We found 1942 price guide item(s) matching your search

Frank O. Salisbury, British 1874-1962 - Religious figures; chalk and pastel on paper, 67.8 x 55 cm and smaller (unframed) (10) (ARR) Provenance: The Walpole Society, donated by Philip Mould & Company on behalf of a private collector Note: Frank O. Salisbury was one of the leading society portrait painters of his day. The son of a plumber and glazier, he was drawn to art at an early age and throughout his career painted many important figures in the cultural and political sphere, including Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill. His portraits of Dame Maud McCarthy and Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (King Edward VIII) are currently on display as part of the inaugural display at the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery in London. Salisbury also painted large-scale ceremonial, historical and religious scenes, many of which are now in public collections. Salisbury painted in a classical but lively style, bringing his sitters to life while remaining vehemently opposed to modern methods. The works for sale with Roseberys include portraits of glamourous society figures, politicians, eminent businesspeople, and members of the aristocracy. Interesting examples include portraits of Will Keith Kellogg, founder of the eponymous cereal company, Her Highness the Ameera of Bhahwalpur and Mrs Dunlap Hopkins, President of the Women’s School of Design in New York. There is also a highly moving study of a Nurse in Wartime uniform. Alongside these portraits, there is also a collection of large-scale studies for religious scenes. These works have remained unseen for several decades and were recently donated to The Walpole Society by Philip Mould & Company on behalf of a private collector. 

A Mixed Collection of Items to include Art Pottery Wall Plates, 19th Century Religious Figure, Brass Photo Stand etc.

Colonial School. Neogranadine Workshop. Circle of Gonzalo de Carvallo. 17th century."Saint Nicholas of Tolentino"Magnificent sculpture of the friar, in carved, gilded, estofado, and polychromed wood. It is lavishly decorated with  marvellous estofado technique with star and vegetation motifs.168 x 62 x 57 cm.We would situate the carving in the important group of sculptors that has been generically termed as "Neogranadine," or from New Granada, which, as we read in the book by Adrián Contreras-Guerrero, serves to "refer to the art produced anywhere in the Royal Audience of Santafé (regarding the 16th and 17th centuries) or in the Viceroyalty of New Granada (if it is from 1717 onwards). The historian proposes replacing both denominations with the adjective "Cundiboyacense" since "it is in this geographical context that the majority of artworks were made. The Altiplano Cundiboyacense (a high plateau in the Colombian Andes), with its two capitals, Bogotá and Tunja, was the area with the highest population density, and therefore, the greatest artistic activity."This school is clearly of Spanish character and contrasts with the mestizo style and more indigenous influences of the sculptural schools of Mexico or Peru.In our opinion, the sculpture is a clear example of the great influence of the Mannerist School of Seville that permeated Neogranadine art. As Contreras-Guerrero again notes, "One of these peninsular artists active in Santafé at the dawn of the 17th century is Gonzalo de Carvallo, who is referred to in several documents as a painter and sculptor simultaneously. The first one dates from 1587 and places him in Tunja where, as a painter, he was receiving the apprentice Juan Recuero for a period of three years. Later, in 1600, he was in Bogotá acting as a guarantor for Juan de la Cerda for a loan of 500 ducats. The only sculpture known to be by him, although he undoubtedly made more, is in the Church of Saint Augustine and depicts Saint Nicholas of Tolentino." Precisely the same saint we have here.Another sculpture that bears similarities to this one is the Saint Anthony from the Neogranadine workshop of the 17th century, kept in the Archdiocesan Museum of Religious Art in Pamplona, Colombia. Nicholas of Tolentino was a 13th century friar, an Italian Catholic priest, mystic, and the first saint of the Order of Saint Augustine to be canonised. He is considered to be a protector of the souls in Purgatory and an intercessor for justice, motherhood, childhood, and health.Dressed in black, typical of the Order of Augustinian Hermits, with a star in the centre of his chest, or a sun, due to one of the events in the saint's life: it is said that a bright star continually followed him in his movements and illuminated his figure.In his left hand, partially broken, he carries a plate on which a partridge rests, reminiscent of one of his many miracles. "When they brought him a plate with cooked partridges, he raised his hand and after making the sign of the cross on the dish, the birds took their form, their feathers grew, and they were revived and stood up." Bibliography consulted: Adrián Contreras-Guerrero. “Escultura en Colombia. Focos productores y circulación de obras (Siglos XVI-XVII)” (Sculpture in Colombia. Production focuses and circulation of works (16th-17th centuries)) Granada, 2019.

Colonial School. Quito. Ecuador. Attributable to Manuel de Chili "Caspicara" (Quito, 1723 - 1796).Saint Teresa of Avila, as Doctor of the ChurchCarved and polychromed wooden sculpture.Height: 77 cm.Magnificent sculpture with candelieri decoration (to be dressed). Wearing a richly adorned brown Carmelite habit and a toasted chickpea-coloured cloak with flourishes and embroidery. She wears an academic birreta. Missing from her right hand is the "plume of inspiration," and from her left, the "resting dove," as she used to call the Holy Spirit. Adorning her chest is a jewel embroidered in silver thread, with the Infant Jesus inside, symbolising her fervent love for Him, which she followed and pursued throughout her life. This represents the famous engraving by Antonius Wierix (Antwerp, c. 1555/1559 - 1604) that was in her cell, and which provided her with so much peace and love when she contemplated it.Undoubtedly, the sculpture is a marvellous example of Quito imagery. It bears important similarities to the "Dressed Image of the Virgin of Mercy" or "Pilgrim of Quito," circa 1700-1750, kept in the LACMA, Los Angeles County Museum of Art.It retains its original clothing of embroidered silk, silver thread, gemstones, and thread. Adorning her chest is a silk embroidered heart with the inflamed heart of the Infant Jesus, made of painted glass, inside it. Manuel Chili, known by his artistic name, "Caspicara", was one of the most important indigenous sculptors of the so-called Quito School of the 18th century.His teachers were Diego de Robles and Bernardo de Legarda, with whom he collaborated as a young man in their workshops.In fact, he is considered the successor in the art of imagery to Bernardo de Legarda, who created magnificent sculptures, especially in wood or marble.Caspicara began his work making images at a very early age, according to the historian Jaime Aguilar de Paredes, until he achieved a mastery that placed him at the level of European artists.Specializing in religious motifs made of wood and marble, his work was made for the most important altars in churches and convents in the region, although his sculptures also reached Europe to form part of the collections of the nobility and monarchy.The Quito school, led by Caspicara, reached its maximum splendour in the 17th and 18th centuries, being of great prestige among the colonies as well as in the Spanish Court in Madrid.  Its production was one of the activities that contributed the most income to the Royal Court of Quito.The phrase attributed to King Charles III, referring to the Quito School, is well known: "I am not worried that Italy has Michaelangelo, in my American colonies I have the master Caspicara".His best-known works are in Quito Cathedral and in San Francisco Church in Quito, as well as in the Hispanic Society of America.Likewise, as the Cervantes Institute website indicates: “Due to the beauty of the way in which they were prepared, the Christ of Bethlehem is outstanding; also, the recumbent Christ and the Virgin of Light that watch over the Museum of the Central Bank of Ecuador; the Assumption of the Virgin that adorns the Church of San Francisco; the Impression of the Wounds, located in La Cantuña; and in particular, the Holy Shroud that visitors to the cathedral of Quito can admire.” Reference bibliography:- Aguilar Paredes, Jaime. "Grandes Personalidades de la Partria Ecuatoriana". Ed. Fray Judoco Ricke, p. 104.

Colonial School. Los Lugo Circle . New Granada. 17th century.'Saint Francis Borgia' Monumental and magnificent carved, gilded and polychromed wooden sculpture with 'estofado' decoration. 182 x 81 x 81 cm. A magnificent sculpture, highly comparable in anatomy and forms to the pair of Jesuit saints (Saint Francis Borgia and Saint Ignatius of Loyola) by Juan Martínez Montañés (1568-1649), created between 1624-1625 for the Church of the Annunciation in Seville, originally the Professed House of the Society of Jesus and currently used as a university chapel. It is evident that the model is that of the sculpture of Saint Francis Borgia, which is not surprising, as the influence of the Seville Master was decisive in the training of the sculptors of New Granada. The figures in the church in Seville wear black, Jesuit cassocks, but they are considered to require extra clothing. However, the cassock on this sculpture is richly decorated with golden scrolls, as befits the 17th century. Nevertheless, the faces and hands are very similar to the sculptures in Seville in their position, depth, anatomy, movements, and foreshortening. We base our attribution on the significant coincidence of artistic traits with the large-scale Saint Ignatius, located on the Altar of the Church of San Ignacio in Tunja, and catalogued as being made by the Los Lugo Circle. The position of the saint is identical, as is the habit. They have the same decoration and sculptural quality in faces and hands. Without a doubt, we can attribute its creation to an artist in Pedro de Lugo's workshop, who could well have been the master himself. In the aforementioned altarpiece, Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Aloysius Gonzaga flank Saint Ignatius of Loyola, who presides over them. As stated by Adrián Contreras-Guerrero, 'thanks to Father Mercado, we know that the three central images of said altarpiece [...], were commissioned in Santafé,' which reaffirms our attribution to the Los Lugo Circle. As indicated by Francisco J. Herrera and Lázaro Gila, 'referring to Pedro de Lugo Albarracín, implies delving into the little-known field of the Neogranadine sculptural workshops of the 17th century, which, judging by the remaining artworks, must have been intensely active artisically, supported by the growing demand of private individuals, clergy, religious orders, cathedrals, and parishes, both in the capital and in surrounding localities. Just as names such as Antonio Acero de la Cruz, Baltasar de Figueroa, and Gregorio Vázquez de Arce are mentioned that express the creative maturity of the Santafé workshop in painting, Pedro de Lugo Albarracín and some others with the same surname (Salvador or Lorenzo) are predominantly cited when referring to the progress that occurred in sculpture during that century in colonial Santafé and other cities such as Tunja.' Both scholars analyse Pedro de Lugo's preference for the figure of Christ at different moments of his Passion, but they also point out that he and his workshop created images of saints and some reliquaries, a fact that is closely related to our figure. They mention, for example, 'two sculptures of the Saint of Assisi, located in the church of the convent of the order in Tunja.' One of them 'has similarities to the homonymous Saint of the altarpiece of Saint Francis Borgia, in the Jesuit temple of Bogotá, also already related to Lugo.' Regarding the origin of the sculptor Pedro de Lugo, we read again in Herrera and Lázaro that, 'taking into account his Andalusian ancestry, his possible birth in Jerez, and the close relations that he and his ancestors would have had with Andalusia, the most suitable place to imagine he had his training is Seville. Well before going to Latin America for the first time, or in a youthful stay, Pedro de Lugo could have trained as a sculptor and caster in the Andalusian capital. Ig is worth noting that the city had an important establishment for the production of artillery, where he would have learnt the techniques of alloying iron, copper, and tin, and even lead and other soft metals.' Pedro and his brothers Alonso and Juan maintained an active workshop of sculpture and casting in different materials in Santafé in the central decades of the 17th century, whose influence extends beyond the capital, reaching various locations, especially Tunja. Regarding the depicted character, Javier Baladrón, Doctor in Art History, explains that 'Saint Francis Borgia (1510-1572) was a Valencian saint who became the third General of the Society of Jesus. One of the best-known episodes of his life, which would become vital in his iconography, is that of the death of Queen Isabel of Portugal, wife of Charles V, in 1539. She was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world. This death marked him so much that he always commented that it was the day of his conversion: 'For the empress who died on a day like today. For what the Lord did in me because of her death. For the years that mark my conversion today.' Subsequently, he organised the entourage that escorted the queen's body to the Royal Chapel of Granada. Before it was buried, he observed the disfigured face of the queen, which became one of his most recurring attributes, and he was asked if he swore that it was the queen, to which he replied, 'I have brought the body of Our Lady in strict custody from Toledo to Granada, but I dare not swear that it is herself, whose beauty I so admired.'' Baladrón continues to describe this Saint Francis Borgia: 'a still and meditative figure. He stands upright, with his right leg slightly forward, creating a contrapposto that gives the composition dynamism. This is also contributed to by the opening of the arms in different directions and the turning of the face to contemplate the cross. We do not know if originally the skull could have been in one of the two hands since it is currently held to the ground by a rod. He extends his left arm, making a declamatory gesture with his hand while pointing to the royal skull at his feet; at the same time, he flexes his right arm, bringing the crucifix that he holds in that hand closer to his face. The hands are very delicate, elegant, and realistically accentuated, so that the bones, joints, veins, lines, and even the nails are carefully defined. The head is the most impressive part of the whole, with each of the facial features and the locks that make up his sparse beard and hair perfectly and skilfully delineated. The sculptor has accurately captured the facial features of the saint, so he has managed to make a portrait, which was known through the death mask that was taken of him. He wears the typical Jesuit habit consisting of black cassock and cape, decorated with a dense network of delicate golden vegetation motifs that completely cover both garments, as if with horror vacui. Likewise, both garments are traversed by countless moving and dynamic folds, most of them soft and falling vertically, which break up the surfaces creating a succession of concave and convex surfaces. This is especially visible on the back where we find a succession of rigid tubular folds.' We would like to thank Javier Baladrón, Doctor in Art History, for the formal and iconographic description of the sculpture. Reference bibliography: - Contreras-Guerrero, Adrián. (2019) 'Escultura en Colombia. Focos productores y circulación de obras (siglos XVI-XVIII)”. Universidad de Granada. - Herrera, Francisco Javier y Gila Medina, Lázaro. (2018). “Pedro de Lugo Albarracín y el desarrollo del pleno barroco en la escultura neogranadina del siglo XVII”, capítulo IX en “El triunfo del barroco en la escultura andaluza e hispanoamericana”. (p. 305-365). Universidad de Granada. Spanish Americas.

Francisco Martinez (Mexico, 1687 - 1758)"The Good Shepherd as the Mystical Lamb"Oil on canvas.133 x 157 cm.A beautiful and sensitive depiction of the Good Shepherd, who gazes upon his flock questioningly, full of tenderness and mercy, opening his chest as a clear symbol of altruism leading to the complete sacrifice of himself. "I shed my blood for you, and whoever drinks from it shall never die."Undoubtedly, the painting shows a more humanised and Christian vision typical of colonial painting when compared with the famous Ghent Altarpiece "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb" by the Van Eyck brothers, in which the Lamb of God, on an altar, with blood flowing from its chest, fills a chalice symbolising Christ and His sacrifice on the Cross, his giving of himself in the Eucharist.Both in the Ghent painting and in this one, there is a dove representing the Holy Spirit and, around it, several angels in adoration.Above the Good Shepherd, the inscription reads: "EGO SVM PASTOR BONVS ..." (I am the Good Shepherd).The Mexican painter Francisco Martínez, active between 1717 and 1758, was a New Spanish artist who still lacks a comprehensive monograph. However, Professor Luisa Elena Alcalá, a specialist in Ibero-American art of the Viceroyalty period, raises various relevant questions about the artist in her study "La obra del pintor novohispano Francisco Martínez" (1999). In addition to being a painter, as was common in the era, Martínez was a "gilder, reredos assembler, and decorator for short-lived festivals, enjoying great prestige in several of these fields," Alcalá explains. "Among his most outstanding works are the gilding of the main altarpiece of the Mexico Cathedral (1743), the erection of the funerary tomb of Felipe V in Guatemala (1747), and the subsequent creation of ephemeral architecture for the swearing-in of Fernando VI in Mexico (1747)." Also noteworthy is the "Nun’s Badge with the Annunciation and Saints" (circa 1750), signed "Martínez Sancti Officii Notarius Fecit," which is in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) (Inv. M.2015.142.1).His professional prestige, as noted by Alcalá, "can also be inferred from the numerous occasions when he provided expert opinions on miraculous images, enquiries into manufacturing processes and fairly common supernatural transformations in the religious sphere of the Viceroyalty."The painter, who also had a relationship with José de Ibarra, an "inescapable reference for understanding the figure of Francisco Martínez," with whom he coincided "on several commissions and competitions," carried out numerous commissions for the Jesuits. In fact, Alcalá asserts that "the 18th century was the golden age of the Jesuits in New Spain, when the profits from estates and mills allowed for massive reconstruction of their colleges and churches, and Martínez knew how to meet the artistic needs of the Society." Lastly, it should be mentioned that he was appointed notary of the Holy Tribunal, a prestigious title that, as pointed out by Ilona Katzew in her description of the aforementioned nun's shield for LACMA, "indicates his high social position."Reference bibliography:- Alcalá, Luisa Elena. (1999). “La obra del pintor novohispano Francisco Martínez”. En Anales del Museo de América (7), 175-187. Ministerio de Educación Cultura y Deporte: Subdirección General de Documentación y Publicaciones. https://hdl.handle.net/10486/671800- Katzew, Ilona (2015). “Nun’s Badge with the Annunciation and Saints”. Conservationist's notes. LACMA. https://collections.lacma.org/node/2115912

"Portrait of the Cornejo Sancho Family"Oil on canvas. Dated 1754.245 x 317 cm.This lot has a valid export permit from the Spanish Ministry of Culture.An extensive and well-documented study by Dr. Clara Zamora Meca is attached. In it, she mentions the possible attribution to the painter Cristóbal de Aguilar. "It is possible to attribute it to Cristóbal de Aguilar, a portraitist who worked in Lima in the second half of the 18th century, a contemporary of Cristóbal de Lozano. His best-known painting is the portrait of Viceroy Amat, painted in 1771 for the Nazarene Monastery. The chronology of his known artworks ranges from 1745 to 1769, some are signed and others attributed."Furthermore, it is relevant that Cristóbal Aguilar was a painter who specialised in portraying members of the Lima nobility and the political elite of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It is logical to assume that the commission of such an important painting by a well-known personality in the period would have been entrusted to one of the best artists of the time. Despite not being signed (as was the case in most instances), its authorship cannot be anonymous.This is an exceptional Lima painting of enormous interest from both a historical, artistic, and iconographic point of view, and because of the extremely interesting information that the painting itself provides, reflecting the different social strata, the Marian invocation that presides over it, the detailed depiction of each character with their personal information, and the union of both continents depicted in the family's transposition to the New World (through two of its members). The information is obtained through the commission of this portrait, as well as the information provided by the study of the painting by Dr. Clara Zamora, which includes data extracted from, the Archivo de Indias or the Archivo Municipal de Arganda, among others.Interesting documents such as Manuel Cornejo's passenger licence to the Indies (1711) and four papal bulls with the signature of José Cornejo are attached to her study, two from Innocent XIII to King Philip V, communicating the provision of the archbishopric of La Plata (Charcas) and the archbishopric of Lima (both from 1723), and the other two from Clement XI to King Philip V, communicating the provision of Nueva Segovia (Ilocos) and Nueva Cáceres (Camarines), both located in the Philippines.In this case, as in other frequent cases, it was customary to make posthumous portraits, as we read in Dr. Zamora's study: "The true boom in portraits occurred in the 18th century. The end of the War of Succession marked a turning point between the predominantly historical and commemorative character of portraiture and that of ostentation, as is the case here, which was introduced, fundamentally, by the French artistic trend. As the elite acquired noble titles, their portraits became richer in decoration, although their expression remained very severe. The portrait was not intended to reproduce the psychology of the sitter, but to manifest their belonging to a social group, a religious community, or a corporation. As in this case, it was common for some portraits to be made posthumously. Some of the subjects were no longer alive when this work was painted in 1754."Regarding the representation of this peculiar portrait, Zamora continues: "It is an atypical composition, a scene with twelve people, who appear between two palatial rooms, in a kind of hallway. The scene is crowned by Our Lady of the Sanctuary of Toledo. There are several artistic relationships between the Cathedral of Toledo and Spanish America during the Modern Age. Our Lady of the Sanctuary was worshipped to an enormous extent in New Spain. The 1672 painting by Francisco Rizi to be sent to Puebla de los Ángeles (Mexico) at the request of Manuel Miranda Palomeque is another example. Our Lady of the Sanctuary was considered "mother and protector," as also stated in the inscription surrounding her in this painting. "Bajo tu protección" (Under your protection) is the oldest hymn currently preserved of the Virgin Mary as Mother of God. The transcription of the text surrounding the virgin in the painting is the same: MONSTRATE ESSE MATREM SUB TUUM PRESIDIUM CONFUGIMUS."The composition is adapted to the style of elite portraits of the time: the subjects stand, with four essential elements: drapery, a heraldic shield (with a marquess crown in this case), cartouches with descriptions of the characters, and elements that allude to the positions of those represented (for example, the mitre belonging to one of them). Colonial painting was almost always executed on canvas, with large-sized canvases. The size of this painting is striking, as is the large family group it depicts, making it an artwork of tremendous interest.Cano Picó and Puig Galindo write about the unmistakable Hispano-American aspect of the work, "The painting has all the characteristics of the portrait painting style that developed in Hispanic America during the Viceroyalty or Colonial period. The background architecture with irregular perspective have all the characteristics of colonial architecture from the Viceroyalty period. Another aspect of the painting related to Hispanic America is in the clothing, such as the use of richly made aprons that complement the attire of important people. In Spain, the attire of aristocratic ladies did not include aprons as accessories, while in Hispanic America, the use of aprons as a complement to the clothing of important ladies was frequent."The painting features a central cartouche with the family crest at the bottom that reads: "DON MANUEL CORNEJO. / I D. JULIANA SANCHO. / I SUS HIJOS." This shield corresponds to the Cornejo Family in Arganda del Rey.At the bottom, there are ten cartouches with the name and titles identifying each of the characters. In this regard, the excellent study carried out by Ramón Cano Picó and Cristina Puig Galindo, which thoroughly delves into each of the characters, is very interesting.Regarding those portrayed, as Zamora notes, "The Sancho Granado family was a very prominent family in Arganda del Rey (Spain). The Sanchos, upon uniting with the Granados, achieved the definitive merger between this place and the Society of Jesus. In 1613, Juan Sancho, mayor of the Holy Brotherhood, led a group of 27 people from Arganda who opposed the sale of the Villa to the powerful Duke of Lerma. This same Sancho led the Villa of Arganda against the power of the Society of Jesus." One of the daughters, Juliana Sancho Granado, married the physician don Manuel Cornejo, forming the Cornejo Sancho family, portrayed in this painting.Two of the sons travelled to New Spain, as Zamora continues, "Lawyer Manuel Cornejo, who appears in the information file and passenger licence to the Indies in the year 1711, with Manuel de la Cruz, a native of Toledo, as a superior commissioner (Archivo General de Indias, Signature: CONTRATACION, 5466, N. 1, R. 19. Date, 1711-07-28). This is the character that serves as a link for us to understand the transposition of this family to the New Spain. Also, the second of them, Juan Hernando, appears as "Dean and Canon of the Holy Metropolitan Church of Santiago" (Santiago de Chile, as it was called, not Santiago de Compostela)."In the conclusion of her study, Dr. Zamora leaves us with a phrase that we would like to highlight: "A very peculiar, ambitious, and rich piece that will spark much discussion in the future if we continue to investigate the path that opens up to all those who are interested in the history of humanity."Attached: - Study by Dr. in Art History, Clara Zamora Meca.Technical report by Ramón Cano Picó and Cristina Puig Galindo.

Miguel Cabrera (Antequera de Oaxaca, Mexico, 1695 - Mexico, 1768)"Our Lady of Sorrows" and "Saint Francis of Assisi"Pair of oil paintings on copper. The first signed  "Michl. Cabrera pinxit", el segundo "Michl. Cabrera en 1761".42 x 56.5 cm each. Miguel Mateo Maldonado y Cabrera was born on February 27, 1695, in Antequera, now Oaxaca City, Mexico. He is considered the foremost exponent of 18th-century New Spanish colonial painting. His parents are unknown and he was the godson of a mixed-race couple. He moved to Mexico City in 1719, where he began his artistic training. Cabrera painted altarpieces in the Jesuit church of Tepotzotlán in the State of Mexico, in the church of Santa Prisca in Taxco, Guerrero, and in the cathedrals of Mexico City and Puebla.Cabrera was not only a painter but also participated in the attempt to found an Academy of Arts in 1753. In 1756, he established himself as an intellectual, not just an artist, as he published a narrative about the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe through the printing press of the Jesuit college of San Ildefonso. In addition to easel painting, Cabrera's production includes altar design, large-scale works, as well as small artworks on copper and nun's shields. The figures in Cabrera's religious painting are of remarkable beauty, a beauty expressed through the ideological assumptions of worship of the time. It is refined art that possesses well-arranged chromatic richness, as well as great compositional work and, no less important, subtle and expressive drawing.Of all the painters of that time, Cabrera had the most personality; the way he typically treated his figures was undoubtedly the basis of his painting style, because he placed models that were not ideal in his paintings, but that corresponded to people whom the artist knew and interacted with, such as when he incorporated portraits of donors or so-called "prelates" in some paintings, as he needed to observe directly and copy from nature. He was appointed court painter of Archbishop Manuel Rubio y Salinas, who commissioned him to study and paint the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The image was sent to Pope Benedict XIV, from whom he obtained the highest recognition as a painter of Guadalupe. Outstanding portraits he painted include the one of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, housed in the National Museum of History, and that of Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, located in the Museum of Colonial Art in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.Cabrera's work is present in numerous public and private collections, such as the Pinacoteca de La Profesa, the Andrés Blaisten Collection in Mexico, and the Museum of the Americas in Madrid, which has a series of caste paintings consisting of sixteen paintings, perhaps one of his greatest masterpieces. Provenance:- Private collection Bilbao. 

Attributed to Manuel de Chili "Caspicara" (Quito, 1723 - 1796)"Christ tied to the Column"Carved, polychromed wooden sculpture with sculpted bone and glass eyes. Total measurements: 28 x 24 x 14 cm. Christ measurements: 26 x 19 x 12 cm.A magnificent example of Quito imagery, which in our opinion should be attributed to Caspicara, due to the undeniable similarities with other known sculptures by the master.The sculptor conveys to us with all harshness the terror that Jesus had to endure on his way to Calvary. The back is completely flayed, with raw flesh, revealing the sculpted spinal column of Jesus in sculpted bone. The face reflects acceptance and pain, the gaze is of abandonment, and the gesture of the slightly open mouth shows the intricately carved teeth. The body is tied to the column in a slight twist. Everything in this sculpture is of a fascinating quality and mastery.Manuel Chili, known by his artistic name, "Caspicara", was one of the most important indigenous sculptors of the so-called Quito School of the 18th century.His teachers were Diego de Robles and Bernardo de Legarda, with whom he collaborated as a young man in their workshops.In fact, he is considered the successor in the art of imagery to Bernardo de Legarda, who created magnificent sculptures, especially in wood or marble.Caspicara began his work making images at a very early age, according to the historian Jaime Aguilar de Paredes, until he achieved a mastery that placed him at the level of European artists.Specializing in religious motifs made of wood and marble, his work was made for the most important altars in churches and convents in the region, although his sculptures also reached Europe to form part of the collections of the nobility and monarchy.The Quito school, led by Caspicara, reached its maximum splendour in the 17th and 18th centuries, being of great prestige among the colonies as well as in the Spanish Court in Madrid.  Its production was one of the activities that contributed the most income to the Royal Court of Quito.The phrase attributed to King Charles III, referring to the Quito School, is well known: "I am not worried that Italy has Michaelangelo, in my American colonies I have the master Caspicara".His best-known works are in Quito Cathedral and in San Francisco Church in Quito, as well as in the Hispanic Society of America.Likewise, as the Cervantes Institute website indicates: “Due to the beauty of the way in which they were prepared, the Christ of Bethlehem is outstanding; also, the recumbent Christ and the Virgin of Light that watch over the Museum of the Central Bank of Ecuador; the Assumption of the Virgin that adorns the Church of San Francisco; the Impression of the Wounds, located in La Cantuña; and in particular, the Holy Shroud that visitors to the cathedral of Quito can admire.”Reference bibliography:- Aguilar Paredes, Jaime. "Grandes Personalidades de la Partria Ecuatoriana". Ed. Fray Judoco Ricke, p. 104.

Attributed to Jan Gossart "Mabuse" (Maubeuge, circa 1478 - Antwerp, 1532)"Virgin and Child (Portrait of Anna van Bergen with her son Hendrik)"Oil on panel. 47.5 x 36 cm.Our hypothesis regarding this painting, of which there are a few copies by Gossart's contemporaries and followers, is that it is the original by Mabuse which belonged to the Marqués de Leganés, registered in the inventory of his collection as number 379 ("Another image of Our Lady with the Child in her arms, holding a handheld rosary by Mabuse, measuring just under half a yard in number three hundred and seventy-nine, valued at twelve hundred Reales"). It was documented for the last time in 1655 and not located since then.  The information that supports our hypothesis can be found in the doctoral thesis "El Marqués de Leganés y las Artes" by José Juan Pérez Preciado: "The motif of the rosary in the hands of the Virgin was frequently repeated among Flemish artists of the 15th century. Gossaert used it in a devotional work of which several copies are known. According to Karel van Mander, it was a painting created during Gossaert's service at the court of Adolf de Bourgogne, Marquess of Vere and Teerveuren. The artist used portraits of the nobleman's wife and son. According to Friedländer, the main painting under this iconography that the author created is that of the Metropolitan Museum in New York (inv. 17.190.17 T. 45 x 34). Although others are also preserved in the Royal Museum of Brussels (T. 43.7 x 31; inv. 3377), or in the Dresden Gallery. The fate of the painting is unknown, as it had already left the collection in 1711, when it was claimed by the Count of Altamira, the legal heir to the entire collection. It has not been possible to link any known copy to the work owned by Leganés, although the presence of a copy in the K. Kocherthaler collection in Madrid at the beginning of the 20th century is significant, as Friedländer himself attests."As indicated by the typewritten label on the back, with data from the former owner, it states that it was acquired precisely from the Kuno Kocherthaler collection in Madrid. Therefore, our painting is the one mentioned earlier in the thesis by José Juan Pérez Preciado, which was in Madrid at the beginning of the 20th century and could well be the one belonging to the Marqués de Leganés that has not been located to date.The MET in New York, as mentioned by Preciado, has a Virgin and Child similar to this one in its collections a, painted by a follower of Gossart, with collection number: 17.190.17.The Metropolitan, in its description of the work dating from after 1522, suggests that it may be "a replica of the lost original portrait by Gossart of the noble Anna van Bergen posing with her son Hendrik as the Virgin and Child." The note continues, stating that "portraits in which secular people adopt the appearance of sacred figures may seem provocative to modern sensibilities, but they capture the aspirations of their subjects to emulate the ideals of virtue and piety."As we read in the Museo del Prado's entry on Jan Gossaert, "The signed works that are preserved by Jan Gossaert, known as Mabuse, allude to his origin in Maubeuge, in Hainaut - currently in northern France. Although there is no news of where he was trained, it is possible that he received his education in Bruges, in the workshop of Gérard David (doc. 1484-1523), before 1503 when he enrolled in the Guild of Antwerp. In October 1508, he accompanied Philip of Burgundy to Rome, and during his stay in this city, Gossaert drew ancient statues and architectural monuments for him, becoming the first Flemish painter to directly experience Italian art. Upon returning to Flanders, he introduced classical models into his works, which abound in themes from Antiquity and nudes, such as those he painted in 1516 for Philip of Burgundy in the decoration of the castle of Suytburg in Zeeland, in collaboration with Jacopo de Barbari (ca. 1445-ca. 1515). Simultaneously, Gossaert became interested in 15th-century Flemish painting and copied some artworks, including those of Jan van Eyck (doc. 1422-1441), as he did in this panel at the Prado. His debt to tradition is also evident in his interest in translating the qualities of things, an interest that he maintained even in paintings and drawings of religious or mythological subjects in which classical forms are embodied in human types originating from Flanders (González Mozo, A .: El trazo oculto. Dibujos subyacentes en pinturas de los siglos XV y XVI, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2006, pp. 102-113)."Provenance:Former Kuno Kocherthaler Collection, Madrid. Early 20th century.Private collection.Reference bibliography: - Pérez Preciado, José Juan. (2008). "El Marqués de Leganés y las Artes”. [Tesis de doctorado. Universidad Complutense de Madrid]. Docta Complutense.- Museo del Prado. (s.f.). "Gossaert, Jan". https://www.museodelprado.es/coleccion/artista/gossaert-jan/c0969eda-6fea-4a7c-a868-2b919aa9a01f- Metropolitan Museum of Art. (s.f.). "Virgin and Child". https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436539

Copper gilt and engraved pyx, with champlevé enamel. Limoges. France. Romanesque. 13th century.11 x 7 cm.In the form of a cylindrical box with a conical lid, it is adorned with champlevé enamel in shades of turquoise, sky blue, lapis lazuli blue, green, red, yellow, and white.The decoration alternates medallions containing an angel on a cloud with fine curvilinear drawings of vegetation motifs enclosing a fleur-de-lis.The lid alternates vegetation elements with coats of arms.Topped with a cross-shaped knob. It is in a marvellous state of preservation.The interior retains most of the gilding. The clasp is not preserved.An example of equal importance to this one is the one preserved in the MET in New York, with inventory number 32.100.284, which includes the rarity of the coats of arms on the lid, (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/467492). In their opinion, the shields are fictitious and serve as ornamental features. They specify: "They may seem an unusual choice for an object intended to contain the consecrated bread as the body of Christ during the Mass, but the lines between the religious and secular realms of the Middle Ages were often blurred."Another example also preserved in the MET in New York, with inventory number 32.100.281, is a pyx which also has the angels on clouds of sunlight, present in a circular reserve. (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/467489).This lot has been imported, therefore ensuring exportability by the Ministry of Culture of Spain.Reference bibliography:- De Limoges a Silos". Exhibition catalogue Madrid - Brussels - Santo Domingo de Silos, November 2001- April 2002.- L’Oeuvre de Limoges. Émaux limousins du Moyen Âge, catalogue d’exposition [Paris, musée du Louvre, 23.10.1995-22.01.1996 ; New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 4.03-16.06.1996], Paris, Éd. De la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1995.- GAUTHIER, Marie-Madeleine (dir.), Émaux méridionaux : catalogue international de l’Oeuvre de Limoges. Tome 2: L’apogée 1190-1215, Paris, éditions du CTHS, 2011. 

English School. Midlands. Nottingham. Gothic. Circa 1350 - 1375."Mary Magdalene"Alabaster sculpture with remnants of polychrome and gilding.Measurements without plinth: 46.5 x 14.5 x 13.5 cm.Height with plinth: 57 cm.From the mid-14th century until the iconoclastic crisis, which occurred with the Anglican Reformation in the 16th century, alabaster sculpture workshops flourished in central England, especially around Nottingham. There was a great boom in monumental and funerary sculptures, as well as in reliefs or altarpieces intended for the local market and for export.Alabaster carving, mainly extracted from the quarries of Tutbury and Chellaston near Nottingham, took on industrial proportions in England between the mid-14th and early 16th centuries. The market for altarpieces and small devotional images was very extensive. It included not only religious foundations but also bourgeois classes. Hundreds of English alabaster sculptures were exported, some as far as Iceland and Santiago de Compostela.Similar examples to this one, representing saints in sculpture rather than the more usual reliefs, include, for example, the wonderful Virgin and Child, which is part of the collection of the British Museum in London, inventory number 2016,8041.1 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_2016-8041-1) with a face very similar to that of this Mary Magdalene.As indicated in the Museum's description of the sculpture we are comparing, regarding dating: "This places the statue at the very beginning of the period when alabaster began being used as a luxury material for sculptural compositions. The raw material was quarried in Derbyshire and Staffordshire and there is sufficient evidence to suggest that many of the early workers of the stone were based in the Midlands. The condition and technical finesse of this figure represents the highest levels of English sculpture in alabaster.The early artists who worked alabaster in the Midlands attracted the attention of King Edward III who in 1363 ordered a carved alabaster altarpiece from Peter the Maceon of Nottingham. These sculptures from the King’s chapel at Windsor, along with the majority of comparable pieces in situ were destroyed during the English Reformation.."Another sculpture from the mid-14th century, The Virgin and Child, is preserved in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, with inventory number A.140-1946. (https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70632/standing-virgin-and-child-statuette-unknown/)Other comparable pieces, although from the 15th century and already characteristic of Nottingham production, would be, for example: the mid-15th-century Saint Fiacre, which is part of the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, inventory number: 25.120.227. (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/472307) or Saint Jude, which is kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, inventory number A.60-1946 (https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O70146/st-jude-statuette-unknown/) Bibliography:Cheetham, Francis. English Medieval Alabasters. Oxford: Phaidon-Christie's Limited, 1984. p. 191 (cat. 118) 

Colonial School. Mexico. 18th century."Coronation of the Virgin"Nun's shield. Oil on copper. With tortoiseshell frame and back.Diameter: 19 cm.The LACMA in Los Angeles, has a nun’s badge in its collection by the Mexican painter Francisco Martínez (Mexico, 1687-1758) dated circa 1750, with the central theme of The Annunciation surrounded by Saints. (Inv. M.2015.142.1)As Professor Ilona Katzew, Curator and Head of the Latin American Art Department at the LACMA in Los Angeles, notes with respect to these nun’s shields:"This small-scale painting is a badge worn by nuns of the Order of the Immaculate Conception (also known as Conceptionists) in Mexico as part of their dress. Painted badges originated in Mexico in response to religious reforms introduced by the archbishop Francisco Manso y Zúñiga (ruled 1629-1635), who attempted to curtail the luxury and privilege of the convent lifestyle. He forbade nuns to wear shields made of gold, precious stones, and enamel. The nuns circumvented this rule by commissioning shields painted on copper or parchment, and set into frames made of tortoiseshell. Many of the badges were painted by the best artists of the day."This genre of devotional art was widespread during the 17th and 18th centuries in Spain and the New Hispanic world.They tended to be small pictures painted or embroidered with religious scenes, which nuns wore on their chests as they took their vows.It is in the classic portraits of crowned nuns, also with flowers, veils and other ornaments, where we can see the relevance these badges had.On occasions, artists of the calibre of José de Páez, Luís Juárez or Miguel Cabrera made some of these badges.

Nicholas Wyatt The Anchoress, 2023 Watercolour, ink and acrylic on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by AOAP About Dr Nicholas Wyatt is a founding member of Cubitt, an artist-run gallery and studios in London which has gained an international recognition and receives public funding. Nicholas Wyatt's paintings explore how narratives of presence are communicated in painting with particular reference to the reception aesthetics of certain key examples of Baroque religious iconography. Nicholas has exhibited at Victoria Miro, London; Arnolfini, Bristol; Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf; Academia Italiana, London, Galerie de Rijk, Netherlands, Basilica Santa Anastasia Al Palatino, Rome and and with Cubitt Artists at London Art Fair. He has shown work with Peter Doig, Petra van Harte, Tacita Dean, Mariele Neudecker, Neal Tait, Henriette van t'Hoog, Uwe Esser, Howard Rogers, Nelson Diplexcito and Jan Kolata. His work in public collections includes CCR Collection, Palazzo Calista, The Vatican and Stadt Sparkasse Bank, Dusseldorf and private collections in UK, Netherlands and Germany. He has curated international exhibitions - Crosscurrents, the Netherlands, 1993; Sconfinamenti, Italy 1995-97; After the Endgame - New Abstraction, Amsterdam 2008. In 1997 with Simon Morley, he founded The Friedrich Society (an artist debating society on the legacy of German Romanticism in contemporary practice) and co-curated the Wreck of Hope exhibition at The Nunnery Gallery, Bow Arts Trust, London. He has given conference papers in his area of research at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and Loughborough University. Education 2009-2015. PhD. Loughborough University. Thesis (practice-based): The Christian Image & Contemporary British Painting. (The communication of Meaning and Experience in Religious Paintings) 1981-1984 Central St Martins School of Art, London. BA Hons Fine Art (Painting) Select Exhibitions/Awards 2023 Cubitt Artists at London Art Fair 2022 Cubitt 30 Victoria Miro Gallery London 2022 Cubitt 30 Victoria Miro online in association with Vortic Art 2022 St. Ives Society of Artists Spring exhibition. 2021 Art on a Postcard Winter Auction 2021 The Art of Painting, Copeland Gallery, London 2017 Angels & The City, Cubitt Salon #10, Cubitt, London (Petra van Harte) 2017 Basilica Santa Anastasia al Palatino, Rome, 2014 Nicholas Wyatt. Loughborough University. (solo) 2013 Research as Practice. Beaconsfield Gallery, London. 2008 True Romance, Galerie Anton, The Hague. 2007 After the Endgame-New Abstraction. R.C. de Ruimte, Amsterdam 2005 Nicholas Wyatt Showcase nl. Amsterdam. (solo) 2003 Nicholas Wyatt. Galerie de Rijk, The Hague . 2003 Lonely this Christmas. James Windsor Art, London 2000 Nicholas Wyatt. Azul Galerie, The Hague. (solo), 2000 The Wreck of Hope. The Nunnery Gallery, London. 1999. Where do You Want to Go Today? Cubitt, London (Petra van Harte) 1997 Sconfinamenti. Accademia Italiana, London 1996 Grosse Kunst Austellung, Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf 1996 Nicholas Wyatt. Ateliers Hoherweg, Dusseldorf (solo) 1996 The Question of Scale. Arnolfini, Bristol. 1993 Crosscurrents, Centrum Beeldende Kunst Rotterdam (TENT) 1991 Hearts Desire. Knapp Gallery, London (solo) Gallery Representation Cubitt, London Statement about AOAP Submitted Artwork The paintings I have submitted for Art on a Postcard Winter Auction 2023 - 'Tippi at Cooling' and 'The Anchoress' - are examples of my current painting practice, which relates two systems of thought routinely dissociated by modern secular concepts and values: religion and aesthetics. My paintings propose an intervention, not in what is generally regarded as a defunct system of vision - religious imagery - but an intervention in the discourses of a contemporary visual system: - the contemporary painted image - and conflates those historical idioms with contemporary secular visual systems such as fashion photography and cinema. 'Tippi at Cooling' is very much about a genius loci -'spirit of place' - in this case the low-lying marshlands of Cooling in Kent. Across this landscape the figure of the American actress, Tippi Hedren walks, carrying a bird cage. Above her a small group of birds is thrown into relief by the stormy sky. The scene depicted is based on a personal memory. 'The Anchoress' is a smaller version of a larger studio painting which presents a 1930's fashion model holding lilies against a dark and contemplative background. The image suggested to me a similar sense of genius loci - 'spirit of place' - in this case the devotional cell of a mediaeval anchorite (e.g., St. Julian) These paintings explore the contemporary communication of meaning and experience in religious paintings (the visionary, the religious ecstatic). You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.  

Nicholas Wyatt Tippi At Cooling, 2023 Watercolour, Ink and Acrylic on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by AOAP About Dr Nicholas Wyatt is a founding member of Cubitt, an artist-run gallery and studios in London which has gained an international recognition and receives public funding. Nicholas Wyatt's paintings explore how narratives of presence are communicated in painting with particular reference to the reception aesthetics of certain key examples of Baroque religious iconography. Nicholas has exhibited at Victoria Miro, London; Arnolfini, Bristol; Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf; Academia Italiana, London, Galerie de Rijk, Netherlands, Basilica Santa Anastasia Al Palatino, Rome and and with Cubitt Artists at London Art Fair. He has shown work with Peter Doig, Petra van Harte, Tacita Dean, Mariele Neudecker, Neal Tait, Henriette van t'Hoog, Uwe Esser, Howard Rogers, Nelson Diplexcito and Jan Kolata. His work in public collections includes CCR Collection, Palazzo Calista, The Vatican and Stadt Sparkasse Bank, Dusseldorf and private collections in UK, Netherlands and Germany. He has curated international exhibitions - Crosscurrents, the Netherlands, 1993; Sconfinamenti, Italy 1995-97; After the Endgame - New Abstraction, Amsterdam 2008. In 1997 with Simon Morley, he founded The Friedrich Society (an artist debating society on the legacy of German Romanticism in contemporary practice) and co-curated the Wreck of Hope exhibition at The Nunnery Gallery, Bow Arts Trust, London. He has given conference papers in his area of research at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and Loughborough University. Education 2009-2015. PhD. Loughborough University. Thesis (practice-based): The Christian Image & Contemporary British Painting. (The communication of Meaning and Experience in Religious Paintings) 1981-1984 Central St Martins School of Art, London. BA Hons Fine Art (Painting) Select Exhibitions/Awards 2023 Cubitt Artists at London Art Fair 2022 Cubitt 30 Victoria Miro Gallery London 2022 Cubitt 30 Victoria Miro online in association with Vortic Art 2022 St. Ives Society of Artists Spring exhibition. 2021 Art on a Postcard Winter Auction 2021 The Art of Painting, Copeland Gallery, London 2017 Angels & The City, Cubitt Salon #10, Cubitt, London (Petra van Harte) 2017 Basilica Santa Anastasia al Palatino, Rome, 2014 Nicholas Wyatt. Loughborough University. (solo) 2013 Research as Practice. Beaconsfield Gallery, London. 2008 True Romance, Galerie Anton, The Hague. 2007 After the Endgame-New Abstraction. R.C. de Ruimte, Amsterdam 2005 Nicholas Wyatt Showcase nl. Amsterdam. (solo) 2003 Nicholas Wyatt. Galerie de Rijk, The Hague . 2003 Lonely this Christmas. James Windsor Art, London 2000 Nicholas Wyatt. Azul Galerie, The Hague. (solo), 2000 The Wreck of Hope. The Nunnery Gallery, London. 1999. Where do You Want to Go Today? Cubitt, London (Petra van Harte) 1997 Sconfinamenti. Accademia Italiana, London 1996 Grosse Kunst Austellung, Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf 1996 Nicholas Wyatt. Ateliers Hoherweg, Dusseldorf (solo) 1996 The Question of Scale. Arnolfini, Bristol. 1993 Crosscurrents, Centrum Beeldende Kunst Rotterdam (TENT) 1991 Hearts Desire. Knapp Gallery, London (solo) Gallery Representation Cubitt, London Statement about AOAP Submitted Artwork The paintings I have submitted for Art on a Postcard Winter Auction 2023 - 'Tippi at Cooling' and 'The Anchoress' - are examples of my current painting practice, which relates two systems of thought routinely dissociated by modern secular concepts and values: religion and aesthetics. My paintings propose an intervention, not in what is generally regarded as a defunct system of vision - religious imagery - but an intervention in the discourses of a contemporary visual system: - the contemporary painted image - and conflates those historical idioms with contemporary secular visual systems such as fashion photography and cinema. 'Tippi at Cooling' is very much about a genius loci -'spirit of place' - in this case the low-lying marshlands of Cooling in Kent. Across this landscape the figure of the American actress, Tippi Hedren walks, carrying a bird cage. Above her a small group of birds is thrown into relief by the stormy sky. The scene depicted is based on a personal memory. 'The Anchoress' is a smaller version of a larger studio painting which presents a 1930's fashion model holding lilies against a dark and contemplative background. The image suggested to me a similar sense of genius loci - 'spirit of place' - in this case the devotional cell of a mediaeval anchorite (e.g., St. Julian) These paintings explore the contemporary communication of meaning and experience in religious paintings (the visionary, the religious ecstatic). You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.  

Labrona Don't Let Me Go Acrylic ink and pen on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by Frankie Shea About Labrona is one of Canada's most well-known street artists. He has been a fixture on the Canadian and international street art scene for close to twenty years. Labrona was born in Magog Quebec in 1972 but grew up in Ottawa Ontario. His artistic influences are many but he cites the countless nights spent painting with his friends as the most important. His father who is an architect and an accomplished artist played a huge role in his development. As a child he loved comic books and skateboarding and was greatly influenced by the colourful graphics that adorn the bottom of the boards. During university he spent a lot of time in the library pouring through books but was the most impressed with the works of the German expressionist, the Mexican muralist, Byzantine and Flemish religious iconography traces of which are found in his work. Labrona now spends most of his time creating works in the studio and doing mural commissions. Last summer he and his friend Troy Lovegates were hired by both the city of Toronto and Ottawa to create large scale public murals. He has also been involved in many international mural festivals lately which allows him to travel and paint large scale pieces. He has participated in the Living Walls festival in both Atlanta and Albany, the Wall Therapy festival in Rochester, the Painted Desert project in Arizona, the Montreal mural festival and many more. Education He moved to Montreal in 1997 to attend Concordia University's art program from which he graduated in 2001. It was during his time at art school that he was introduced to the Montreal graffiti scene. He has said that he received two educations at once, one in art school and the other in the train yards and on the streets painting with his friend and mentor, Canadian street art legend other aka Troy Lovegates. Select Exhibitions/Awards In 2004 Labrona appeared in one of the seminal books of its time on the street art and graffiti scene: Graffiti World. The book helped him receive wide recognition for his work and he was soon approached by galleries from around the world. He has exhibited his work in galleries all over Europe and North America and has had major shows in Los Angeles, Paris, New York, London and Montreal.   You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.    

Labrona Hold Me Acrylic ink and pen on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by Frankie Shea About Labrona is one of Canada's most well-known street artists. He has been a fixture on the Canadian and international street art scene for close to twenty years. Labrona was born in Magog Quebec in 1972 but grew up in Ottawa Ontario. His artistic influences are many but he cites the countless nights spent painting with his friends as the most important. His father who is an architect and an accomplished artist played a huge role in his development. As a child he loved comic books and skateboarding and was greatly influenced by the colourful graphics that adorn the bottom of the boards. During university he spent a lot of time in the library pouring through books but was the most impressed with the works of the German expressionist, the Mexican muralist, Byzantine and Flemish religious iconography traces of which are found in his work. Labrona now spends most of his time creating works in the studio and doing mural commissions. Last summer he and his friend Troy Lovegates were hired by both the city of Toronto and Ottawa to create large scale public murals. He has also been involved in many international mural festivals lately which allows him to travel and paint large scale pieces. He has participated in the Living Walls festival in both Atlanta and Albany, the Wall Therapy festival in Rochester, the Painted Desert project in Arizona, the Montreal mural festival and many more. Education He moved to Montreal in 1997 to attend Concordia University's art program from which he graduated in 2001. It was during his time at art school that he was introduced to the Montreal graffiti scene. He has said that he received two educations at once, one in art school and the other in the train yards and on the streets painting with his friend and mentor, Canadian street art legend other aka Troy Lovegates. Select Exhibitions/Awards In 2004 Labrona appeared in one of the seminal books of its time on the street art and graffiti scene: Graffiti World. The book helped him receive wide recognition for his work and he was soon approached by galleries from around the world. He has exhibited his work in galleries all over Europe and North America and has had major shows in Los Angeles, Paris, New York, London and Montreal.   You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.    

Labrona Woman with Cat Acrylic ink and pen on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by Frankie Shea About Labrona is one of Canada's most well-known street artists. He has been a fixture on the Canadian and international street art scene for close to twenty years. Labrona was born in Magog Quebec in 1972 but grew up in Ottawa Ontario. His artistic influences are many but he cites the countless nights spent painting with his friends as the most important. His father who is an architect and an accomplished artist played a huge role in his development. As a child he loved comic books and skateboarding and was greatly influenced by the colourful graphics that adorn the bottom of the boards. During university he spent a lot of time in the library pouring through books but was the most impressed with the works of the German expressionist, the Mexican muralist, Byzantine and Flemish religious iconography traces of which are found in his work. Labrona now spends most of his time creating works in the studio and doing mural commissions. Last summer he and his friend Troy Lovegates were hired by both the city of Toronto and Ottawa to create large scale public murals. He has also been involved in many international mural festivals lately which allows him to travel and paint large scale pieces. He has participated in the Living Walls festival in both Atlanta and Albany, the Wall Therapy festival in Rochester, the Painted Desert project in Arizona, the Montreal mural festival and many more. Education He moved to Montreal in 1997 to attend Concordia University's art program from which he graduated in 2001. It was during his time at art school that he was introduced to the Montreal graffiti scene. He has said that he received two educations at once, one in art school and the other in the train yards and on the streets painting with his friend and mentor, Canadian street art legend other aka Troy Lovegates. Select Exhibitions/Awards In 2004 Labrona appeared in one of the seminal books of its time on the street art and graffiti scene: Graffiti World. The book helped him receive wide recognition for his work and he was soon approached by galleries from around the world. He has exhibited his work in galleries all over Europe and North America and has had major shows in Los Angeles, Paris, New York, London and Montreal.   You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.    

Lucas Price Dream Weapon 1 Pigment print on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by Frankie Shea About Contemporary artist Lucas Price, formerly known as Cyclops, blends the traditional and the modern, merging contemporary photorealism with antiquated styles and religious iconography. Lucas completed a Master's degree at the Royal College of Art, London. In 2008, he exhibited at the Tate Modern as part of their exhibition 'Art on the Street' and, in 2015, appeared in Bonhams' contemporary auction. As well as working as a fine artist, Lucas Price founded the postmodernist menswear label 'A.Four Labs', with Tokyo-based designer Kazuki Kuraishi. His work centres around the still life, exploring the possibilities of a single snapshot. Fascinated by the coexistence of beauty and decay, Price's work combines the stillness and harmony of photorealist imagery, with the chaos and commotion of urban life, to create an aesthetic which is mournful and modern. His work brings together image and text, to explore the relationship between language and visual culture, and the power of art as a fundamental tool of communication. His photorealist series 'Way of All Flesh', which previewed in November 2013 at The Outsiders, London, combines Baroque imagery with street art motifs, to contemplates the role of the art institution and its relationship to commodity cultures in the twenty-first century.   You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.  

Lucas Price Long Volatility Pigment print on paper Signed on Verso 10 x 15cm (3¾ x 5¾ in.) This lot has been curated by Frankie Shea About Contemporary artist Lucas Price, formerly known as Cyclops, blends the traditional and the modern, merging contemporary photorealism with antiquated styles and religious iconography. Lucas completed a Master's degree at the Royal College of Art, London. In 2008, he exhibited at the Tate Modern as part of their exhibition 'Art on the Street' and, in 2015, appeared in Bonhams' contemporary auction. As well as working as a fine artist, Lucas Price founded the postmodernist menswear label 'A.Four Labs', with Tokyo-based designer Kazuki Kuraishi. His work centres around the still life, exploring the possibilities of a single snapshot. Fascinated by the coexistence of beauty and decay, Price's work combines the stillness and harmony of photorealist imagery, with the chaos and commotion of urban life, to create an aesthetic which is mournful and modern. His work brings together image and text, to explore the relationship between language and visual culture, and the power of art as a fundamental tool of communication. His photorealist series 'Way of All Flesh', which previewed in November 2013 at The Outsiders, London, combines Baroque imagery with street art motifs, to contemplates the role of the art institution and its relationship to commodity cultures in the twenty-first century.   You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do.  

Duncan Grant (British, 1885-1978)Dancers oil on canvas71.2 x 91.6 cm. (28 x 36 in.)Painted in 1912Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired from the 1912 exhibition by Hilton Young (later Lord Kennet of the Dene), thence by descent to the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.ExhibitedLondon, Grafton Galleries, Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition, 5 October-31 December 1912, cat.no.81London, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Twentieth Century Art, 8 May-20 June 1914, cat.no.310London, The Wallace Collection, organised by the British Council Fine Arts Committee for the Venice Biennale, May-June 1940, cat.no.155London, Barbican Art Gallery, Modern Art in Britain 1910-1914, 20 February-26 May 1997, cat.no.103 (as The dancers)LiteratureAnna Gruetzner Robins, Modern Art in Britain 1910-1914, Merrell, London, 1997, pp.173-174, cat.no.103 (col.ill.)Richard Shone, The Art of Bloomsbury, Tate, London, 2002, p.69, fig.67 (ill.b&w)Throughout Duncan Grant's life as a painter, he repeatedly turned to images of dancers. The present work and its companion version (Tate, c.1910-11) are his first major attempts at the theme. Not all his images were by any means as stately as this one. He painted Spanish dancers, classical ballet scenes, figures from the Commedia dell'arte, acrobatic Chinese dancers and even a ragged girl dancing in Fitzroy Street. He himself was an ace performer at parties, even on occasion partnering Lydia Lopokova, the great Russian dancer. And from the early 1920s until the mid-1930s, he designed costumes and sets for ballets in London choreographed by masters such as Léonide Massine and Frederick Ashton. Even in his last years he eagerly attended performances by the dance companies of Martha Graham and of Merce Cunningham on their visits to London. Dance was never far from his thoughts.In 1904-05 and again in mid-1907 Grant visited Siena and was greatly struck by the frescos of Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the Palazzo Pubblico. In particular, the circle of dancing women in flowing skirts in the foreground of the 'Allegory of Good Government' was to remain a touchstone of rhythmical beauty for decades to come. They inform the group of dancers in the mural Grant carried out in 1910 for Maynard Keynes in his study in King's College, Cambridge, but we cannot forget that Grant was also a keen admirer of the work of Burne-Jones; he appears to have known the painting The Mill (Victoria and Albert Museum) showing three young women moving in a slow circle - a reflection of the Three Graces in a dreamlike, Home Counties landscape. That Grant was a highly eclectic painter has long been recognised and we can see in Dancers elements of William Blake, echoes of Raphael and Poussin and, in the Tate version particularly, strong hints of Gauguin whose work Grant was coming to know in 1910. This is especially evident in the painting's heightened colour which, however, is more subdued here than in the Tate's painting. There is a quality of mood in Gauguin - in, for example Three Tahitians (National Galleries of Scotland) - with which Grant's work is imbued. Gauguin described the islanders as having something 'solemn and religious in the rhythm of their pose, in their strange immobility'. This is certainly true of Grant's figures seen against the rising, symphonic green/yellow background. We can see Grant here as a brilliant visitor to the Symbolist movement. Some commentators have denigrated Grant's Dancers when compared to Matisse's La Danse which was also included in the Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition. A version of this was in Matisse's studio when Grant visited the artist in 1911. Although he was greatly impressed by it, it was too soon for so radical a painting to have had an immediate impact on Grant's own work. It should be noted, however, that Grant's six stately figures dance on a hilltop just as the more energetic five figures in the Matisse are seen against a deep blue sky above a section of green earth. But other visitors to the Post-Impressionist Exhibition singled out Dancers for praise, including Rupert Brooke in a rare exhibition review in which he is mostly rather critical of his old friend's work.Grant quite often made two and sometimes three versions of a particular composition. For example, The Queen of Sheba and the Lemon Gatherers (both in the Tate) exist in more than one version, the former from the same year, 1912, the latter from 1910 and, stylistically different, from c.1919. There is no record as to why Dancers was repeated with more than a year between them. It is probable that Grant was satisfied with the image and wished to take it further in a more advanced style (the women are more angular, the brushstrokes more free, the contours broken along the bodies of each figure). Both versions were quickly acquired which would certainly have helped Grant's precarious financial situation.Dancers was purchased from the Second Post-Impressionist Exhibition held in 1912-13 at the Grafton Galleries, London, by Hilton Young, later 1st Baron Kennet (1879-1960). As a child, Young had become friendly with Sir Leslie Stephen's son, Thoby, and through him became intimate with his sisters Vanessa and Virginia. He was enamoured with the latter but his marriage proposal was rejected. He continued, however, as a visitor to the famous early Bloomsbury gatherings in Gordon Square. It was then that he came to know Duncan Grant and to appreciate his work; there was even talk of his sitting to Grant for a portrait but nothing came of it. Young owned a cottage near Marlborough which he rented to Lytton Strachey in 1912. Strachey found peace there to begin work on his Eminent Victorians but complained in letters to friends of the rather dreary conservative taste of the interiors. Perhaps Young got wind of this and purchased the Dancers as an answer to such criticisms. The first version of the painting was owned by Sir Edward Marsh (who bequeathed it to the Tate Gallery in 1953); the present version is much less known and has remained until now with Hilton Young's descendants.We are grateful to Richard Shone for compiling this catalogue entry.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

Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994)Athènes signé et daté 'Ghika 75' (en bas à gauche)tempera sur papier marouflé sur toile66 x 91.5cm (26 x 36in).Peint en 1975.signed and dated (lower left)tempera on paper laid on canvasFootnotes:ProvenanceZoumboulakis Gallery, Athens.Private collection, Athens.ExpositionsAthens, Iolas-Zoumboulakis Gallery, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, December 10, 1976 - January 15, 1977, no. 4 (listed in the exhibition leaflet).LittératureKathimerini newspaper, December 12, 1976.H. Livas, Contemporary Greek Artists, Vantage Press, New York 1993, p. 5 (discussed).K.C. Valkana, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, His Painting Oeuvre, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, p. 234 (discussed and illustrated, fig. 19).A mesmerising cubist-like townscape displaying an architectural network of close-knit rhythmical structures, fragmented interlocking planes, and spatially distorted labyrinthine grids, Athènes showcases Ghika's belief that 'the character of the Greek schema, whether in antiquity, the Byzantine era or folk art, is by and large geometric.'1 The rhythmically developed and spatially distorted depictions of Byzantine towns—used as backdrops for religious subjects in much of icon painting—are here pushed to a relentless extreme, transformed into a dense web of lines, angles, and curves. As the schematic undulations of the townscape ascend in petrified waves of subdued colour, the horizontal tilts into the vertical, echoing the Byzantine backgrounds that tend to unfold upwards instead of receding in depth. As noted by Professor M. Michelis, 'Ghika's vision is akin to the Byzantine mosaics of the Chora Monastery.'2Discussing the work, art critic H. Livas notes: 'I'll record what Ghika told me—that even if the subject of his painting is not Greek, its soul always is. Yet, even when the subject is Greek, the spirit of the painting transcends the country and carries us into a new and different world. I take, as example, the painting Athènes, a geometric view of the city that makes it look filled with modern pyramids and Mayan temples. The pyramid has always been one of his favourite forms; I suspect because it suggests mystery; and, modern non- fiction tells us that the pyramid shape can cause miraculous preservation and even regeneration to objects, organic materials, and even people inside it. Ghika's Truncated pyramids of 1963 and the Pyramid triptych of 1965, lift us also to mysterious worlds that we can't quite identify with the comfortable and the familiar.'3 1 N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, 'On Greek Art' [in Greek], Neon Kratos journal, no. 5, January 1938.2 M. Michelis, 'N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika' [in Greek], Zygos magazine, no. 58, September 1960, p. 10.3 H. Livas, Contemporary Greek Artists, Vantage Press, New York 1993, p. 5.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

William Powell Frith, RA,  British 1819-1909- Portrait of Jane Powell, the artist's mother; oil on panel, painted oval, signed, inscribed, and dated 'I give this portrait to / my daughter Louisa Frith / W. P Frith R.A / August 2 1896' verso, 30.7 x 25.3 cm. Provenance:  The artist;  By whom given to his daughter, Mary Louisa Frith, 2nd August 1896;  thence by descent to the present owner. Exhibited:  London, Guildhall Art Gallery; and Harrogate, Mercer Art Gallery, 'William Powell Frith: Painting the Victorian Age', November 2006 - July 2007, no. 6, as 'Jane Frith, The Artist's Mother'. Literature:  M. Bills and V. Knight (ed.), 'William Powell Frith: Painting the Victorian Age', New Haven and London, p.2, no.2, illustrated. Note:  Jane Frith (née Powell) was born in 1779 in the Shropshire village of Fitz. One of her grandfathers was the landowning local squire and the other a clergyman, but her father squandered the family fortune, according to Frith's account. It is not known how she met Frith's father, who came from a Nottinghamshire inn-keeping background and was House Steward at Studley Royal when Frith was born. Though sternly religious and (according to her son) without any sense of humour, Jane was a loving parent and supported Frith during the early years when he earned little or nothing from painting. She died in November 1851 after years of suffering from painful rheumatic gout. Frith made the original portrait in 1840, but this version is one of several later replicas he gave to his children. We are grateful to Mark Bills for his assistance in preparing this catalogue entry. This work will appear in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné and monograph of William Powell Frith. 

Vienna: Palestine Art Publishing Company, 1926. A large hardcover book containing over 150 colored prints of Abel Pann (Russian, 1883-1963) religious paintings followed by biblically scrips. Artist: Abel PannIssued: 1926Dimensions: 12.5"W x 14.5"H x 1"DEdition Number: 1st edition Manufacturer: Palestine Art Publishing CompanyCountry of Origin: AustriaCondition Fair.

A collection of British and world religious and art related postcards.

Kadhim Hayder (Iraq, 1932-1985)The Martyr oil on wood panel, framedsigned 'Kadhim Hayder' and dated '69' (lower left), executed in 196991.5 x 63.3 cm (36 x 24 15/16in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from the Artist's EstateExhibited: Kadhim Haidar, Solo Exhibition, Baghdad Museum of Modern Art, 18-28 Dec 1969 Published: Dia Azzawi, Makou Journal, Kadhim Hayder, 2022, illustrated p.235Shayma Khudhair, The Problem of Illusion in Painting: Kadhim Hayder as an Example, College of Fine Arts, Baghdad, 2005Entesar Munad Ali, The Psycho-Epistemological Variables in Works of Kadhim Hayder, College of Fine Arts, University of Baghdad, 2022 A Rare and Magnificent Painting by Kadhim Hayder'The horse represents the knight, keeping with the popular belief that the horse carries the spirit of the knight after his martyrdom'- Kadhim Hayder'The exhibition of The Epic of the Martyr took place in circumstances that were politically and culturally complicated; it turned the idea of martyrdom into a modern symbol that cried out in tragedy apart from any religious interpretation.'- Dia al-AzzawiThis extraordinary painting by Kadhim Hayder, from the artists inimitable Martyrs series, is a powerful depiction of the aftermath of the cycle, it is an emotionally charged work that showcases the artist's masterful use of religious allegory and cultural mythology. The painting carries an impressive provenance, coming from the estate of the artist, and is being offered on the market for the first time. What makes this painting particularly special is that it was not originally part of the Martyrs Epic series, but was painted 4 years after the exhibition. It shows the artist's fondness for this particular moment in the epic cycles, and his desire to explore it further. The scene itself is rich with symbolism: the foreground is dominated by a large, rectangular white sheet, most likely the Islamic 'kafan' or burial shroud of Hussein himself, the white expanse on which rests Hussein's sword, becomes almost an abstract symbol of the Martyr expressed through colour and form alone. Above the white expanse, horses and soldiers mourn the death of their beloved commander while on the right, a maternal figure with arms upraised is depicted with a child suspended in her womb, most likely an allusion to the death of the infant Ali Asghar, Husseins youngest son, during the Battle. Below the scene a prostrate red figure is unmistakably Shimr, the prime antagonist of the Battle of Karbala and the soldier responsible for Hussiens death, always depicted in red or clothed in red during passion plays to contrast him from the pure white and green of the martyred Hussein and his soldiers.This remarkable painting is a testament to Kadhim Hayder's importance in the history of Iraqi art, and his enduring legacy as an artist who captured the essence of one of the most important events in Islamic history.Saleem Al Bahloly: The Epic of the Martyr'Haidar began working on the series in 1963 shortly after returning from London where he had studied printmaking and stage-design at the Royal College of Art. On the one hand, the paintings were a continuation of the interests of artists in the 1950s: in the inspiration Haidar found in popular culture and in his adoption of certain pictorial devices from ancient Assyrian sculpture to modern art (associated with the Baghdad Group for Modern Art) as well as in his concern with political struggles for justice (associated with the Pioneers art group). On the other hand, however, Haidar opened a new horizon for the practice of art by structuring the paintings around an act of symbolism.The paintings are composed of horses and warriors, wielding spears and swords and bearing banners and shields, that are positioned on a flat, mythical landscape. This imagery was drawn from the annual taʿziya celebrations that mourn the martyrdom of al-Husayn and other members of the Prophet's family in a stand-off with the Umayyad army in 680 AD; in particular, the imagery is taken from the processions in which a pageant of costumed figures representing characters from the battle fought on the 'plain' west of the Euphrates parade through the street accompanying poets who narrate in a vernacular tradition of verse the injustice suffered by the Prophet's family.In the paintings, this imagery has been reconstructed according to a variety of devices inspired by a range of sources: the bodies of the horses and figures are turned toward the viewer, as if they are appearing on a stage or in an ancient frieze depicting a historic battle; a sense of performance is carried into the image by the intense expressivity of their gestures which seem to dissolve anatomical features and the outline of shapes in a fervour of emotion; the limbs of human and animal bodies alike are often multiplied (an influence of Assyrian sculptural reliefs that Haider almost certainly saw at the British Museum in London) and tapered (a form of modelling inspired by the sculpture of Henry Moore).The reconstructed imagery is arranged in the paintings not to narrate a historical event but to elaborate a concept of the martyr that emerged out of that event—a hero who by his death in a struggle for truth paradoxically triumphs. Haidar developed this concept of the martyr in painting by focusing on the symbolic relation between the fallen martyr and his horse. As he explained to the newspaper al-Jumhuriyya in 1965: 'the horse represents the knight, keeping with the popular belief that the horse carries the spirit of the knight after his martyrdom.' That symbolism is present in the mourning processions where al-Husayn is represented by a riderless white horse; but it has its roots in a legend that, when al-Husayn's horse saw his beheaded corpse, it circled around his body, rubbed its head in his blood, let out a ferocious whine and killed forty men.The paintings in The Epic of the Martyr were different sizes [they] reflect, as Dia al-ʿAzzawi has written, Haidar's desire to collapse the distinction between gallery and street, and between art and ritual, by reproducing the atmosphere of the folk celebration inside the museum. To that end, for the exhibition in 1965, Haidar composed a poem in which each line corresponded to a painting in the series, in this way reproducing the coupling of pageant and poetry in the mourning processions.This attempt to go beyond the conventional materials of painting, in order to use the artwork to stage an experience that is not only visual but also emotive, makes The Epic of the Martyr one of the earliest pieces of contemporary art in the Middle East.'Saleem Al-Bahloly received a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and has held fellowships at Johns Hopkins and the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is writing a book about an intellectual shift that occurred in Iraq during the 1960s in response to disillusionment with left-wing politics. The above text has been abridgedThis 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

Paul Guiragossian (Lebanon, 1926-1993)La Famille oil on masonite, framedsigned 'PAUL G' and dated '62' (lower right), executed in 1962116 x 87cm (45 11/16 x 34 1/4in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from a private collection, BeirutIllustrated:EUROP Genève Art magazine, April 1999 Edition, page 61Exhibited:L'Art A Genève Art, Geneva, 1999Note:This work is sold with a photo certificate from the Paul Guiragossian Foundation'They taught us in History that there have been heroes who led fearless battles such as Alexander the Great who killed thousands of men on the shores of Saida and Tyre. He is considered a hero?...They call Napoleon a Hero. What kind of hero kills thousands of people in frozen temperatures like in Austerlitz and is considered a hero? Who is a Hero besides the Mother?. The Mother is the Symbol of purity, faith and unconditional Love and the greatest secret in the Universe is Love' - Paul GuiragossianAchieving recognition in his own lifetime and honoured with a state funeral upon his death, Paul Guiragossian is remembered as one of the most talented and progressive artists to emerge from Lebanon. Guiragossian was born in 1926 in Jerusalem to survivors of the Armenian genocide. Due to exile, Guiragossian's family settled in Beirut, Lebanon in 1947. In 1956, Guiragossian received a scholarship from the Italian Government to study at The Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, which was soon followed by a further scholarship from the French government to attend Les Ateliers des Maîtres de L'Ecole de Paris. By the mid-1960s Guiragossian had grown to become one of the most celebrated artist in the Arab world and in 1989 he became the first artist to have a solo show at the Institut de Monde Arabe in Paris.Guiragossian's genius lies in his ability to simultaneously provoke both joy and despair. Although the war broke out in the early 1970s, his attachment for his country grew larger and his works became more colourful with messages of hope for his people. From the mid-1970s onwards, most of Guiragossian's paintings conveyed a sense of solidarity, a collective joy or at times suffering. The female figure was also seen visible throughout Guiragossian's oeuvre; the fascination with the mother being the vital support system through good and bad, the caretaker and the bearer of life plays a central role and a key subject matter in his paintings. His work reflects a reality both deeply personal and universally relatable, as his obsession with the subject matter transcends from his own eternal longing for his own mother.These stunning paintings are superlative examples of Guiragossian's gestural and expressive painting style as clothed female figures are defined by thick elongated impasto paint.La Famille is an emotionally captivating composition; here Guiragossian celebrates and glorifies motherhood by painting allusions to the religious icons of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. The figures are dressed in a soft pastel colour palette infusing a sense of warmth, positivity and hope. The brown earthy tones against the white create a gentle aesthetic and beautiful harmony. The proximity of the faceless elongated figures with their arms wrapped around the new born baby suggests the coming together of a family and the intimate and eternal bond between them regardless of their fear and displacement due to the war.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

Omar El-Nagdi (Egypt, 1931-2019)Alef Lam Mim mixed media on canvassigned and dated '2008' (lower right), executed in 2008 180 x 180cm (70 7/8 x 70 7/8in).Footnotes:Provenance:Property from the Artist's EstateHurrufiyya – The Art of the Word'Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence''They deconstruct writing, exploit the letter and turn it into a lexical sign of calligraphy, tradition and cultural heritage. As the sign is purely aesthetic, and only linguistic in its cultural association, it opens hitherto untraveled avenues for interpretation, and attracts different audiences, yet still maintains a link to the respective artist's own culture... Hurufiyya artists do away with the signifying function of language. The characters become pure signs, and temporarily emptied of their referential meaning, they become available for new meanings.' - Christiane TreichlBonhams are proud to present five spectacular artworks that showcase Arab Modern artists experimentation with the aesthetic and conceptual dimensions of Arabic letterforms, a movement broadly defined as 'Hurufiyya'. The works showcased here demonstrate the variety, geographical breadth, and originality of a movement which breathed new life into the traditional craft of calligraphy and which found local forms of expression amongst diverse regions of the Arab world. The Hurufiyya movement was an aesthetic movement that emerged in the late twentieth century amongst Arabian and North African artists, who used their understanding of traditional Islamic calligraphy, within the precepts of modern art. By combining tradition and modernity, these artists worked towards developing a Pan-Arab visual language, which instilled a sense of national identity in their respective nation states, at a time when many of these states where shaking off colonial rule and asserting their independence.They adopted the same name as the Hurufi, an approach of Sufism which emerged in the late 14th–early 15th century. Art historian, Dagher, has described hurufiyya as the most important movement to emerge in the Arab art world in the 20th-century.The term, hurifiyya is derived from the Arabic term, harf which means letter (as in a letter of the alphabet). When the term is used to describe an contemporary art movement, it explicitly references a Medieval system of teaching involving political theology and lettrism. In this theology, letters were seen as primordial signifiers and manipulators of the cosmos. Thus, the term is charged with Sufi intellectual and esoteric meaning.Traditional hurufi art was bound by strict rules, which amongst other things, confined calligraphy to devotional works and prohibited the representation of humans in manuscripts. Practising calligraphers trained with a master for many years in order to learn both the technique and the rules governing calligraphy. Contemporary hurufiyya artists broke free from these rules, allowing Arabic letters to be deconstructed, altered and included in abstract artworks Alef, Lam, Mim Born in 1931 in Cairo, Omar El Nagdi's artistic trajectory is a testament to a deeply ingrained passion for exploring the union of cultural heritage with avant-garde artistry. While El Nagdi's oeuvre spans an array of styles and subjects, his hurrufieh compositions stand out as a distinguished chapter in his prolific career.Detaching from the conventional use of calligraphy, El Nagdi's works in this style liberate the Arabic letters from their primary linguistic function. Instead, they breathe and dance on the canvas, fusing together, intertwining, and morphing into emotive forms. They are at once recognizable as letters and abstract forms, urging the viewer to witness the script in an entirely new light.Alef, Lam, Mim is a particularly significant sequence of letters which appears regularly in the Quran. In the intricate tapestry of Arabic calligraphy, the practice of repetitively inscribing individual letters bears a profound connection to the Sufi concept of Zikr (often spelled 'Dhikr'). Zikr, an essential component of Sufi spiritual practice, entails the repetitive invocation of divine names or religious phrases to cultivate inner mindfulness, presence, and an intimate connection with the Divine. Just as Zikr serves as a meditative tool, guiding the soul towards divine contemplation, the rhythmic repetition of letters in calligraphic compositions similarly evokes a meditative state. This repetitive technique in calligraphy resonates with the Sufi idea of cyclical remembrance, drawing parallels between the written form and spiritual transcendence, where both strive to center the practitioner in a profound space of reflection and devotion.El Nagdi's signature application of vivid hues imbues depth and dynamism to the compositions. Every brushstroke, while revealing letters, also narrates tales of centuries-old heritage and contemporaneous sentiments. Omar El Nagdi's hurrufieh compositions challenge, elevate, and redefine the way viewers engage with calligraphy. No longer simply a medium for conveying messages, the letters in his works embody emotions, stories, and histories.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

Mariota Bosanquet (1923-2022). Religious sun, oil on canvas, 35cm x 25cm and two others. (3) Biography: St. Martins School of Art (1945-1949) Exhibitions: 1954 Whitechapel Gallery, Suffolk Galleries, Leicester Galleries 1955 Piccadilly Galleries 1967/8 Highbury 1977 Home of Artists Islington 1983 Royal Academy Summer 1991 Usher Art Gallery 1996 Winchester Contemporary, Alresford Gallery 1997 The Mall Galleries

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)Untitled (Abstract Portrait Head) signed and dated 'Souza 64' upper leftball point pen and mixed media on canvas, framed 15.2 x 21cm (6 x 8 1/4in).Footnotes:ProvenanceProperty from a private collection, UK. Acquired from Christies, The Art of Souza: Property from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza, 9th June 2010, lot 145.'Souza has given to art a great deal more than he has taken from it. His painting is intensely personal, to the point of being esoteric. To appreciate it, one has to participate in certain preoccupations and fears which make his visual distortions explicable and sympathetic...If he was creating monsters, probably no one would be troubled; but because his images are clearly intended to be human, one is compelled to ask why his faces have eyes high up in the forehead, or else scattered in profusion all over the face; why he paints mouths that stretch like hair combs across the face, and limbs that branch out like thistles. Souza's imagery is not a surrealist vision - a self-conscious aesthetic shock - so much as a spontaneous re-creation of the world as he has seen it, distilled in the mind by a host of private experiences and associations.' (Edward Mullins, Souza, Anthony Blond Ltd, 1962, p.38-39.)Francis Newton Souza, a trailblazing artist of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the world of modern Indian art. His distinctive style, marked by bold colours, striking compositions, and a fearless exploration of the human form, made him one of India's most celebrated and controversial artists. Born on April 12, 1924, in Saligao, Goa, Souza's life journey was a tumultuous one, marked by artistic triumphs and personal tribulations.Early Life and EducationSouza was born into a Roman Catholic family in Portuguese-occupied Goa. His early years were fraught with challenges, including poverty and the loss of his father at a young age. Despite these hardships, Souza displayed a remarkable talent for drawing, catching the attention of his teachers and local artists. Encouraged by their support, he pursued formal art education at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he honed his skills and developed a strong foundation in classical European art techniques.The Progressive Artists' GroupAfter completing his formal education, Souza moved to London in 1949, where he was exposed to the avant-garde art scene. He soon became a prominent member of the 'Progressive Artists' Group,' a collective of artists who aimed to break free from the confines of traditional Indian art and embrace contemporary, international influences. Souza's work from this period is characterized by a blend of Western modernism and a distinct Indian sensibility.Artistic Style and ThemesSouza's style was bold and unapologetic. He painted with a sense of urgency, often using thick impasto layers and vibrant colours to depict his subjects. His subjects ranged from portraits and landscapes to religious and erotic themes. Souza's fascination with the human form was a recurring motif in his work, which he often rendered in an abstract and distorted manner, exploring themes of desire, sexuality, and spirituality.Controversy and CritiqueSouza's provocative art often courted controversy, and his provocative themes led to both admiration and condemnation. His bold depictions of sexuality and religion sometimes raised eyebrows, even leading to legal troubles. Despite these challenges, Souza remained uncompromising in his artistic vision, and his work continued to garner attention on the international stage.International SuccessIn the 1950s and 1960s, Souza's reputation as a groundbreaking artist grew beyond India's borders. He exhibited extensively in London, New York, and other major art capitals, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. His paintings were acquired by major museums and private collectors worldwide, solidifying his status as a leading figure in contemporary art.Later Life and LegacySouza's later years were marked by personal struggles, including health issues and financial difficulties. He spent the last years of his life in New York, where he continued to paint prolifically until his passing on March 28, 2002. Souza's legacy endures through his pioneering contributions to modern Indian art, inspiring subsequent generations of artists to push boundaries and challenge conventions.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

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)Untitled (Head of Nixon) executed in 1970chemical alteration and mixed media on printed magazine paper28 x 21.1cm (11 x 8 5/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceProperty from a private collection, UK. Acquired in New York.'For a long time Tolstoy and others have asked the big question: What is Art? I now know my answer quite simply: Art is what I do.' - F.N Souza'Souza began experimenting with the altered image in the 1950s, drawing over newspaper and magazine images. By the late 1960s Souza discovered a special chemical solvent that would dissolve away part of the photographic image. He would then re-work it and draw over it to produce a juxtaposition of painting and the commercially produced print, called chemicals.' (Saffron Art & Grosvenor Gallery, Francis Newton Souza, Planet Saffron Inc. and Grosvenor Gallery (Fine Arts) Ltd, 2005, p.78) To see a another work from the Time portrait series see, Christies, South Asian Modern & Contemporary Art, 9th June 2011, Lot 31.Francis Newton Souza, a trailblazing artist of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the world of modern Indian art. His distinctive style, marked by bold colours, striking compositions, and a fearless exploration of the human form, made him one of India's most celebrated and controversial artists. Born on April 12, 1924, in Saligao, Goa, Souza's life journey was a tumultuous one, marked by artistic triumphs and personal tribulations.Early Life and EducationSouza was born into a Roman Catholic family in Portuguese-occupied Goa. His early years were fraught with challenges, including poverty and the loss of his father at a young age. Despite these hardships, Souza displayed a remarkable talent for drawing, catching the attention of his teachers and local artists. Encouraged by their support, he pursued formal art education at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he honed his skills and developed a strong foundation in classical European art techniques.The Progressive Artists' GroupAfter completing his formal education, Souza moved to London in 1949, where he was exposed to the avant-garde art scene. He soon became a prominent member of the 'Progressive Artists' Group,' a collective of artists who aimed to break free from the confines of traditional Indian art and embrace contemporary, international influences. Souza's work from this period is characterized by a blend of Western modernism and a distinct Indian sensibility.Artistic Style and ThemesSouza's style was bold and unapologetic. He painted with a sense of urgency, often using thick impasto layers and vibrant colours to depict his subjects. His subjects ranged from portraits and landscapes to religious and erotic themes. Souza's fascination with the human form was a recurring motif in his work, which he often rendered in an abstract and distorted manner, exploring themes of desire, sexuality, and spirituality.Controversy and CritiqueSouza's provocative art often courted controversy, and his provocative themes led to both admiration and condemnation. His bold depictions of sexuality and religion sometimes raised eyebrows, even leading to legal troubles. Despite these challenges, Souza remained uncompromising in his artistic vision, and his work continued to garner attention on the international stage.International SuccessIn the 1950s and 1960s, Souza's reputation as a groundbreaking artist grew beyond India's borders. He exhibited extensively in London, New York, and other major art capitals, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. His paintings were acquired by major museums and private collectors worldwide, solidifying his status as a leading figure in contemporary art.Later Life and LegacySouza's later years were marked by personal struggles, including health issues and financial difficulties. He spent the last years of his life in New York, where he continued to paint prolifically until his passing on March 28, 2002. Souza's legacy endures through his pioneering contributions to modern Indian art, inspiring subsequent generations of artists to push boundaries and challenge conventions.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

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)Untitled (Couple) signed and dated 'Souza 57' upper centrepen on paper, framed24.3 x 19.2cm (9 9/16 x 7 9/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceProperty from a private collection, UK. Acquired from Christies, The Art of Souza: Property from the Estate of Francis Newton Souza, 9th June 2010, lot 32.PublishedFrancesca Souza ed. F. N. Souza: Religion and Erotica. Early Religious and Erotic Drawings from the Estate of F. N. Souza, London, 2005, p. 68 (illustrated)'Renaissance painters painted men and women making them look like angels. I paint for angels, to show them what men and women really look like.' F. N. Souza, 1962.Francis Newton Souza, a trailblazing artist of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the world of modern Indian art. His distinctive style, marked by bold colours, striking compositions, and a fearless exploration of the human form, made him one of India's most celebrated and controversial artists. Born on April 12, 1924, in Saligao, Goa, Souza's life journey was a tumultuous one, marked by artistic triumphs and personal tribulations.Early Life and EducationSouza was born into a Roman Catholic family in Portuguese-occupied Goa. His early years were fraught with challenges, including poverty and the loss of his father at a young age. Despite these hardships, Souza displayed a remarkable talent for drawing, catching the attention of his teachers and local artists. Encouraged by their support, he pursued formal art education at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he honed his skills and developed a strong foundation in classical European art techniques.The Progressive Artists' GroupAfter completing his formal education, Souza moved to London in 1949, where he was exposed to the avant-garde art scene. He soon became a prominent member of the 'Progressive Artists' Group,' a collective of artists who aimed to break free from the confines of traditional Indian art and embrace contemporary, international influences. Souza's work from this period is characterized by a blend of Western modernism and a distinct Indian sensibility.Artistic Style and ThemesSouza's style was bold and unapologetic. He painted with a sense of urgency, often using thick impasto layers and vibrant colours to depict his subjects. His subjects ranged from portraits and landscapes to religious and erotic themes. Souza's fascination with the human form was a recurring motif in his work, which he often rendered in an abstract and distorted manner, exploring themes of desire, sexuality, and spirituality.Controversy and CritiqueSouza's provocative art often courted controversy, and his provocative themes led to both admiration and condemnation. His bold depictions of sexuality and religion sometimes raised eyebrows, even leading to legal troubles. Despite these challenges, Souza remained uncompromising in his artistic vision, and his work continued to garner attention on the international stage.International SuccessIn the 1950s and 1960s, Souza's reputation as a groundbreaking artist grew beyond India's borders. He exhibited extensively in London, New York, and other major art capitals, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. His paintings were acquired by major museums and private collectors worldwide, solidifying his status as a leading figure in contemporary art.Later Life and LegacySouza's later years were marked by personal struggles, including health issues and financial difficulties. He spent the last years of his life in New York, where he continued to paint prolifically until his passing on March 28, 2002. Souza's legacy endures through his pioneering contributions to modern Indian art, inspiring subsequent generations of artists to push boundaries and challenge conventions.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

Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002)Untitled (Landscape) signed and dated 'Souza 60' lower leftpencil and oil on paper, framed16.6 x 15.9cm (6 9/16 x 6 1/4in).Footnotes:ProvenanceProperty from a private collection, UK.Acquired from Grosvenor Gallery. Note: There are Grosvenor Gallery and Saffron Art labels on the reverse.'Souza is a painter of cityscapes and religious themes. While in the latter he is loaded with a troubled presentiment, in the former he is singularly devoid of emotive inhibitions. Unlike the cityscapes of Ram Kumar which ooze a silent melancholy and flare warmly from amidst the gloomy shadows of all-consuming time, Souza's cityscapes are the congealed visions of a mysterious world. Whether standing stolidly in enamelled petrification or delineated in thin colours with calligraphic intonations, the cityscapes of Souza are purely plastic entitles with no reference to memories or mirrors.' J. Swaminathan, (21.10.62), Souza's Exhibition. Rpt in LKC 40 (Mar 1995)Francis Newton Souza, a trailblazing artist of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the world of modern Indian art. His distinctive style, marked by bold colours, striking compositions, and a fearless exploration of the human form, made him one of India's most celebrated and controversial artists. Born on April 12, 1924, in Saligao, Goa, Souza's life journey was a tumultuous one, marked by artistic triumphs and personal tribulations.Early Life and EducationSouza was born into a Roman Catholic family in Portuguese-occupied Goa. His early years were fraught with challenges, including poverty and the loss of his father at a young age. Despite these hardships, Souza displayed a remarkable talent for drawing, catching the attention of his teachers and local artists. Encouraged by their support, he pursued formal art education at the Sir J.J. School of Art in Mumbai, where he honed his skills and developed a strong foundation in classical European art techniques.The Progressive Artists' GroupAfter completing his formal education, Souza moved to London in 1949, where he was exposed to the avant-garde art scene. He soon became a prominent member of the 'Progressive Artists' Group,' a collective of artists who aimed to break free from the confines of traditional Indian art and embrace contemporary, international influences. Souza's work from this period is characterized by a blend of Western modernism and a distinct Indian sensibility.Artistic Style and ThemesSouza's style was bold and unapologetic. He painted with a sense of urgency, often using thick impasto layers and vibrant colours to depict his subjects. His subjects ranged from portraits and landscapes to religious and erotic themes. Souza's fascination with the human form was a recurring motif in his work, which he often rendered in an abstract and distorted manner, exploring themes of desire, sexuality, and spirituality.Controversy and CritiqueSouza's provocative art often courted controversy, and his provocative themes led to both admiration and condemnation. His bold depictions of sexuality and religion sometimes raised eyebrows, even leading to legal troubles. Despite these challenges, Souza remained uncompromising in his artistic vision, and his work continued to garner attention on the international stage.International SuccessIn the 1950s and 1960s, Souza's reputation as a groundbreaking artist grew beyond India's borders. He exhibited extensively in London, New York, and other major art capitals, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. His paintings were acquired by major museums and private collectors worldwide, solidifying his status as a leading figure in contemporary art.Later Life and LegacySouza's later years were marked by personal struggles, including health issues and financial difficulties. He spent the last years of his life in New York, where he continued to paint prolifically until his passing on March 28, 2002. Souza's legacy endures through his pioneering contributions to modern Indian art, inspiring subsequent generations of artists to push boundaries and challenge conventions.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

A RARE AND EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-CARVED CHINESE RHINOCEROS HORN LIBATION CUP 17TH CENTURY The sides are crisply carved in high relief illustrating a river landscape scene with pine and wutong trees growing amongst over-hanging rocks and boulders; to one side, three scholars sit on a flattened rock shelf around a small table playing weiqi while a boy attends to a brazier. The water is represented as finely defined almond-shaped waves, the handle as two gnarled and knotted pine tree trunks and the flat base is carved as water and rocks. The trees and rocks extend to the wide mouth, the interior depicts a small chilong in high relief confronting a larger dragon emerging amidst clouds above the handles. The material is of a rich dark caramel tone darkening to walnut and with a high polish. The cup is raised on an elaborate hardwood stand, pierced and carved as high rocks, lingzhi and cascading water, 478g, 13.8cm high, 19cm long. (2) Please note that an export licence will only be granted for rhinoceros horn pieces, should the hammer price meet or exceed the value of 100 USD per gram of the item’s weight. Provenance: from an English private collection, Lincolnshire, purchased by the current owner from Sworders, 8th November 2016, lot 218. Cf. J Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, p.210, no.289, for a closely related libation cup. See also T Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carvings in China, no.16, for a similar cup in the collection of Harvard University, Art Museums. The subject on the side of this cup cannot be definitively identified. A closely related example in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, a gift by J Pierpont Morgan, no.08.212.10, with a similar scene of three figures amongst pine trees in a rocky river landscape, is described by Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, p.210, no.289, as decorated with a scene from the famous Song dynasty poem, ‘Later Ode to the Red Cliff’. There is no boat or raft visible in the scene, and the same cup is also described by the Metropolitan Museum, as depicting the ‘Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine’, which is an allegory referring to the unity of the three religious doctrines: Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. However, perhaps they are just three scholars enjoying each other’s company and a game of weiqi in a beautiful mountainous river landscape. 十七世紀 犀角雕松下高士圖螭龍紋杯及底座 來源：英國林肯郡私人收藏，2016年11月8日購於Sworders拍賣行，編號218。

AN IMPORTANT MANDALA DEPICTING GREEN TARA AND AMOGHASIDDHI AND THE 10TH AND 15TH ABBOTS OF NGOR MONASTRY CENTRAL TIBET 17TH CENTURY, NGOR MONASTERY TRADITIONThis rare mandala having Tibetan inscriptions written in gold ink below the top and bottom bands of deities and Lamas, identifying many of the figures.Painted with two Ngor monastery Abbot portraits of Konchok Lhundrub (dkon mchog lhun grub - 1497-1557), the 10th Abbot, lower left with script translated as 'Homage to the Precious (Lama) Konchog Lhungrub'; and Kunga Sonam Llungrub (kun dga’ bsod nams lhun grub - 1603-1618), the 15th Abbot, lower right, with script translated as ‘Hail to the religious teacher Kunga Lhungrub ’. Further painted and inscribed top left with Reverend Tara, and the Indian Buddhist teachers Ravigupta and Atisha (in sanskrit Candragarbha); with the three Great Red Deities of the Sakya tradition, Kamaraja, Kurukulla and Ganapati (Ganesha) adjacent to the 10th Abbot lower left. These three Deities personify three forms of action: physical, mental and verbal. The mantra 'Om Ah Hum' written many times towards the centre to the reverse, 50cm x 37cm, 83cm x 54cm overall.Provenance: from the collection of Norman Blount (1875-1930). Norman Blount was a jute broker, as well as the joint secretary (with the artist Abanindranath Tagore) of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, which was founded in 1907 in Calcutta, with Lord Kitchener the Society’s President.The design of this thangka is closely related to a 16th Century thangka ‘17 Deity Tara Mandala’ based on the tradition of Ravigupta. From a private collection and published online - see Himalayan At Resources (https://www.himalayanart.org/items/12415:)Konchok Lhundrub was born at Sakya monastery. His mother was the niece of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo, the first abbot of Ngor monastery. From the age of thirteen he took novice vows, receiving esoteric teachings of the Eighth and Ninth abbots of Ngor from the age of 20. He was enthroned as the 10th abbot at the age of 38 and served from 1534-1557, recorded as excelling in teaching, debate and writing, demonstrating the classic Buddhist qualities of being learned, virtuous and noble. He had disciples in many distant regions, including Kham, Amdo, U, and Ngari. He did not stay full time at Ngor but travelled to Nalendria and other monasteries to teach. Konchok Lhundrub is remembered as one of the most accomplished and prestigious Ngor abbots, comparable in reputation to Ngor's founder Kunga Zangpo. Kunga Sonam Lhungrub was the eldest of three sons born into a prestigious Sakya family. At the age of nine he went with his father to Ngor monastery where he took monastic views with the twelth abbot of Ngor, Konchok Pelden who gave him his new monastic name Kunga Sonam Lhungrub. in 1594, the abbot of the Sakya monastery of Nalendra selected him to take over the duties of abbot at this monastery. On the passing of the fourteenth abbot of Ngor in 1603 he was installed as his successor and became one of the most important Sakya teachers of his time. During his tenure lasting until 1618 Kunga Sonam Lhungrub commissioned several famous works of art. He passed away in 1642 at the age of seventy two.The Sakya monastery was established in Central Tibet in 1073, with the Ngor Monastery a sub school of the Sakya order established in 1429. Ravigupta is connected with the ancient Buddhist philosophical school of Abhidhamma, a Buddhist teaching that systematically describes the world order, primarily as phenomena of consciousness and nature. Ravigupta is the 12th teacher in the lineage of the school of Abhidharma, which starts with the Buddha Shakyamuni himself. Candragarbha born into the royal family of the Kingdom of Zahor (now Bangladesh) in 982, had a vision of the goddess Tara in childhood and under her influence travelled to another country in search of ta teacher, later in his life he became known as Atishs and 1042 travelled to Tibet where he revived Buddhism. 十七世紀 西藏綠度母及不空成就佛雙修壇城唐卡 來源：諾曼·布朗特（1875-1930）收藏。諾曼布朗特曾是一個黃麻經銷商，與藝術家泰戈爾一起擔任了印度東方藝術協會的聯合秘書（1907年於加爾各答成立），而霍雷肖•赫伯特•基奇納元帥(1850-1916)為協會主席。

A RARE AND LARGE CHINESE SPINACH-GREEN JADE FIGURE OF A LUOHAN 18TH CENTURY Carved seated in dhyanasana wearing a shawl and long robes, his garments held by a clasp at his left shoulder, he holds a stupa in his left hand whilst raising his right hand behind the precious object in a variation of abhaya mudra, his serene face detailed with a small finely incised moustache and beard, the green stone with brown flecks and inclusions, 23.5cm. Provenance: the Lawrence Collection of jades and hardstone carvings, purchased from Spink & Son prior to 1959. In prehistoric times, jade was carved into human form. Such pieces are usually identified as religious worshippers and priests, sometimes as Immortals. The mysterious quality of the jade itself lent a special meaning to the figure it represented. This particular figure is carved from a large boulder of spinach-green nephrite. He has been conventionally identified as a Chinese sage, but his long, flowing robe is closer to the attire of Buddhist monks. The name Luohan comes from the Sanskrit arhan or arhat, referring to the Buddhist ascetics. They are disciples of Sakyamuni Buddha, who have passed the eight-fold path (right belief, resolve, speech, work, livelihood, training, mindfulness, abstract, meditation), and reached Nirvana or Enlightenment. They are essentially associated with the Hinayana School of Buddhism, and each has the title Samantha prabhasa or general wisdom; they can teach or train others to attain perfection. Luohans are very popular in China, as it is believed they can protect patrons and believers by expelling ignorance and defeating robbers. In the Buddhist legend, there are normally 500 Luohans, but the most famous ones usually appear together in groups of 16 or 18. Luohans are represented in painted portraits as well as in sculpture. All have distinctive attributes: for instance, Pindola the Bharadvaja has elongated eyebrows, Vajraputra is lean, ribbed and hairy; Nakula is always shown with a mongoose. However, it is quite difficult to identify the present figure with a particular Luohan. Many Luohans have a book or staff in their hands, but in this case the figure holds a stupa, perhaps suggesting that he has entered Nirvana. Cf. Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Chinese Art, 1935-6, no.2860 for a similar figure lent to the exhibition by Mr and Mrs Edward Sonnenschein; see also G Wills, Jade of the East, p.104, nos.63-64 and N Zhou, Ancient Jades in Man, Immortal and Buddha, p.309, nos.360-361 for further related examples; see also Asian Art I, 17th November 2010, lot 337 for a comparable spinach-green jade figure of Buddha of the same size previously sold in these rooms. 十八世紀碧玉雕托塔羅漢來源：勞倫斯珍藏玉石，1959年前購於Spink & Son。

Two brass crucifixes (the largest approx 34cm high); together with two carved wooden religious figures, featuring a Saint Joann polychrome folk art figure

A collection of vintage postcards to include religious & art emphemera (Picasso) examples

Évariste Carpentier (Belgian, 1845-1922), ‘A Rural Farmstead’ oil on board farmyard scene featuring chickens and ducks, a rural cottage with a smoking chimney. Signed lower right. Framed in gilt frame. Carpentier was a Belgian painter of genre scenes and animated landscapes. Admitted to the Royal Academy of Art in Antwerp, Carpentier’s career saw him divulge from an academic approach to impressionism. Carpentier established himself in Antwerp and acquired his own studio. It is there that he painted many commissioned works, which did not yet reflect his artistic personality. He began his career addressing religious topics, themes of antiquity and scenes inspired by the Dutch Golden Age painting of the 17th century. He later moved into his first studio with his painter friend Jan van Beers. In the 1880s they worked together for some time in Paris, Normandy and St. Malo in Brittany. Carpentier became a professor at the Académie Royal des Beaux-Arts in Liège in 1896, where he served as director from 1902 to 1908. Throughout his career, he won many prizes and awards at international exhibitions, both in Europe and in the United States. The work of Carpentier was largely forgotten after his death in 1922, but was rediscovered towards the latter stage of the 20th Century. His work is now viewed as an essential link in the development of modern Belgian painting. This work comes with a receipt of purchase from J. Collins & Son (2012). 29.5cm x 22cm.

Ca. 100-300 AD.A set of 10 glass flasks, each with unique features. Some have vertical indentations, creating textured surfaces, while others have a conical shape. These glass vessels were an integral part of life in the Roman Empire, used for everything from religious ceremonies, to personal grooming, and medicinal purposes. Size: L:35-75mm / W:35-40mm ; 190g Provenance: Private UK collection; formerly in the collection of Mr. R. Unger; previously with a London gallery; acquired before 2000 on the UK art market.

Ca. 100-300 AD.A set of 10 distinctly shaped glass vessels used to store perfumed oil, or unguents. The shapes in this lot vary, and include vessels with globular, piriform, and cylindrical bodies. These glass vessels were an integral part of life in the Roman Empire, used for everything from religious ceremonies, to personal grooming, and medicinal purposes. Size: L:25-100mm / W:45-25mm ; 155g Provenance: Private UK collection; formerly in the collection of Mr. R. Unger; previously with a London gallery; acquired before 2000 on the UK art market.

Ca. 400 BC.An Apulian red-figure epichysis presenting a pear-shaped lower body which merges into a tubular neck and a finely crafted spout. A strap handle connects the shoulder to the mouth, making it easy to carry and pour, while a concave foot base enhances its stability. A depiction of a seated woman wearing a draped peplos adorns the vessel. She is seated on a rock and wears a diadem on her head, highlighted in white, along with a beaded necklace and double armillae. She holds large wreaths in both hands and a sizeable patera in her left, indicating her religious significance. On the reverse, there is an intricate palmette design. The decoration is completed with wave bands on the neck and foot, along with flowers in added white, enhancing the overall composition on the body. Size: L:185mm / W:85mm ; 175g Provenance: Property of a London Ancient Art gallery, formerly with Stephen Joel Albert (6 February 1941–27 December 1992), New York; thence by descent. [Inv. no. 5978]. This item has been checked against the Art Loss Register database.

Ca. 1100-1400 AD.A silver ring, boasting an intricate hoop and a circular bezel adorned with a five-pointed star. This exquisite artefact harks back to the era of the Crusades, a sequence of medieval military expeditions spanning the 11th to the 13th centuries. The noble endeavour of the Crusades was embarked upon with the lofty ambition of reclaiming sacred Christian pilgrimage destinations, most notably Jerusalem, from the dominion of Muslim rule. The attempted conquest was spurred by a complex interplay of religious devotion and geopolitical motivations. Size: D:18.75mm / US:8 3/4 / UK:R ; 10.21g Provenance: Property of a London Ancient art collector, formerly in a Mayfair private collection of Mr. P. S., formerly acquired on the UK art market since the 1970s.

BAISEKI: A SUPERB WOOD NETSUKE OF A SNAIL ON A FURLED LEAFBy Gokyotei Baiseki, signed Baiseki kore o chokoku 楳石彫刻之 with seal sha 社Japan, Iwami province, late 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Published: Earle, Joe (2000) The Robert S. Huthart Collection of Iwami Netsuke, Vol. II, p. 296, no. 266.A well-sized wood netsuke depicting a large, fully grown snail slithering out of its shell and onto a leaf, both of which are carved with remarkable detail and near-unfathomable naturalism, the old shell of the mollusk and the decaying veiny leaf detailed with intentional wear and irregularities. The snail's body is detailed with beautiful, large ukibori pimples as it folds its head over the shell, slowly extending its tentacles. The underside shows the asymmetrical himotoshi and the neatly engraved signature BAISEKI kore o chokoku (Baiseki carved this) with a square seal sha (社 shrine). LENGTH 5.3 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear and traces of use. Some small chips to the leaf.Provenance: Ex-collection Virginia Atchley, California. Ex-collection Robert S. Huthart, acquired from the above.Literature comparison:Baiseki is a rarely encountered artist from the Iwami province with a likely affiliation to Bokugyuken Toshiharu and Baitetsu. The seal sha [shrine] is invariably found on his carvings, indicating a religious affinity which is certainly reflected in the carver's choice of subject matter. A selection of most of his recorded works is illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, pp. 302-304.Museum comparison: A closely related wood netsuke of a snail is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), New York, accession no. 91.1.1054. This netsuke is also illustrated in Lazarnick, George (1981) Netsuke & Inro Artists, and How to Read Their Signatures (LNIA), Vol. 1, p. 304.Auction comparison:Compare a related wood netsuke of a snail on taro leaf by the Iwami master carver Seiyodo Tomiharu at Zacke, Asian Art Discoveries, 29 June 2022, Vienna, lot 445 (sold for EUR 11,376).

TAKAHASHI HOUN: AN IMPORTANT WOOD NETSUKE OF A MYTHICAL ELEPHANTBy Takahashi Houn (Hogen Houn, 1810-1854), signed Houn 鳳雲Japan, c. 1850, Edo period (1615-1868)Published:Joly, Henri L. (1912) The W. L. Behrens Collection, Part 1, Netsuke, no. 5327 and illustrated on pl. LXIX.Hurtig, Bernard (1973) Masterpieces of Netsuke Art: One Thousand Favorites of Leading Collectors, p. 211, no. 891.Bandini (1977) Values and Record prices, Part II in Journal of the International Netsuke Collectors' Society, 5 /3, p. 20, listed as joint 5th most expensive netsuke at auction in that year.Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 200.La Gazette Drouot, no. 21, 27 May 2011 p. 177.D. Wright's report of the Wrangham sale in International Netsuke Society Journal, 31/2, p. 35, discussed and illustrated.G. Wilhelm's report of the same in Bulletin Association Franco-Japonaise, no. 110, pages unnumbered, discussed and illustrated.Exhibited:Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, Inro. An exhibition of Japanese Inro from the collection of E.A. Wrangham, October-November 1972, no. 34.Finely carved, the elephant-like animal reclining with its head turned back, the movement producing folds throughout the body and neck, the mouth slightly opened smiling benevolently, with large wrinkly ears and trunk, the trunk curling around one of the long tusks which rest against the mythical animal's body, forming a compact composition. The underside with generously excavated himotoshi and the signature in Tensho characters HOUN.Takahashi Houn was a pupil of Kokei (lot no. 186) and worked in Edo (Tokyo), where he was awarded the title Hogen for his carving of Buddhist images. He was highly respected during his lifetime, carving the 500 Rakan (fig.1.) for the Kamakura temple. Furthermore, he was the master of Takamura Toun, a highly respected carver of Buddhist wood figures and master of the celebrated artist Takamura Koun (1852-1934), for an example of the latter's work see fig. 2.Only very few netsuke are recorded by Takahashi Houn and this is the only illustrated netsuke by the carver in literature. The reason is likely that he focused his attention on carving larger scale Buddhist images commissioned by various temples. The unique treatment of material and subject clearly show the roots of this celebrated carver, the present carving really being more a Buddhist sculpture rather than a netsuke, akin to the highest-level Kamakura carvings, though in miniature form.LENGTH 4.7 cmCondition: Very good condition, few light surface scratches.Provenance Ex-collection W. L. Behrens (1861-1913). Sold at Glendining's, London, 1-8 December 1913. Glendining's, London, November 1931. Anonymous sale, Sotheby's London, 11 January 1965, lot 93, purchased by Edward A. Wrangham. Sold at the latter's second sale, Bonhams London, 10 May 2011, lot 90 (sold for GBP 19,200). French private collection, acquired from the above reputedly in competition with Edward 'Ned' Johnson III.The elephant-like mythical being depicted in this netsuke is by no means an ordinary elephant, but rather a religious creature frequently depicted in early Buddhist art or a baku (nightmare-devouring creature). The wrinkly body and trunk, long tusks, and smiling attitude bear an uncanny resemblance to the famous imaginary elephants (sozo-no-zo) from the Nikko Tosho-gu. This type of elephant was also frequently depicted in Buddhist art as the familiar of Fugen Bosatsu or on various architectural elements depicting baku.Museum comparison:Compare a related wood figure of The Eleven-Headed Kannon, by Takahashi Houn, in the collection of the Ashmolean Museum.

CHEN YIFEI (1946-2005)The young cellist, circa 1986Oil on canvas, framed. 153cm (60 1/4in) x 154cm (60 5/8in).Footnotes:This work is registered in the Hammer Gallery archives under no. C25282-1. 本拍品在the Hammer Gallery的檔案編號為no. C25282-1陳逸飛 (1946-2005) 年輕的大提琴手 布面油畫 有框 約作於1986年Provenance: Dr. Maury P. Leibovitz Collection, Connecticut, commissioned from the artist and acquired through Hammer Gallery in 1986, and thence by descent.來源：Maury P. Leibovitz 博士委託藝術家繪製並在1986年購於Hammer Gallery，美國康涅狄格州，並由後人保存迄今Chen Yifei was born in 1946 in Ningbo of the coastal Zhejiang Province. When he was a child, he moved with his family to Shanghai where he studied Russian art and Socialist Realism. He graduated from the Shanghai College of Art in 1965. During the Cultural Revolution, he was initially denounced for 'capitalist behaviour', but later gained recognition from the authorities for his mastery of oil painting. He was famous for portraying grand images of Chairman Mao and the People Liberation Army. After the Cultural Revolution, he fused realistic techniques with romanticism to depict Chinese subject matters. He later became one of the first artists from the PRC permitted to study in the United States and gained his master's degree at Hunter in 1983. After achieving great success for his solo exhibition, Chen became a contract artist for the Hammer Galleries. In 1990, Chen returned to China and settled in Shanghai. Chen Yifei's artistic creation successfully pushed Chinese realist oil painting in the West, bridging East and West with its powerful emotional content and refined technique.The present lot portrays a young cellist whose face is highlighted by a shaft of light from the upper right candles. The elegant facial expression and the graceful body lines grant the painting the solemnity and mystique of religious portraits. It is a classic example of his characteristic 'Romantic Realism' using dense and dark colours to create a sense of richness, refinement, and romantic atmosphere.Compare with a related painting of The Cellist, signed by Chen Yifei and dated 1983.6, which was sold at Sotheby's New York, 20 September 2007, lot 13.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

A VERY RARE CARVED CINNABAR LACQUER '108 SHOU CHARACTERS' BRUSHPOT, BITONGQianlong The cylindrical vessel crisply carved through layers of cinnabar lacquer around the exterior with continous rows of 108 shou characters in various styles of zhuanshu calligraphy, all on a diaper-pattern ground, the mouth rim with a key-fret border. 9.8cm (3 7/8in) high.Footnotes:清乾隆 剔紅「壽」字紋筆筒Provenance: Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art Ltd., London, 1 February 2013來源：倫敦古董商Priestley & Ferraro Chinese Art Ltd.，2013年2月1日The present brushpot with continuous rows of 108 Shou ('longevity') characters in different forms of seal script, was probably made as a birthday gift. The number of characters is highly significant as it tallies with the number of beads in a Buddhist rosary. The present lot is thus laden with auspicious and religious meaning. A Buddhist rosary has 108 beads because there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines or chakras converging to the heart. One of them, sushumna, leads to the crown chakra, and is believed to lead to the path of self-realisation. The number 108 is also significant for other reasons. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing has 108 pillars in the base, and the first King of the Zhou dynasty called on 108 Gods to help his troops in his attack on the Shang dynasty. The various styles of zhuanshu or seal script calligraphy is also entirely keeping with scholarly and artistic trends of the time. The Qing emperors endorsed Han learning and scholarship, encouraging scholars to study ancient texts carefully and meticulously. This movement, known as the 'searching for evidence' movement (kaozheng 考證), reached its height in the Qianlong era. Numerous dictionaries were published and the new philology sparked a fascination for artistic archaism, with the ancient seal script calligraphy becoming in vogue. See for example, a carved cinnabar lacquer screen with similar 'shou' characters, Qianlong, illustrated in The Creation of Natural Immensity and Grandeur: The Yang Ming Shan Fang Collection of Lacquer from Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing, 2020, no.66.Compare with a related Imperially inscribed cinnabar lacquer carved brushpot, Qianlong seal mark and of the period, which was sold at Bonhams London, 2 November 2021, lot 66.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

Gillian Ayres (British 1930-2018): 'Crevelli's Room', pop art style print depicting a balcony with peacock, signed in pencil and dated '67, artist's proof, gallery label verso for Kasmin Limited, New Bond St, London, 78cm x 58cm This print re-creates one corner of a well-known religious work in The National Gallery, The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius (1486), by Carlo Crivelli

BÜTTNER, ANDREA1972 StuttgartTitel: Piano Stool (für Parkett 97). Datierung: 2015. Technik: Farbserigrafie auf leichtem Karton. Darstellungsmaß: 46 x 61cm. Blattmaß: 47,5 x 63cm. Bezeichnung: Signiert und nummeriert. Herausgeber: Parkett-Verlag, Zürich (Hrsg.). Exemplar: 2/25. Rahmen: Rahmen. Zustand:Verso montiert. Ansonsten sehr guter Zustand.Mit Parkett-Magazin."Throughout her practice, the artist probes 'tricky' thresholds not often explored in contemporary art - the blurry line between amateur making and fine art production, for instance, or the unexpected relationship between marginal religious experiences and philosophies of modernist contemplation."Julia Bryan-Wilson, Parkett Nr. 97, 2015. Artikel zu Werk und Künstler aus Parkett Edition Nr. 97. Andrea Büttner Deutschland Zeitgenössische Kunst Grafik 2010er Rahmen Möbel Druckgrafik Siebdruck MusikinstrumentErläuterungen zum Katalog

F.N. Souza (Indian 1824-2002), Still Life (skull, cross, oil lamp), 1986, oil on canvas, 120 x 60cm. (47.2in. x 23.6in.)Provenance: The property of Dr. Premlata Goel, widow of the distinguished art critic, K.B. Goel; Gifted by Souza to his close friend, the art critic, K.B. Goel (1930 - 2018).The genre of still life painting provides a glimpse into Souza’s psyche; questions of religion and morality tormented him throughout his life.In this still life by Souza, as in others by him, there is a compositional quality which is his hallmark. The assemblage of objects reveal the precision of his mental processes and remarkable draftsmanship. In the work, on the table religious symbols are interspersed with other objects reflecting Souza’s Catholic upbringing and the influence of the Church on his adolescent mind.“The Roman Catholic Church had a tremendous influence over me, not its dogmas but its grand architecture and the splendour of its services." (Edwin Mullins, Souza, Anthony Blond Ltd. London 1962, p. 42). In another instance, Souza describes dining at a priest’s home in Goa, “Sunday evenings, the vicar invited me to dine with him […] A laundered tablecloth was spread only when he [the Vicar] had guests, a luxury he permitted himself with touching simplicity.” ('Nirvana of a Maggot', F. N. Souza: Words and Lines, Villiers London 1959, pp.17-18).Writing on Souza’s still life compositions, the distinguished critic Geeta Kapur notes that ‘they are mostly ornate vessels and sacred objects. These objects retain their ritual aspect both on account of the visual description and composition... They are moreover, clustered formally as if on the shelf of the sacristy…’. (G. Kapur, Contemporary Indian Artists, Vikas Publishing New Delhi 1978, pp. 29-30)This work is predominantly painted in tones of yellow. The skull makes its presence felt in one corner - a striking reminder of the certainty of death. This symbol dating from antiquity is known as a Memento Mori, Latin for “Remember that you will die”. In the opposite corner, juxtaposed to the skull, is the large vase full of flowers symbolising the blossoming of new life. It occupies much of the space in the foreground with the bright red flowers. The thick wooden cross stands firm next to this vase. The oil lamp beside the skull illumines the entire scene. There is a more restricted yet judicious use of colours for a work of this period. Here, it is a subtle yellow shade that fills the entire background, dominating the painting. This seems to signify the dispelling of darkness and dark thoughts. Souza must have been in a happy state of mind while painting this work.This juxtaposition of ideas, hope and despair, light and dark, life and death is expressed with effortless ease and clarity. Souza signs off the work in his inimitable style; thick black outlines the foreground forms effectively enveloping them. They are remarkable for their energy and geometric visual harmony.(ARR)Condition Report: Held in a wooden frame, minor scuff marks. Slight undulation to the canvas, most noticeably in the top third of the painting and top right corner. Dent to the painted surface top right above yellow flower. Spots of surface residue across bottom third; some some possibly paper residue. vertical scuffs to the painted surface from the left of the flowers to the bottom; does not detract from image. Some pigments fluoresce under UV light, but appears original to the process of making (see video). Staining in two square patches visible to the reverse.   

§ Roy De Maistre C.B.E. (Australian / British 1894-1968) Two Figures oil on board Dimensions:41cm x 33cm (16 1/8in x 13in) Provenance:ProvenanceCelia Broadbent (neé Keogh) and by direct descent to the present owner.LiteratureJohnson, Heather, Roy De Maistre: The English Years 1930-1968, Sydney: Craftsman House, 1995, p.27, plate 7, illustrated. Note: Celia Broadbent was de Maistre’s cousin once removed, and his executor and friend; her older sister, Camilla Margery Keogh, was the subject of ‘La Folie', considered one of de Maistre’s major works Roy de Maistre: ‘Fellas doing things to Fellas’Described as ‘the man who taught Francis Bacon to paint’ (Ronald Alley interviewed by Heather Johnson 1988), Roy de Maistre moved from his native Australia to London in 1930, where he lived for the rest of his life. He had trained at Sydney Art School and the Royal Art Society, had spent two years travelling in Europe between 1923 and 1925 and had had two solo exhibitions, at the Macquarie Galleries in Sydney in 1926 and 1928. Despite this successful start to his career, de Maistre looked to London for a more progressive art world into which he was immediately admitted. In his first year in the English capital, de Maistre had a solo show at the Beaux Arts Gallery and a joint exhibition of paintings and furniture with Francis Bacon, held in the latter’s studio at 7 Queensberry Mews.De Maistre’s friendship with Bacon was closest in the early 1930s, though they remained in contact until the former’s death in 1968. There is some debate as to whether they had studios in the same buildings but on different floors, but what is certain is de Maistre’s fascination with Bacon’s working spaces, which he painted on several occasions. As de Maistre’s biographer, Heather Johnson, has declared ‘the main importance of the association between de Maistre and Bacon is the influence on their respective work…in the early 1930s de Maistre had just as great or greater influence on Bacon.’ (Heather Johnson, Roy de Maistre: The English Years 1930-1968, Craftsman House, Roseville East, 1995, p.22).The 1930s were a particularly fertile period in de Maistre’s career; his work featured in cutting-edge publications, such as Herbert Read’s 1933 Art Now and in group exhibitions including at the Zwemmer Gallery and Leicester Galleries. He had solo exhibitions at the avant-garde Mayor Gallery in 1934 and at the Calmann Gallery four years later. In 1934 he established the School of Contemporary Painting and Drawing with Martin Bloch, with its stated aim acting as a manifesto for his own work, namely ‘to help the pupils to give expression to their enjoyment of the beauty and significance of things seen and experienced; to understand and appreciate the materials they use and to recognise the logic of the laws of colour and composition’ (see Johnson, op.cit., p.82).Two Figures dates from this important period. Johnson explained that in this painting, compared with other contemporary works, ‘de Maistre has…concentrated on a sensitive and intellectual rapport between the figures rather than a purely sexual one, the blending of the figures and their closeness is much more successful’ (Johnson, ibid., p.28). Two Figures is all the more significant given de Maistre’s instructions to his Executors that, following his death, ‘a large body of work, described as ‘fellas doing things to fellas’ be destroyed (see Johnson, ibid., p. 28). The two men are seen unclothed, caught in a moment of intimate relaxation – both have their eyes closed and are viewed in profile. Bold black outlining provides the structure of a pictorial design based on shallow depth, whilst a harmonious palette, direct technique and frank appreciation of the male form create an image which is at once sensual and bold.In contrast, Crucifixion of 1945, whilst based on earlier notes and studies, was painted in response to the dropping of the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima on 6 August of that year. By this point in his career, de Maistre was becoming known as a modernist religious painter, not least with the acquisition in 1944 of a work of the same Biblical scene to Iona Abbey. De Maistre formally converted to the Roman Catholic faith in 1951. The 1940s saw him receive solo exhibitions in Leeds and Birmingham and culminated in one at Adams Gallery, London in 1950.The influence of Bacon’s working methods can arguably be detected in Man and Tree of 1959. Johnson posits that Bacon’s use of Portrait of Innocent X by Diego Velázquez in a series of works started in 1951, may have encouraged de Maistre to look to past masters for inspiration. Indeed, she established that Man and Tree is based on a work by Henri Matisse, reproduced in an article about Fauvism in the December 1934 issue of the D’Aci I D’Alla magazine, of which de Maistre owned a copy. (M. A. Cassanyes, ‘Fauvisme’, D’Aci D’Alla, no.179, vol. XXII, December 1934 see Johnson, ibid., pp.163 and 165). This work dates from the period during which de Maistre was preparing his retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, which opened in May 1960.All three of the works by de Maistre presented here formerly belonged to Celia Broadbent (née Keogh). She was a daughter of the artist’s cousin, Camilla Keogh (1866-1948) who was one of his most significant patrons and muses. Celia went on to support de Maistre herself, not least in asking him to design tapestry versions of some of his paintings, which she then stitched (see Johnson, ibid., p. 112).As de Maistre’s patron, Rab Butler, proclaimed: ‘His most impressive quality as an artist was his absolute integrity. He went through long periods of difficulty in earning his living from painting because he refused to conform to any standards other than those which he had rigorously laid down for himself.’ (quoted in Johnson, ibid. p.55)

§ Roy De Maistre C.B.E. (Australian / British 1894-1968) Crucifixion, 1945 signed (lower right), oil on canvas Dimensions:25cm x 20.5cm (9 7/8in x 8in) Provenance:ProvenanceCelia Broadbent (neé Keogh) and by direct descent to the present owner.Celia Broadbent was de Maistre’s cousin once removed, and his executor and friend; her older sister, Camilla Margery Keogh, was the subject of ‘La Folie', considered one of de Maistre’s major works. Note: with label signed and inscribed THIS CRUCIFIXION, painted from notes and studies made at St. Jean-de-Luz in 1932 was begun on the day after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima - painted in Sorrow for the innocent victims and in condemnation of those politicians who perpetrated this appalling act of mass murder in defiance of Christian love and compassion. / 13 Eccleston Street, London, 1945. (to reverse) Roy de Maistre: ‘Fellas doing things to Fellas’Described as ‘the man who taught Francis Bacon to paint’ (Ronald Alley interviewed by Heather Johnson 1988), Roy de Maistre moved from his native Australia to London in 1930, where he lived for the rest of his life. He had trained at Sydney Art School and the Royal Art Society, had spent two years travelling in Europe between 1923 and 1925 and had had two solo exhibitions, at the Macquarie Galleries in Sydney in 1926 and 1928. Despite this successful start to his career, de Maistre looked to London for a more progressive art world into which he was immediately admitted. In his first year in the English capital, de Maistre had a solo show at the Beaux Arts Gallery and a joint exhibition of paintings and furniture with Francis Bacon, held in the latter’s studio at 7 Queensberry Mews.De Maistre’s friendship with Bacon was closest in the early 1930s, though they remained in contact until the former’s death in 1968. There is some debate as to whether they had studios in the same buildings but on different floors, but what is certain is de Maistre’s fascination with Bacon’s working spaces, which he painted on several occasions. As de Maistre’s biographer, Heather Johnson, has declared ‘the main importance of the association between de Maistre and Bacon is the influence on their respective work…in the early 1930s de Maistre had just as great or greater influence on Bacon.’ (Heather Johnson, Roy de Maistre: The English Years 1930-1968, Craftsman House, Roseville East, 1995, p.22).The 1930s were a particularly fertile period in de Maistre’s career; his work featured in cutting-edge publications, such as Herbert Read’s 1933 Art Now and in group exhibitions including at the Zwemmer Gallery and Leicester Galleries. He had solo exhibitions at the avant-garde Mayor Gallery in 1934 and at the Calmann Gallery four years later. In 1934 he established the School of Contemporary Painting and Drawing with Martin Bloch, with its stated aim acting as a manifesto for his own work, namely ‘to help the pupils to give expression to their enjoyment of the beauty and significance of things seen and experienced; to understand and appreciate the materials they use and to recognise the logic of the laws of colour and composition’ (see Johnson, op.cit., p.82).Two Figures dates from this important period. Johnson explained that in this painting, compared with other contemporary works, ‘de Maistre has…concentrated on a sensitive and intellectual rapport between the figures rather than a purely sexual one, the blending of the figures and their closeness is much more successful’ (Johnson, ibid., p.28). Two Figures is all the more significant given de Maistre’s instructions to his Executors that, following his death, ‘a large body of work, described as ‘fellas doing things to fellas’ be destroyed (see Johnson, ibid., p. 28). The two men are seen unclothed, caught in a moment of intimate relaxation – both have their eyes closed and are viewed in profile. Bold black outlining provides the structure of a pictorial design based on shallow depth, whilst a harmonious palette, direct technique and frank appreciation of the male form create an image which is at once sensual and bold.In contrast, Crucifixion of 1945, whilst based on earlier notes and studies, was painted in response to the dropping of the first atomic bomb, on Hiroshima on 6 August of that year. By this point in his career, de Maistre was becoming known as a modernist religious painter, not least with the acquisition in 1944 of a work of the same Biblical scene to Iona Abbey. De Maistre formally converted to the Roman Catholic faith in 1951. The 1940s saw him receive solo exhibitions in Leeds and Birmingham and culminated in one at Adams Gallery, London in 1950.The influence of Bacon’s working methods can arguably be detected in Man and Tree of 1959. Johnson posits that Bacon’s use of Portrait of Innocent X by Diego Velázquez in a series of works started in 1951, may have encouraged de Maistre to look to past masters for inspiration. Indeed, she established that Man and Tree is based on a work by Henri Matisse, reproduced in an article about Fauvism in the December 1934 issue of the D’Aci I D’Alla magazine, of which de Maistre owned a copy. (M. A. Cassanyes, ‘Fauvisme’, D’Aci D’Alla, no.179, vol. XXII, December 1934 see Johnson, ibid., pp.163 and 165). This work dates from the period during which de Maistre was preparing his retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, which opened in May 1960.All three of the works by de Maistre presented here formerly belonged to Celia Broadbent (née Keogh). She was a daughter of the artist’s cousin, Camilla Keogh (1866-1948) who was one of his most significant patrons and muses. Celia went on to support de Maistre herself, not least in asking him to design tapestry versions of some of his paintings, which she then stitched (see Johnson, ibid., p. 112).As de Maistre’s patron, Rab Butler, proclaimed: ‘His most impressive quality as an artist was his absolute integrity. He went through long periods of difficulty in earning his living from painting because he refused to conform to any standards other than those which he had rigorously laid down for himself.’ (quoted in Johnson, ibid. p.55)

SEYPPEL, Carl Maria(1847 Düsseldorf - 1913 ebd.) "Verstaubte Stille"Öl/Leinwand. Rechts unten signiert, verso bezeichnet/betitelt. 1905. 97 x 78 cm. Gerahmt : 128 x 111 cm. Alter Mann beim Durchwühlen einer Bücherkiste in einem alten Zimmer mit Kamin, dessen Wände noch mit religiösen Gemälden geschmückt sind. Genre- und Bildnismaler, Karikaturist und Schriftsteller, Schüler von K. Sohn und L. Knaus an der Akademie Düsseldorf. Vater von Hans Seyppel. Literatur : Thieme/Becker; Vgl. Offizieller Katalog der Großen Berliner Kunstausstellung 1905, Nr. 982. Versand nicht verfügbar.Aufrufzeit 28. | Okt 2023 | voraussichtlich 13:46 Uhr (CET) SEYPPEL, Carl Maria(1847 Düsseldorf - 1913 ibid.) "Verstaubte Stille"Oil/canvas. Signed lower right, inscribed/titled on verso. 1905. 97 x 78 cm. Framed : 128 x 111 cm. Old man rummaging through a box of books in an old room with a fireplace, whose walls are still decorated with religious paintings. Genre and portrait painter, caricaturist and writer, student of K. Sohn and L. Knaus at the Düsseldorf Academy. Father of Hans Seyppel. Literature : Thieme/Becker; Cf. official catalog of the Great Berlin Art Exhibition 1905, No. 982. Shipping not available.Call time 28th | Oct 2023 | probably 13:46 (CET).*This is an automatically generated translation from German by deepl.com and only to be seen as an aid - not a legally binding declaration of lot properties. Please note that we can only guarantee for the correctness of description and condition as provided by the German description.

RAVI ZUPA, A FRIEND 3 colour screenprint on paper, signed, created in 202028cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand. Instagram: raviamarzupa

RAVI ZUPA, KEEP MOVING 3 colour screenprint on paper, signed, created in 202028cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand. Instagram: raviamarzupa

RAVI ZUPA, WHAT'S COOLER 3 colour screenprint on paper, created in 2021, signed28cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand.

K-GUY, NHS - SALE NOW ON spray paint and stencil on card album cover, signed31cm x 31cm K-Guy is a visual artist who lives and works in the epicentre of the street art scene, London. The artist is best known for his sharp analyses and off-the-mark responses to what goes on around him, politicians, religious leaders, fast food outlets and entire economic systems have all been examined in K-Guy’s work. For his controversial and quirky works in the streets of London, K-Guy received worldwide media attention several times. Renowned works from the artist include his collaboration with the Prodigy on a limited edition print which sold out instantly and his iconic best sellers ‘Coke Moss’, ‘Naomi Campbell’s, ‘Pepsi Cara and LINDA EVANGELISTa’.Instagram: _.cokemosh_moss7

RAVI ZUPA, KEEP MOVING 3 colour screenprint on paper, signed, created in 202028cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand. Instagram: raviamarzupa

RAVI ZUPA, TOGETHER AGAIN 3 colour screenprint on paper, signed, created in 202028cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand. Instagram: raviamarzupa

RAVI ZUPA, A FRIEND 3 colour screenprint on paper, signed, created in 202028cm x 43cmRavi Zupa considers books the best way to experience art. He has spent decades studying books about the art, mythology, religion, and history of cultures from across geography and time. Entirely self-taught, Zupa looks to works by German Renaissance printmakers, Flemish primitives, abstract expressionists, Japanese woodblock artists, and Mughal painters for inspiration. He also frequently incorporates religious iconography from Europe, Asia, and Pre-Columbian Latin America with revolutionary propaganda from around the world. With a distaste for ironic art or the thoughtless appropriation of culture, he integrates seemingly unrelated images in search of something universal. Zupa does not create any of his art digitally; everything comes from his own hand. Instagram: raviamarzupa