoke and signify a new beginning for independent Africa' (Okeke-Agulu, 2013: p. 12). The present work stands as a formative example of these themes in the artist's painterly practice which he continued to explore in the Nourishers series. Skunder was born in Addis Ababa in 1937. He remained in Ethiopia until the age of seventeen when he won second prize in the Abstract Art category at the National Art Exhibition. Held to mark the Jubilee Anniversary Celebration of Emperor Haile Selassie, the exhibition resulted in Skunder being awarded a scholarship to study abroad. He embraced the opportunity and undertook training at Saint Martin's School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design, and the Slade School of Fine Art in London, before travelling to Paris. Here, he attended the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts (1955-56) and the Académie de la Grande Chaumière (1957-63).The move to Paris placed the young artist at the heart of a dynamic community of artists, philosophers, and activists from across the African diaspora. Together, these individuals interrogated the nature of an empowered Black identity in light of contemporary postcolonial politics. Skunder was particularly inspired by the pioneering activists he encountered during this period including Aimé Césaire, one of the key founders of the Négritude movement. Négritude offered the Ethiopian artist a conceptual framework within which to formulate a new avant-garde aesthetic - one that deconstructed the boundaries of Western modernism to champion a Pan-African visual iconography.Created while Skunder was a student at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière, the present work exemplifies the artist's impetus towards experimentation as it fuses African iconography with techniques and materials drawn from European modernism. Biomorphic forms and mask-like heads populate the canvas. Thick black lines crisscross the surfaces of these earth-tone forms. The resultant patterns evoke the lines incised into the Konso funerary sculpture of southwestern Ethiopia or woven into Bobo hemp and wooden masks from West Africa. These elements are juxtaposed with a green geometric background which recalls the formal Cubist experimentation of Paul Klee (1879-1940) - an acknowledged influence on Skunder's practice. While the present work references both African and European modernist tropes, it also reveals the key influence of diasporic artists operating in Paris in the 1960s on Skunder's practice. He recalls that, in this period, '[w]e were all coming together to listen to our stories and to find a commonality in ourselves and in our struggles' (quoted in Cassel, 1993: p. 66). He took particular inspiration from the unique sculptural forms crafted by the Ivorian sculptor Christian Lattier (1925-1978). Emigrating to France in 1935, Lattier reimagined traditional West African weaving techniques within his own practice. He interlaced strong hemp fibres around a central wire frame to create expressive masks, animals, and abstracted biomorphic forms. The elegant curvature of the masks, with their rounded eyes and open mouths, is echoed by the two heads illustrated by Skunder towards the upper left corner of the present work, illuminating the diverse influences that inform the artist's painterly practice. The body of work created by Skunder in the early 1960s asserted his position at the forefront of the international art world. The significance of his oeuvre was swiftly recognised by high-profile art institutions. The Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, both acquired early works by the artist in 1963 and 1965, respectively.Skunder's work continues to be widely celebrated today. His paintings are held in prominent collections worldwide and have been included in major international exhibitions including, most recently, the ground-breaking show, Surrealism Beyond Borders, when it was staged at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (October 11, 2021–January 20, 2022). BibliographyChika Okeke-Agulu, 'Contemporary African Artists and the Pan-African Imaginary', in Diaspora Dialogue: Art of Kwabena Ampofo-Anti, Alexander 'Skunder' Boghossian, and Victor Ekpuk, exh. cat., University of Maryland University College, USA, February 12–May 12, 2013.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

ZDZISLAW BEKSINSKI (1929-2005)Sans titre (Z-16) signé et inscrit 'Z-16 Beksiński' par l'artiste (au revers)huile sur panneausigned and inscribed 'Z-16 Beksiński' (on reverse)oil on panel122 x 97.5 cm.48 1/16 x 38 3/8 in.Footnotes:L'authenticité de cette œuvre a été confirmée par Monsieur Piotr Dmochowski. ProvenanceCollection Piotr Dmochowski, Paris. Collection particulière, Paris (acquis auprès de celle-ci en 1988).BibliographieJ. Nadal, La pulsion de peindre, La toile et son inconscient, Paris, 2018, illustré p. 218.Né le 24 février 1929 à Sanok, en Pologne, et décédé le 21 février 2005, Zdzisław Beksiński était un artiste polymorphe dont l'œuvre énigmatique continue de captiver le monde de l'art contemporain. Principalement reconnu pour ses créations sombres et surréalistes, son style distinctif est souvent associé à l'art fantastique, explorant de nouveaux territoires de réflexion où le rationnel côtoie l'imaginaire.Commencant sa carrière en tant qu'architecte, Beksiński a rapidement évolué vers la peinture et la sculpture, devenant célèbre dans les années 1980 pour ses peintures surréalistes et dystopiques, marquées par des visions étranges et parfois cauchemardesques. Son style sombre et complexe explore des mondes fantastiques, peuplés de créatures étranges et de formes organiques déformées, tandis que ses couleurs sombres et ses textures riches créent une atmosphère mystérieuse, hallucinatoire, emblématique de son œuvre.Ici, Beksiński nous livre une œuvre captivante et énigmatique. Un édifice aux allures d'une cathédrale gothique se dresse sur toute verticalité. Elle semble résister dans un tumulte d'éléments insaisissables, brouillant tous les repères visuels du spectateur. Sommes-nous dans un monde sous-marin, où l'eau enveloppe le bâtiment et soulève le sable à ses pieds ? Où sommes-nous sur terre, où la fumée et les flammes dévorent la structure sous un ciel menaçant ? La cathédrale, mère des origines, temple immuable de la spiritualité et de la vie intérieure, défie le monde temporel. Dernier rempart contre la mort, elle survit dans un monde hostile, cataclysmique. La pulsion de vie luttant contre la pulsion de mort est une thématique récurrente dans l'œuvre de l'artiste. Cette vision fascinante et troublante laisse le spectateur face à ses doutes et émotions.L'œuvre de Beksiński, profondément psychologique et émotionnelle, allie l'horreur à une esthétique envoûtante, créant une tension artistique unique. Avec une reconnaissance internationale croissante, des expositions dans plusieurs pays ont consolidé sa réputation en tant qu'artiste majeur du surréalisme contemporain. A ce titre, son œuvre est exposée au musée historique de sa ville natalale, Sanok en Pologne. Il était également l'invité d'honneur du Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture l'Eau au Grand Palais de Paris en 2018. Son influence s'étend au-delà de la peinture, touchant des domaines divers tels que la musique, la littérature et le cinéma, avec des figures comme le trompettiste de jazz Tomasz Stańko, l'auteur Andrzej Sapkowski, et le cinéaste Guillermo del Toro. Par ailleurs, l'artiste a fait l'objet d'un film, The Last Family, réalisé par Jan P. Matuszynski en 2016. Beksiński laisse derrière lui un corpus d'œuvres intrigantes qui transcendent les frontières de l'horreur pour révéler la beauté complexe de son inconscient. Sa contribution à l'art contemporain demeure indélébile, laissant une empreinte indéniable sur la culture populaire et influençant les générations d'artistes à venir.Born on 24th February 1929 in Sanok, Poland, and passing away on 21st February 2005, Zdzisław Beksiński was a polymorphic artist whose enigmatic body of work continues to captivate the world of contemporary art. Primarily known for his dark and surreal creations, his distinctive style is often associated with fantastic art, exploring new realms of thought where the rational meets the imaginative.Starting his career as an architect, Beksiński quickly transitioned to painting and sculpture, gaining fame in the 1980s for his surreal and dystopian paintings marked by strange and sometimes nightmarish visions. His dark and complex style explores fantastical worlds populated by strange creatures and distorted organic forms, while his dark colours and rich textures create a mysterious, hallucinatory atmosphere that is emblematic of his work.Here, Beksiński presents us with a captivating and enigmatic piece. A structure reminiscent of a Gothic cathedral rises vertically, seemingly resisting amidst a tumult of elusive elements, blurring all visual references for the viewer. Are we in an underwater world, where water envelops the building and stirs the sand at its feet? Or are we on land, where smoke and flames devour the structure under a threatening sky? The cathedral, mother of origins, an immutable temple of spirituality and inner life, defies the temporal world. The last bulwark against death, it survives in a hostile, cataclysmic world. The life instinct battling the death instinct is a recurring theme in the artist's work. This fascinating and unsettling vision leaves the viewer facing their doubts and emotions.Beksiński's deeply psychological and emotional work combines horror with an enchanting aesthetic, creating a unique artistic tension. With growing international recognition, exhibitions in several countries solidified his reputation as a major figure in contemporary surrealism. As such, his work is displayed at the historical museum in his hometown, Sanok, Poland. He was also the guest of honor at the Salon du Dessin et de la Peinture à l'Eau at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2018. His influence extends beyond painting, touching diverse fields such as music, literature, and cinema, with figures like jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, author Andrzej Sapkowski, and filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Additionally, the artist was the subject of the film The Last Family, directed by Jan P. Matuszynski in 2016.Beksiński leaves behind a corpus of intriguing works that transcend the boundaries of horror to reveal the complex beauty of his unconscious. His contribution to contemporary art remains indelible, leaving an undeniable mark on popular culture and influencing generations of future artists.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

[Alken (Henry)] Doing the Thing, and the Thing Done, in a series of Sporting Plates, first issue, 8 hand-coloured aquatints, watermarked 1817, marginal spotting, bifolium of publisher's advertisements loosely inserted, original printed wrappers bound-in, modern half-morocco, gilt, [Bobins IV, 1371; Mellon/Snelgrove, p.11; Schwerdt I, p.13 cited under title, Doing It Somehow with 6 plates; Siltzer, p.69; Tooley 24 also calling for 6 plates], oblong 4to, 1818. *** While contemporary advertisements record only plates 3-8 in the primary issue published on 2 March 1818, Tooley notes that plates 1 and 2 of the present set, dated 5 April 1818, were frequently bound alongside the original six. Their integrity as a set of eight prints is confirmed by the original watercolours housed in the Yale Center for British Art, where the full eight are present.

Betty Swanwick (British, 1915-1989)Preparatory Sketch for The Parliament of the Yard signed and dated 'Betty Swanwick 85' (lower left)pencil on paper73 x 34.5cm (28 3/4 x 13 9/16in).together with a further preparatory sketch, The Parliament of the Yard Study for the Main Figure, by the same hand(2)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, from whom acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.ExhibitedLondon, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 6 June-23 August 1987, no. 843London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 9 June-19 August 1990, no. 758London, Royal Academy of Arts, Betty Swanwick R.A. (1915-1989): A Narrative Process, 21 August-5 November 2001, no. 38London, Chris Beetles Gallery, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary Launch, 25 November 2008 LiteratureB. Murphy, The Art of Betty Swanwick, Oxford Polytechnic, 1989, p. 2P. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick. Another World, The Artist, June 1990, p. 44 P. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, Chris Beetles Gallery, London, 2008, p. 93 and 128, no. D95b'I feel that many people narrow life much too much. In my pictures I try to put the real thing, the miracle of it – indefinable because everything is connected' – Betty Swanwick, 1987Betty Swanwick's long and varied career encompassed writing novelettes, painting, illustration and design. A true visionary, Swanwick's works are influenced by her own dreams and are highly spiritual. Described by Chris Beetles as a 'watercolourist of mystical symbolism enriched with a strange beauty', Swanwick's pieces use symbolism to convey an understanding of the complexity of life. This type of narrative, visionary work occurred late in the artist's career. Swanwick initially studied at Goldsmiths College of Art, and her first commissions were primarily for murals. Her mural work, such as the piece commissioned for the Rocket restaurant during the Festival of Britain in 1951, contain a sense of joy and fun that would go on to underpin Swanwick's practice for the following decades. The artist herself, however, considered her later narrative pieces to be her best work. These pieces, such as Feeding the Flocks (lot 123) and Pandora (lot 120), were executed after Swanwick's resignation from her teaching post at Goldsmith's, which was prompted by the formalisation of arts education, a change that resulted in what Swanwick described as a 'cultural narrowness'. This refusal to bow to convention is evident throughout Swanwick's career, which consistently valued eccentricity and originality over conformity.The English pastoral landscapes that recur both in Swanwick's early work and later narrative pieces often act as the setting for myths or Biblical scenes. Pandora (lot 120), a watercolour where the Greek myth is re-imagined in a field of beehives, is a typical example of this. As a result of her use of the English pastoral, many critics have drawn a link between the artist and Stanley Spencer, whose own paintings and drawings, such as the Marriage at Cana series (lots 30 – 33), also placed Biblical events in a contemporary English context. Swanwick repeatedly refuted this link, instead listing Samuel Palmer and William Blake as her key influences. The beautifully rendered detail in Swanwick's landscapes apparent in The Black Shepherd (lot 124) and Preparatory Sketch for Wilderness Regained (lot 125), are reminiscent of Palmer's meticulous draughtsmanship. By placing herself within the context of Palmer and Blake, Swanwick was referring to, in her own words, 'a small tradition of English painting that is a bit eccentric, a little odd and a little visionary'. The following collection of works, amassed over several decades, provide a unique insight into this eccentric, odd and visionary work, that conveys life in all its complexity. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Betty Swanwick (British, 1915-1989)Study of the Artist's Cat Bewick signed, dedicated and inscribed with Artist's address 'Greetings from Betty Swanwick Caxton Cottage Frog Lane Tunbridge Wells Kent TN1 1YT' (to lower edge)pencil on paper12 x 17.5cm (4 3/4 x 6 7/8in).Executed in the 1980stogether with a further pencil on paper, study of the Artist's dog Louis Swanwick, by the same hand(2)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, from whom acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.LiteratureP. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, Chris Beetles Gallery, London, 2008, p. 134, illustrated'I feel that many people narrow life much too much. In my pictures I try to put the real thing, the miracle of it – indefinable because everything is connected' – Betty Swanwick, 1987 Betty Swanwick's long and varied career encompassed writing novelettes, painting, illustration and design. A true visionary, Swanwick's works are influenced by her own dreams and are highly spiritual. Described by Chris Beetles as a 'watercolourist of mystical symbolism enriched with a strange beauty', Swanwick's pieces use symbolism to convey an understanding of the complexity of life. This type of narrative, visionary work occurred late in the artist's career. Swanwick initially studied at Goldsmiths College of Art, and her first commissions were primarily for murals. Her mural work, such as the piece commissioned for the Rocket restaurant during the Festival of Britain in 1951, contain a sense of joy and fun that would go on to underpin Swanwick's practice for the following decades. The artist herself, however, considered her later narrative pieces to be her best work. These pieces, such as Feeding the Flocks (lot 123) and Pandora (lot 120), were executed after Swanwick's resignation from her teaching post at Goldsmith's, which was prompted by the formalisation of arts education, a change that resulted in what Swanwick described as a 'cultural narrowness'. This refusal to bow to convention is evident throughout Swanwick's career, which consistently valued eccentricity and originality over conformity.The English pastoral landscapes that recur both in Swanwick's early work and later narrative pieces often act as the setting for myths or Biblical scenes. Pandora (lot 120), a watercolour where the Greek myth is re-imagined in a field of beehives, is a typical example of this. As a result of her use of the English pastoral, many critics have drawn a link between the artist and Stanley Spencer, whose own paintings and drawings, such as the Marriage at Cana series (lots 30 – 33), also placed Biblical events in a contemporary English context. Swanwick repeatedly refuted this link, instead listing Samuel Palmer and William Blake as her key influences. The beautifully rendered detail in Swanwick's landscapes apparent in The Black Shepherd (lot 124) and Preparatory Sketch for Wilderness Regained (lot 125), are reminiscent of Palmer's meticulous draughtsmanship. By placing herself within the context of Palmer and Blake, Swanwick was referring to, in her own words, 'a small tradition of English painting that is a bit eccentric, a little odd and a little visionary'. The following collection of works, amassed over several decades, provide a unique insight into this eccentric, odd and visionary work, that conveys life in all its complexity. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham C.B.E. (British, 1912-2004)Spring Movement signed and dated 'W Barns Graham/Feb. 2003' (lower right)acrylic on paper25.5 x 25.5cm (10 1/16 x 10 1/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Art First Contemporary Art, London Private Collection, U.K.ExhibitedPossibly London, Art First Contemporary Art, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: A Tribute, 27 April-27 May 2004 (ex. cat.)This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Betty Swanwick (British, 1915-1989)Preparatory Sketch for The Key of the Kingdom pencil on paper54.5 x 21cm (21 7/16 x 8 1/4in).together with two further preparatory sketches for The Fields of Ennor and So They Ran Both Together(3)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, from whom acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.LiteratureP. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, Chris Beetles Gallery, London, 2008, p. 128, no. D96 (as the associated drawing Figure Study for 'The Key of the Kingdom')'I feel that many people narrow life much too much. In my pictures I try to put the real thing, the miracle of it – indefinable because everything is connected' – Betty Swanwick, 1987Betty Swanwick's long and varied career encompassed writing novelettes, painting, illustration and design. A true visionary, Swanwick's works are influenced by her own dreams and are highly spiritual. Described by Chris Beetles as a 'watercolourist of mystical symbolism enriched with a strange beauty', Swanwick's pieces use symbolism to convey an understanding of the complexity of life. This type of narrative, visionary work occurred late in the artist's career. Swanwick initially studied at Goldsmiths College of Art, and her first commissions were primarily for murals. Her mural work, such as the piece commissioned for the Rocket restaurant during the Festival of Britain in 1951, contain a sense of joy and fun that would go on to underpin Swanwick's practice for the following decades. The artist herself, however, considered her later narrative pieces to be her best work. These pieces, such as Feeding the Flocks (lot 123) and Pandora (lot 120), were executed after Swanwick's resignation from her teaching post at Goldsmith's, which was prompted by the formalisation of arts education, a change that resulted in what Swanwick described as a 'cultural narrowness'. This refusal to bow to convention is evident throughout Swanwick's career, which consistently valued eccentricity and originality over conformity.The English pastoral landscapes that recur both in Swanwick's early work and later narrative pieces often act as the setting for myths or Biblical scenes. Pandora (lot 120), a watercolour where the Greek myth is re-imagined in a field of beehives, is a typical example of this. As a result of her use of the English pastoral, many critics have drawn a link between the artist and Stanley Spencer, whose own paintings and drawings, such as the Marriage at Cana series (lots 30 – 33), also placed Biblical events in a contemporary English context. Swanwick repeatedly refuted this link, instead listing Samuel Palmer and William Blake as her key influences. The beautifully rendered detail in Swanwick's landscapes apparent in The Black Shepherd (lot 124) and Preparatory Sketch for Wilderness Regained (lot 125), are reminiscent of Palmer's meticulous draughtsmanship. By placing herself within the context of Palmer and Blake, Swanwick was referring to, in her own words, 'a small tradition of English painting that is a bit eccentric, a little odd and a little visionary'. The following collection of works, amassed over several decades, provide a unique insight into this eccentric, odd and visionary work, that conveys life in all its complexity. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Betty Swanwick (British, 1915-1989)Preparatory Sketch for The Wilderness Regained pencil on paper27.5 x 35.5cm (10 13/16 x 14in).Executed circa 1974Footnotes:ProvenanceSale; Bonhams, London, 31 January 1990, lot 37 (as Sketch of a Woman with Serpents)Private Collection, U.K.LiteratureP. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, Chris Beetles Gallery, London, 2008, pp. 117-118, no. D57 (as the associated drawing Seated Figure in a Hat)In the Artist's sale record for the watercolour The Wilderness Regained, Betty Swanwick describes how the piece was 'inspired by the arbutus tree in the garden at Tidebrook.' (P. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, Chris Beetles Gallery, London, 2008, p. 117)'I feel that many people narrow life much too much. In my pictures I try to put the real thing, the miracle of it – indefinable because everything is connected' – Betty Swanwick, 1987Betty Swanwick's long and varied career encompassed writing novelettes, painting, illustration and design. A true visionary, Swanwick's works are influenced by her own dreams and are highly spiritual. Described by Chris Beetles as a 'watercolourist of mystical symbolism enriched with a strange beauty', Swanwick's pieces use symbolism to convey an understanding of the complexity of life. This type of narrative, visionary work occurred late in the artist's career. Swanwick initially studied at Goldsmiths College of Art, and her first commissions were primarily for murals. Her mural work, such as the piece commissioned for the Rocket restaurant during the Festival of Britain in 1951, contain a sense of joy and fun that would go on to underpin Swanwick's practice for the following decades. The artist herself, however, considered her later narrative pieces to be her best work. These pieces, such as Feeding the Flocks (lot 123) and Pandora (lot 120), were executed after Swanwick's resignation from her teaching post at Goldsmith's, which was prompted by the formalisation of arts education, a change that resulted in what Swanwick described as a 'cultural narrowness'. This refusal to bow to convention is evident throughout Swanwick's career, which consistently valued eccentricity and originality over conformity.The English pastoral landscapes that recur both in Swanwick's early work and later narrative pieces often act as the setting for myths or Biblical scenes. Pandora (lot 120), a watercolour where the Greek myth is re-imagined in a field of beehives, is a typical example of this. As a result of her use of the English pastoral, many critics have drawn a link between the artist and Stanley Spencer, whose own paintings and drawings, such as the Marriage at Cana series (lots 30 – 33), also placed Biblical events in a contemporary English context. Swanwick repeatedly refuted this link, instead listing Samuel Palmer and William Blake as her key influences. The beautifully rendered detail in Swanwick's landscapes apparent in The Black Shepherd (lot 124) and Preparatory Sketch for Wilderness Regained (lot 125), are reminiscent of Palmer's meticulous draughtsmanship. By placing herself within the context of Palmer and Blake, Swanwick was referring to, in her own words, 'a small tradition of English painting that is a bit eccentric, a little odd and a little visionary'. The following collection of works, amassed over several decades, provide a unique insight into this eccentric, odd and visionary work, that conveys life in all its complexity. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com