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Lot 24
WILLIAM KENTRIDGE (B. 1955)Office Love 2001 signed with the artist's signature woven into the reverse; signed, titled, dated 2003, numbered 3/3 and variously inscribed on a label affixed to the reversemohair, acrylic and polyester tapestry341 by 451.6 cm. 134 1/4 by 177 13/16 in. This work was executed in collaboration with Marguerite Stephens in 2003, and is number 3 from an edition of 3 and 2 APs.Footnotes:ProvenanceAnnandale Galleries, SydneyAcquired directly from the above by the present owner in 2004ExhibitedSydney, Annandale Galleries, William Kentridge: Learning The Flute / Automatic Writing, 2004, illustrated on the cover in colourSydney, S.H. Ervin Gallery, 2004: The Year in Art, 2004 Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, William Kentridge Tapestries, 2007-2008, p. 65, no. 17, another example exhibited and illustrated in colourSydney, University of Technology Sydney, 2010-2015, work on loan to the University Another example of this edition is held in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.Incisively political and yet profoundly poetic, Office Love belongs to a series of tapestries which William Kentridge began in 2001. This present work is from an edition of three that were executed between 2001 and 2005; the first edition of which is held in the permanent collection of the prominent Philadelphia Museum of Art. The monumental scale and intricate execution of this present work, along with the foundations of cultural and historic sensibility, sets Kentridge apart as an artist who has achieved an extraordinary, compelling contribution to the disciplines of 21st century art. Office Love illustrates an intricate map of Johannesburg with almost life size silhouettes dramatically set against the cartographical formality of the chart. The duality of his composition is arresting; the darkness of his silhouettes, or protagonists, as they so boldly encompass the composition, rest atop the delicate pastel threads delicately woven to construct a map of the city, in an almost collaged fashion. The silhouettes depict a stocky businessman with a typewriter for a head, who purposefully approaches three pieces of what one might decipher as 'feminine' office furniture, the largest of which is a transcriber's table. Interestingly, typewriters started to become standardised in the 1890s, shortly after the years in which Johannesburg was founded and developed as a city. It might be considered that everyday objects such as typewriters recall an early 20th-century colonial world as perceived by the artist that would be apparent to a child growing up in the 50s and 60s. The title Office Love contributes to the assertion of male and female receptivity and possibly contains a more profound meaning; perhaps the depiction of the stocky male advancing is sexual tension or perhaps it is simply progress in today's age. Born in Johannesburg in 1955, William Kentridge has become one of the most highly regarded and sought after living contemporary artists. He has produced a searing interdisciplinary body of work ranging from drawing, film, animation, theatre, sculpture, tapestry and even opera, that explores themes of colonial oppression and social conflict, loss and reconciliation, alongside the transient nature of both personal and cultural memory. He seeks to transmute sobering political events into powerful poetic allegories that resonate profoundly, still to this present day. Setting his oeuvre in context, Kentridge was the son of prominent anti-apartheid lawyers; Sir Sydney Kentridge and Felicia Geffen. His father famously defended Nelson Mandela during the Treason Trials of 1956 – 1961, and his mother was a highly respected human rights advocate who set up an organisation to provide free legal support to marginalised members of South African society, that is still in service today. This political background and family lineage proved vital to shaping Kentridge's artistic career. Upon graduating from the prestigious University of Witwatersrand with a bachelor's degree in politics and African studies, Kentridge enrolled at the Johannesburg Art Foundation, where he studied Fine Arts. His interest in African history and politics remained with him and influenced his work. Due to his parents' involvement in South African politics, Kentridge grew up acutely aware of the injustices in the country, and art became a form of expression for him. Reputed perhaps more widely are his compelling animations that reveal the process of their own creation by showing how individual frames have been drawn, adapted, erased, and otherwise transformed from one image to the next; but William Kentridge introduced the medium of tapestry into his repertoire as another way to tell difficult and harrowing stories akin to his native homeland and the period in which he grew up in. Like his animations, Kentridge's tapestries are also developed from his drawings, the first media his artistic practise evolved from. These preparatory collaged drawings conjure shadowy figures from ripped construction paper which he then collaged onto the web-like background of nineteenth-century atlas maps of Europe and Johannesburg. He began making tapestries in collaboration with the Stephens Tapestry Studio, run by the mother and daughter team of Marguerite Stephens and Tina Weavind, whom he would collaborate with for 24 years. The tapestries are woven from mohair harvested from Angora goats farmed in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and in Lesotho. The raw mohair was processed and dyed in northern Eswatini before being transferred to the looms at the studio in Diepsloot on the outskirts of Johannesburg. The mapping of geography across many South African cities to produce these tapestries, perhaps speaks to Kentridge's heritage and underlying political preoccupations that resonated in his art. Kentridge's tapestries, which included the first edition of Office Love, were the subject of an important exhibition dedicated solely to this medium organised by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2007. Exhibited were eleven works from a multiple of series that showcase similar silhouetted figures set against the backdrop of maps, carrying bundles and belongings as they move forward. The backgrounds of the beautifully woven and embroidered maps, along with the juxtaposition of hulking figures couldn't be more direct. The curator of the exhibition, Carlos Basualdo, explained, 'Kentridge initially thought of his tapestries as 'permanent projections. While they evoke the moving image, his tapestries also illuminate the centrality of drawing in his practice. He uses the language of one medium to talk about another medium, while at the same time dealing with societies that are themselves in a state of transition'. (Carlos Basualdo, William Kentridge Tapestries https://philamuseum.org/calendar/exhibition/notationswilliam-kentridge-tapestries, 19 September 2023). It is plausible to argue that no other South African artist has achieved greater status than William Kentridge. His career has brought him international recognition as one of today's major living artists. This reputation is confirmed by the stature of the global institutions and art museums that have exhibited his work.
Lot 22
FERNANDO BOTERO (1932-2023)Dog on a cushion 1976 incised with the artist's signature and numbered 5/6bronze34 by 37 by 40 cm.13 3/8 by 14 9/16 by 15 3/4 in.This work was executed in 1976, and is number 5 from an edition of 6.Footnotes:Provenance Didier Imbert Fine Art, ParisPrivate Collection, Saint Tropez (acquired from the above in 1993)Thence by descent to the present ownerExhibitedMonte Carlo, Marisa del Re Gallery, Fernando Botero, 1992, another example exhibitedParis, Avenue Des Champs-Élysées, Grand Palais and Galerie Didier Imbert Fine Art, Botero Aux Champs-Élysées - Sculptures et Œuvres sur Papiers, 1992-1993, p. 156, another example exhibited and illustrated in colour Literature Jean-Clarence Lambert, Benjamín Villegas (Ed.), Botero Sculptures, Colombia 1998, p. 61, another example illustrated in colour, n.p., another example illustrated in colour Renowned for his distinctive style characterised by voluptuous and exaggerated forms, the Colombian artist Fernando Botero has left an indelible mark on the history of art. His works evoke a sense of affection and endearment, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries and animals often play a quintessential role in them. Having studied under Roberto Longhi, a distinguished authority on Italian Renaissance and Baroque art, Botero obtained a remarkable art historical knowledge of Western Classicism that transfuses his oeuvre and made him one of the world's most revered and sought-after artists of the present day. The canon of art history, especially the European one became a rich source of inspiration, and no subject is quite as interwoven into the history of art as the humble dog, man's best friend and faithful companion. Dog on a Cushion from 1976 is a beautifully playful example of Botero's celebrated sculptural practice, with the small well-rounded canine proudly perching on a fluffy cushion- an emblem of domesticity and comfort but also a nod to the importance we give to the pets in our lives. The artist's fascination with horses, cats, birds, and dogs is a prominent feature throughout his oeuvre. Characterised by an intentional exaggeration of his subjects' forms, Botero's ability to infuse life into his sculptures is striking. The present work is not a mere imitation of a dog but a celebration of its essence, the exaggerated curves and humorous expectantly outstretched tongue emphasize the joviality and charm of the animal, which might at any moment jump off the cushion.Dogs have held a significant role in art history as subjects of fascination, symbolism, and companionship. From ancient cave paintings to the masterpieces of the Renaissance and beyond, dogs have been depicted in various contexts, reflecting their diverse roles in human societies. As companions and symbols of fidelity, dogs often appear in portraits, signifying loyalty, trust, and the bonds of friendship. Furthermore, their depictions in hunting scenes highlight their utilitarian roles as skilled hunters and trackers. In the broader context of art history, dogs have served as allegorical symbols, representing virtue, faithfulness, or even human qualities, reminding us of their enduring importance in the human experience.Profoundly influenced by the classical masterworks he saw during his studies and travels, Botero dedicated his life to critically re-interpret iconic paintings, paying homage to the great artists of the past whilst finding true originality doing so. Not unlike Picasso, whose Cubist breakthrough came after experimenting with the construction of a guitar, Botero had his artistic revolution with a mandolin. In 1956, the artist painted an image of a mandolin resting on a table and decided to place a disproportionately small hole in the body of the instrument, thus transforming it into an object of exaggerated mass and monumentality; a lifelong fascination with the exploration of volume was born.World-renowned for his often epic paintings, Botero's foray into sculpture has further enriched his artistic repertoire over the decades. Dog on a Cushion stands as a prime example of his prowess in this medium. His sculptures are characterised by the same aesthetic principles that define his paintings—exaggerated volumes, harmonious proportions, and a playful approach to form. The transition from canvas to three-dimensional sculpture however allowed the artist to bring his iconic subjects to life in a tangible and interactive way with a tactile quality that invites viewers to engage on a more physical level. Dog on a Cushion exemplifies this approach, with its smooth, sensuous surfaces inviting touch and exploration. The artist said that 'For my entire life, I've felt as if I had something to say in terms of sculpture. It's a very strong desire...pleasure—that of touching the new reality that you create. Certainly, in a painting you give the illusion of truth, but with sculpture, you can touch its reality . . . . If I paint a knife in my pictures, it's imaginary, but if I sculpt it, then the sensation of having it in your hand is real— it's an object from your spirit, it's a sensual experience even in its execution. It brings a special joy to touch the material with your hands.' (the artist in: E. J. Sullivan, Botero Sculpture, New York 1986, p. 13.Fernando Botero's contributions to the world of art are substantial and far-reaching and his unique style and unwavering commitment to his artistic vision have earned him a significant place in art history. His oeuvre serves as a bridge between traditional and contemporary art, drawing from classical techniques while infusing them with a modern and innovative sensibility. Embracing diversity and celebrating the inherent charm in all subjects, he challenges conventional notions of beauty and representation and forces viewers to reconsider their preconceived notions and stereotypes. The same dog of undefined breed as in the present work can be found in many of the artist's paintings, and a large-scale sculpture version, without the plump cushion, can be found in the Plaza Botero in the artist's hometown of Medellín. Other Botero works are presently held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museo Botero in Bogotá. In 1958 and 1992 Botero participated in the Venice Biennale and represented Colombia in the 5th São Paulo Biennial, Brazil. He has had major retrospectives at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC (1979); Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo (1981); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (1987); Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao (2012); and many others. Botero's international recognition and ability to transcend geographical and cultural boundaries has elevated the visibility of Latin American artists on the global stage. Unequivocally timeless, his work continues to inspire artists worldwide, encouraging them to explore new dimensions of expression and representation and Dog on a Cushion offers a wonderful opportunity to acquire a charming example from the contemporary master's celebrated oeuvre.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 30
FUTURA 2000 (B. 1955)Untitled 1982 tagged twicespray paint on canvas121 by 304.3 cm.47 5/8 by 119 13/16 in.This work was executed in 1982. Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 1982Exuding an exhilarating new aesthetic while reigning supreme in its expansive scale, Untitled from 1982 emerges as an extraordinary and iconic masterpiece created by one of the most important graffiti artists of our time. Made in one of the most experimental years of the artist's career, the present work, alongside other remarkable works from 'New York City Rap' tour gained notability due to an enduring collaboration between American graffiti artists Futura 2000 and Dondi. Works like these identified by their distinct visual language, played a pivotal role in not only shaping visual aesthetics in popular culture but also in elevating graffiti art from the fringes of subculture to the forefront of mainstream consciousness. In Untitled, the sprayed striking primary colours overlayer a black tag, reminiscent of graffiti on a street wall, but created on a white canvas instead, the artist elevates it to the permanent, to the realm of high art. Monumental and expressive in its appearance, Futura used his whole body to create these vast works. Executed next to Dondi in the vibrant heart of Paris, the present work was a backdrop to hip-hop performers during 'New York City Rap' tour and exudes a distinct blend of abstract elements and textual nuances. Tagged twice and marked with the letters 'CC' symbolising the initials of his former wife, who he met in Paris on the tour, Untitled 1982 is brimming with personal significance, marking a pivotal and prolific chapter in the artist's oeuvre. These thoughtfully crafted components encapsulate the very essence of its place of origin, rendering it an unmistakable creation within the 'New York Rap City' paintings. Futura 2000's works from the 1980s are by far the most highly sought-after within the artist's market. This era not only witnessed the peak of his artistic productivity but also marked a surge of creativity and innovation in his work, whilst boldly challenges established artistic norms of the time. Drawing direct inspiration from the revolutionary political climate of the 1960s, Futura 2000 embarked on excursions with friends in the early 70s, equipped with spray paint and an inclination for the cutting edge. These expeditions into the cityscape became acts of reinvention, transforming mundane public fixtures into vibrant canvases that brought art directly to the people. With each stroke, he redefined the conventional canvas, making art accessible to everyone in New York. His signature abstract forms and dynamic lines demonstrated in the present work, resonated with the spirit of the times. Graffiti art emerged as an unapologetic voice of rebellion and self-expression, artists painted their unique identities on break trains and public fixtures through 'tagging,' a crucial act in a country where public graffiti was prohibited, rendering them anonymous pioneers of urban expression. It was precisely this fascination with the concept of identity that beckoned Leonard Hilton McGurr into the realm of street art. Amidst the apex of advertising and consumer culture, he forged his artistic persona as Futura 2000, taking direct inspiration from the film '2001: A Space Odyssey,'.Weathering challenges and unforeseen detours, he eventually found himself embracing an unexpected interlude in the Navy, a compelling twist that would soon enrich the captivating tapestry of his artistic journey. Upon his return the very landscape he once embellished had transformed, streets pulsated with a new artistic rhythm. The early 80s emerged as a turning point for Futura's work, fostering his unique style and refining his technical expertise. In this incubator of creativity, he gathered valuable wisdom from his avant-garde comrades, figures like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Fab 5 Freddy. A group of audacious visionaries, they formed a pioneering ensemble reshaping artistic boundaries, their creations igniting cities globally with the electric vibrancy of artistic expression.In 1981, Futura's career started to gain traction after a celebrated collaboration with the legendary band 'The Clash'. An electrifying fusion of art and sound, this collaboration not only redefined the concert experience but also transcended creative realms, leaving an enduring mark on both music and visual expression. Furthermore, it shattered the conventions of traditional stage design, replacing static backdrops with a living, breathing masterpiece that evolved with every performance. This groundbreaking event was an innovation serving as a unique platform that united artists and performers, celebrating the vibrant culture of hip-pop. Futura's work brims with stories of rebellion, identity, and the city's beating heart. His art captures the pulse of a generation, reflecting the socio-political climate and the human experience within it. The artist's encounters with likeminded innovators of the graffiti movement infused his work with a sense of camaraderie and collective spirit, elevating his creations beyond the canvas and into the realm of cultural conversation. Futura's contribution to the street art movement is not limited to the streets alone. His journey from subway cars to gallery walls signifies the evolution of an art form once considered subversive. He not only navigated this transition but also flourished within it, bringing the energy of the streets into spaces traditionally reserved for 'high art'. Untitled 1982 is an electrifying fusion of creativity and urban dynamism. It captures the essence of a moment, a movement, and a mindset. His style transcends medium and canvas, reaching deep into the collective subconscious of a city, a generation, and an art world transformed by his style.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * TP* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.TP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 127
Prof. Uche Okeke (Nigerian, 1933-2016)Primeval Forest signed and dated 'Uche Okeke/ 1965' (lower right), signed, dated and inscribed 'UCHE OKEKE/ ENUGU/ 1965/ 'Primeval Forest'' (verso) and '44' (verso of frame); further accompanied by a gallery label inscribed 'UCHE OKEKE/ PRIMEVAL FOREST/ 1965' (attached to verso)oil on board179.5 x 118.5cm (70 11/16 x 46 5/8in).(framed)Footnotes:ProvenanceA private collection.ExhibitedPendulum Art Gallery, Lagos,The Triumphs of Asele, works of Uche Okeke: an Exhibition Organized by Pendulum Art Gallery in Association with Art-in-Art Project in Conjunction with Professor Uche Okeke's 70th Anniversary at Pendulum Art Gallery (May 17 - 31, 2003).Uche Okeke (1933-2016), the Nigerian painter, poet, and scholar, was a leading figure in Nigerian and African postcolonial modernism. He is best remembered as the leader and founding member of the Zaria Society (1958-1961), formed by a group of art students at the Nigerian College Art, Science and Technology, in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria. The Art Society, inspired by the movement toward political decolonization in Nigeria and Africa had called for a new modernist art that was based on vigorous experimentation with specific art forms associated with Nigerian artistic heritage. For him this meant the close study of traditional Igbo Uli body drawing and mural decoration, as well as folktales, as sources of artistic inspiration.On graduation from Zaria, in the autumn of 1962, Okeke received a one-year scholarship to Munich, Germany, where he worked for nearly one year in a stained glass and mosaic studio. While in Lagos to process his travel papers, however, he began work on the Oja Suite drawings in which he translated key formal elements of Uli—the insistently lyrical, organic line; dynamic positive and negative space; and, primarily, the agwọlagwọ (spiral) and ọkala isi-nwaọji (concave three- or four-pointed star)—into a modernist pictorial language. He continued these experimental drawings in Munich. These he called the Munich Suite. The major difference between the two is that whereas the lines of pen-and-ink Oja Suite are clean and ascetic, the ink-and-brush Munich Suite avoid compositional details and thus more expressive. Both, without doubt represent Okeke's first successful invention of a personal visual language based on the organic lyricism of Igbo Uli body drawing.In 1965, the year Okeke painted this featured work, he effectively broke away from his fixation on ink drawing (and gouaches), which spanned his Nok Suite (1958-59) and the Oja and Munich suites, returning to oils as his primary medium for the first time since Zaria. But the solid forms and flat shapes of colour that define his Zaria-period style (as in Jumaa and Ana Mmuo, both 1961), gave way to fervid brushwork and loosely defined forms. In the work presented here, Primeval Forest, and in other similarly-scaled 1965 paintings, including his masterpiece, Women's War, as well as Oyoyo (in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York), Okeke arguably achieved mastery of expressive painting. Given the elemental power and unprecedented scale of these 1965 paintings (in subsequent years he worked on a smaller scale), it is safe to conclude that he reached the height of his powers as a painter that year. Earlier in 1962, Okeke made several gouache paintings, including one titled Primeval Forest, in which we see a dramatic transformation of his painting, from the flat planes and solidly modelled forms of the Zaria-period to a new pictorial attitude dominated by deliberate swooshes of vigorous, lyrical brushwork. Whereas in the 1962 Primeval Forest the pictorial space is flat and the forms are completely abstract (despite that it clearly insinuates vegetal growth with floral elements), this substantially scaled up 1965 version is less flat and more descriptive, with the ground and tree trunks rendered in umbers, barely distinct from the rich blue-greens and hot cadmiums of leaves and flowers. The disciplined and assertive brushwork of the 1962 works, gave way to more fervid painterly gesture and modelled forms. Moreover, the Uli spiral motifs that dominated his earlier gouaches and drawings, are largely gone, transformed into inchoate brushwork; in a few of the 1965 paintings, such as the Princeton University Art Museum's Adam and Eve, these motifs occur only sparingly.While Okeke tempered the resolute flatness of space of his post-Oja Suite paintings of 1962, in this 1965 Primeval Forest, the forest scene, without any indication of perspectival space, is pictorially impenetrable. The tree forms stand like spiky sentinels and formless monstrosities. Here, Okeke is interested in the forest not so much as marker of the tropical, natural landscape, as a stage for the dramatic encounters with the metaphysical—of ancestral beings, deities and often-malevolent spirits and incarnate forces. This is the forest of folklore, that is the theatre of actions that shaped the world of the ancients, when the world was young, and a place where in lived memories only the strong dared enter, or where the luckless were banished. We are grateful to Professor Chika Okeke-Agulu for his assistance with the compilation of the above footnote.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
Lot 163
Dylan Lewis (South African, born 1964)Leopard, S186 signed and numbered 'Dylan Lewis/ 14/15/ S186', further bears the foundry mark 'SCS/ FOUNDRY' (to the trunk below the back left leg)bronze on Perspex base 33 x 93.3 x 33cm (13 x 36 3/4 x 11 7/16in). (including Perspex base) Footnotes:Widely considered to dominate the in the animal sculptural arena on a global scale, Dylan Lewis presents us with a striking work, emblematic of his distinctive style, yet wonderfully distinctive from his wider oeuvre. The sculptor's overwhelming success can be credited not only to the bold technique of his application, but also the sheer passion in which he executes his sculptures. Fed by an intuitive love for the rawness of the African wilderness, his work wholeheartedly reflects his commitment to his subjects. Lewis's devotion the outdoors and wilderness are stooped in his upbringing, holidaying with his family in wilderness and areas of outstanding beauty. These groundings in his artistic process have remained present to this day with a mountain range viewable from his Stellenbosch home. The terrain of the mountainous landscape resonates with the iconic impasto texture that his sculptures adopt.Robust yet gracefully tranquil, the gravitas of the present work makes it an impactful and striking work. Differing from his other feline studies, the present subject is presented in a resting state, a testament to the sculptor's well-rounded studies and understanding of the leopard form. Resonating with its solitary nature, the leopard became a favoured subject following an interaction he had with a captured leopard kept in a sanctuary near his home. Indeed, beyond their metaphorical reflective presence as the subject of Lewis's work, the subject is here displayed as a wild animal interacting with it's habitat, also bringing attention to the environments threatened existence.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 118
Uzo Egonu (Nigerian, 1931-1996)A New Lease of Life (Third) signed and dated 'UZO Egonu 89' (lower left)/ titled 'A new lease of life (Third) Oil 1989'; further bears the label 'Uzo Egonu/ 019' (to the stretcher bar, verso)oil on canvas 135 x 200cm (53 1/8 x 78 3/4in).(framed)Footnotes:ProvenanceA private collection.Paired with his developed cataracts in both eyes from the years 1979 to 1983, the period of painting that followed was known as his period of 'Painting in Darkness'. The works created in this period may well have had their palette mixed from memory. This would have been a time of anxiety for the artist who described it as a period of 'pulling through'. (Uzo Egonu, 'Painting in Darkness 1979-1983', undated manuscript, p 2. Artist's private papers.) Ironically included in this dark period, the palette of the present work is bright and vivacious, a technique that would transcend into the following years after Egonu received his last eye operation in 1983 restoring his sight. While his eyesight improved, the decline in Egonu's physical health given two heart attacks and a diagnosis of limited time to live motivated the artist to get his estate and administration in order, preparing for the end of his life. Outliving his health predictions, Egonu's work would again evolve, stimulated by what he believed to be 'a new lease of life'. (Egonu, 'The Circumstances leading to the creation of the work', undated paper. Artist's private papers.) It was this newly found defiance and energy that would turn Egonu's attention to a more contemplative observation of himself. This commentary began with self-portraits in the form of large-scale heads in the first of a series of paintings under the shared title A New Lease of Life. 'A person may detest exercise or walking, prefers [sic] butter to low cholesterol margarine, likes drippings... but circumstances, due to the consequences of that particular life style which affects the health, may wipe out all the detestations'.(Egonu, 'The Circumstances leading to the creation of the work', undated paper. Artist's private papers.)Aligning with the above quotation, the present work shows us the theoretical elements of a traditional still life. Depicting his reality, and the objects that surround his life, using them as a self-reflective metaphor, we see tins of food labelled 'Low Fat Yogurt', 'Sunflower margarine', 'Sunflower Oil' , and 'Skimmed milk'. Accompanied by illustrations of vegetables and fruit, this food lies beneath a building labelled 'Natural Health Clinic'. An inscription to the upper left of the work reads 'Lecithin Granules', commonly used to treat high cholesterol and further acts as an emulsifier to extend the life of food. It is an extremely rare element of Egonu's practise whereby he would include labelling and words in his art, promoting this idea that his later works following his health issues where more intentional and self-reflective in their meaning, rather than ambiguous and up for interpretation. This could be classed therefore as a type of self-portrait depicting the elements of his life that were relevant to his everyday life.Our thanks to Prof. Olu Oguibe author of 'Uzo Egonu, An African Artist in the West', pub 1995 for his assistance with the compilation of the above footnote.BibliographyChinua Achebe, 'Onitsha: Gift of the Niger', Morning Yet on Creation Day, (London: Heinemann, 1975)For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 137
Amoako Boafo (Ghanaian, born 1984)Self-Portrait 2019 signed, dated and titled 'AMOAKO M/ BOAFO 2019/ KING' (lower right) oil on card 69.5 x 49.5cm (27 3/8 x 19 1/2in).(framed)Footnotes:ProvenanceAcquired directly from the artist, 2019;A private collection. In 2014, after studying at the Ghanatta College of Art and Design in Accra, Amoako Boafo won a scholarship to study at the Vienna Art Academy in Art and Design in Austria. With a body of work that is centred around figurative portraiture, Boafo's first recognition was in 2017 when he receive the Jury Prize and Walter Koschatzky Art Prize. In 2019 he would also win the STRABAG Artaward International. With a career stimulated by passion and self-motivation, given that as a child he was told he would never be able to attain and retain a career as an artist, Boafo has defied his humble beginnings. He has beaten the odds to become one of the most successful and exciting contemporary artists today.Painted in 2019, the present work may have acted as a precursor to his major exhibition I STAND BY ME at Chicago's Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in 2021. The title of the exhibition reflects the artists observation of individuality and one's role in society, to define how one sees themselves. Speaking on his self-portraiture:'Before I actually painted myself a lot, because I had to be okay with myself and how I portrayed myself for others to kind of understand my work. And so what I will look at is facial expressions, how celebratory they are, the self-confidence right? Then I will look at ... I mean, that's also another angle: that whatever the person is doing in society, how they are creating spaces.' ('Amoako Boafo gets online with Idris Elba', Christian Dior, (extract from a YouTube interview, 17 July 2020) 4:38-5:10).The present work possesses the artist's iconic finger painting technique, a motif he associates with freedom and an embrace of the natural state of lack of control. By eliminating a tool between himself and the art he creates, Boafo defines himself as a sculptor, rendering his subjects directly from his hand. Famous also for his lively and bold palette, the colour yellow is also significant in the colour's association with optimism and celebration.The intimate crop of the work characterises this self-portrait as unusual in the artist's oeuvre. Given he commonly works with oversized canvases and compositions that allow us to see more of the figure's body, it could be said, that the smaller and closer scale position the artist places us in in relation to the subject, enables an intimate view of the artist.In some instances, Boafo has been compared to Egon Schiele, a label which the artist welcomes:'I enjoy bringing Black portraiture to Europe. I am interested in creating work that incorporates multicultural elements rooted in my experiences in both Europe and Africa, including Egon Schiele. (Amoako Boafo in conversation with Dean Kissick, 'Figurative painter Amoako Boafo on his stratospheric rise', GQ Magazine, (29 January 2021, online).As he exclusively portrays people from the Diaspora and beyond, Boafo celebrates his community whilst also reflecting on the complexities of subjectivity. Challenging the historic representation of people from the Diaspora, Boafo aims to create a fresh narrative on the reality of his community's identity.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 142
Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917-1994)Bust of a young boy bronze on wooden plinth 33 x 18 x 19cm (13 x 7 1/16 x 7 1/2in). (including base)Footnotes:ProvenanceA private collection.The qualities of the present lot show the refined rendering and the textual qualities that the artist had also favoured in his wood sculptures. It could be said that Ben Enwonwu's earliest artistic depictions were in sculpture given that he used to carve his own toys as a child. In his later bronze works, often depicting people of personal significance to Enwonwu, sculptural portraiture was an practise of the artist that displays an extension of his extensive artistic talents. So skilful was his technique that in 1956 he received a portrait commission of Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate her visit to Nigeria earlier that year. Working in London, he conducted preliminary sketches and clay models of the monarch in his own studio before relocating to the Maida Vale studio of his colleague at the Royal Society of British Artists, Sir William Reid-Dick, as the work increased in scale. In an interview conducted with the artist in 1988, Sylvester Ogbechie relates, 'Enwonwu completed his clay model of the Queen's portrait in July 1957 and had it cast in bronze by Guilio Galicie, an Italian bronze caster resident in London, from a plaster cast prepared in the studio of Frederico Mancini' (Ogbechie, 2008: p. 138).BibliographySylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist (Rochester, NY: 2008)For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 168
Ibanez Artcore arch top guitar with Gator case Ibanez Artcore mdoel AK-95 arch top guitar, double bound cutaway body with wood scratchplate, pearl and abalone block maker inlaid fingerboard, double bound headstock with pearloid capped tuners, gold hardware and twin humbucker pickups, serial number S09122315, with Gator hard case.63.3cm scale lenth.
Lot 198
Early 19th century mahogany stick barometer by Francis Pelegrino Early 19th century mahogany stick barometer by Francis Pelegrino, silvered plate signed 'F. Pelegrino Fecit' with Fahrenheit mercury thermometer, manual vernier scale and seven weather predictions to the 27-31' scale, in a mahogany case with broken swan neck pediment and central brass finial, over a glazed door, with chequered strung borders throughout, terminating in a circular turned cistern cover98cm highGood overall condition, plate in good order and stringing all present. There is evidence of a small repair to the bottom left, see image.
Lot 56
A collection of folding touring maps, 20th century mainly Great Britain from circa 1920s, including Bartholomew, Burrow's RAC, Ordnance Survey, and others; also to include Philip's Large Scale Military Map of the Seat of War on the Natal Frontier, 66 x 52cm, and G W Bacon two-section linen backed folding map of England Wales, for The Chart Publishing Co, Oxford; and - Taschen (publisher) Cities Of The World, complete edition of the colour plates of George Braun & Franz Hogenburg, 2008, dust jacket, in card case
Lot 138
Full title: An exceptional massive Chinese blue, white and copper-red fish bowl with antiquities and 'Master of the rocks'-style panels, KangxiDescription:Dia.: 60,5 cm - H.: 48 cm The present fish bowl is unique. There appears to be no record of another surviving example combining the vivid 'Master of the Rocks'-style panels with magnificently painted arrangements of scholar's objects. The landscape panels are captured in leaf-shaped medallions, while the arrangements of scholar's objects are left unframed, yet remain in perfect balance with the leaves. The upper band is decorated with underglaze blue and copper-red peony scrolls. The lower band features five kui dragons surrounded by lotus scrolls, where the lotus flowers stand out as executed in a vibrant shade of copper-red. The copper-red is fired to perfection throughout, an impressive realisation on such a grand scale piece. Provenance:- An important Belgian private collection.Condition:The absence of a condition report does not imply that a lot is in perfect condition.Condition reports are provided on request. They will be made available, together with additional images, on our website at www.rm-auctions.com. Condition reports are given as a service, we can not be held liable for errors in such a report. The full list of condition reports for this sale is available on the following URL: https://www.rm-auctions.com/en/condition-report/75Further questions are always welcome at info@rm-auctions.com
Lot 356
ALEXANDER NASMYTH (SCOTTISH 1758 - 1840), ITALIAN LANDSCAPE AT DUSK oil on canvas, signedframedimage size 68cm x 96cm, overall size 92cm x 119cm Provenance: Private German Country House Collection. Christies, Glasgow stencil mark and label verso.Note: By the 1800s Alexander Nasmyth's skill as a landscape painter was such that he was confident working on an ambitious scale, yet due to the numerous demands on his time relatively few pictures survive from this period. Between 1790 and 1810 he was remarkably industrious: in addition to supporting his large young family, he was setting up an art school where he taught classes and was also working on an ever-expanding portfolio of theatrical, engineering and landscape design projects. Nasmyth came from a line of architect-builders, and as a youth had been trained to take over the family business by his father but opted to pursue painting instead. It was not until later in life that he began to take on architectural and landscape-design commissions, embodying the Italian ideal of the architetto-pittore. James Nasmyth wrote: ‘My father was much employed in assisting the noblemen and landed gentry in improving the landscape appearance of their estates, especially when seen from their mansion windows. His fine taste, and his love of natural scenery gave him great advantages in this respect… he designed alterations of the old buildings so as to preserve their romantic features, and at the same time to fit them for all the requirements of modern domestic life.’ (ed. S. Smiles James Nasmyth, Engineer: An Autobiography,London, 1883, pp.36-37)
Lot 346
GEORGE HOUSTON RSA RSW (SCOTTISH 1869 - 1947), SPRING, RIVER AYR oil on canvas, signed, titled versoframedimage size 71cm x 91cm, overall size 85cm x 105cmProvenance: Gifted in 1963 by Edward Houston, son of the artist. The scene is The River Ayr.Note: George Houston was born in Dalry, Ayrshire. He was a prolific artist in both oils and watercolours. He specialized in the landscapes of Ayrshire and Argyll and his exceptional talent lay in creating the atmosphere, climatic conditions and season of each scene. He sometimes worked on a large scale but unlike many artists, the quality of his work remained constant. His style was not influenced by modernist trends and is best described as "late Impressionism". Houston achieved substantial commercial success, which funded a comfortable lifestyle for his ever growing family. He received widespread critical acclaim and was admired by his contemporaries for the apparent ease with which he painted. He only started painting professionally in his late thirties but "quality" came naturally to him as it usually does for truly "gifted" painters. Houston loved fishing and he loved country life. This love of the natural environment has always been (and remains) clear and obvious to the many who appreciate his paintings.
Lot 237
S.E. SHERES (BRITISH 19TH CENTURY) THE OPENING OF WATERLOO BRIDGE FROM WHITEHALL STAIRS, JUNE 18TH 1817signed and inscribed JC.RA. 5 / S E Sheres on the reverseoil on panel11.5 x 25.5cm; 4 1/2 x 10in16.5 x 31cm; 6 1/2 x 12 1/4in (framed)Painted by Sheres after the large scale original by John Constable (Tate Britain). Constable's painting of the opening of Waterloo Bridge and the second anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1817, depicts the Prince Regent about to board the Royal Barge at Whitehall stairs and shows the Lord Mayor's barge in the right foreground. Property of a European Collector*offered for sale without reserve
Lot 165
Peter Howson OBE (British, born 1958)Totem signed 'HOWSON' (lower left), titled and signed 'HOWSON' (on stretcher)oil on canvas153 x 123cm (60 1/4 x 48 7/16in).painted in 1992Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Flowers Gallery, London.Private collection, UK (acquired from the above in 1992).ExhibitedGlasgow, McLellan Galleries, Peter Howson: A Retrospective, July - September 1993.The present lot is an important example of Peter Howson's work from this period in the early 90s. Painted a year before he took up the role of official war artist for the Bosnian War in 1993, the subject highlights his recurring theme of working class men. The men, wearing what look to be military khakis and armed with a baton, appear menacing and poised for a conflict despite the contrast of the white flag being held in the upper right of the composition. The title of the work, Totem, perhaps simultaneously acknowledges the upright composition of the group, but also the symbolism, incorrect or otherwise, assumed by the public perception of working class men. Executed on a large scale, he has applied the paint with impressively bold and direct brushwork - this handling helps to charge the work with a sense of vigorous movement and energy. Howson's tutor at the Glasgow School of Art, Sandy Moffat, described the qualities of his student's work best:'Peter Howson also identifies with the 'radical imagination', although his work has little to do with ideological concepts. He is pre-occupied with themes and motifs which reflect his perception of urban life, the kinds of people who live, work and play in the City... his touch remains powerful and dramatic; as in his low-life scenes of prostitutes, thieves and dance hall fights...''It is exactly his ability to capture the menacing tone, to penetrate the darker heart of urban humanity, which raises Howson's painting from the ordinary passionless naturalism of academic realists to an entirely different level of creative achievement.'(S. Moffat, New Image Glasgow, exhibition catalogue, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow, 1985)Presently, in 2023, Howson is the subject of a major retrospective at the Edinburgh City Art Centre titled When the Apple Ripens: Peter Howson at 65. Howson's work can be found in collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Tate Gallery, London; the British Museum, London; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow; and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.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
Lot 42
Mary 'May' Reid (British, 1897-1986)Night and Day (1920) oil on canvas163 x 102cm (64 3/16 x 40 3/16in).The reverse of the canvas is also painted with a scene of women bathing in a landscape.Footnotes:A label on the reverse reads:MAY REID 4 The Oriels, 31 Mt Stuart St, Shawlands, GlasgowIllustratedJ. Burkhauser, Glasgow Girls: Women in Art and Design, 1880-1920, Canongate Books, 2001, p. 216.The issue of granting women art students access to nude models was a controversial one when Fra Newbery assumed his post as director of the Glasgow School of Art in the late 19th Century. Considered morally degrading by the most conservative, and an absolute necessity by the then liberal, access to live nude models (although in separate classes with chaperones) appears to be firmly established at the School by at least 1903. By 1919, study from nude models was commonplace, but May was one step bolder, by photographically documenting the nudes from her studio to use in completing this graduation piece, Night and Day. Burkhauser refers to Reid's diploma piece as 'a competent large-scale oil study of two winged 'presences' which echoes Pre-Raphaelitism' (J. Burkhauser, Glasgow Girls: Women in Art and Design, 1880-1920, Canongate Books, 2001, p. 214).Copies of these studio photographs have kindly been provided by the artist's family and reproduced in this catalogue..A small collection of life sketches that relate to this work can be seen in her student portfolio, lot 39This 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
Lot 1
SIR WILLIAM ROTHENSTEIN (BRITISH 1872-1945) Sir William Rothenstein (lots 1-13) and Albert Rutherston (lots 14-23)IntroductionRaised in Bradford as two of six children of Jewish immigrants, William and Albert both achieved considerable influence at the very heart of the British art establishment. Amongst their many and remarkable strengths they were painters, printmakers, illustrators, teachers, administrators, gallerists and, in William’s case, an accomplished and prolific writer. William was the first to move south to study under Alphonse Legros at the Slade (1888-89) before attending the Académie Julian in Paris (1889-1893) (lots 1-8), where he was encouraged by Whistler, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec and befriended Rodin. Albert followed him a decade later to the Slade, where by then Fred Brown was professor, assisted by Henry Tonks, Philip Wilson Steer and Walter Russell. The youngest student by far, Albert fell in with a gilded set of like-minded spirits, in particular Augustus John and William Orpen. The young trio was dubbed by William ‘The Three Musketeers’. Albert went on to win separate prizes for both drawing and painting and was awarded a Slade scholarship. On his return from France William established himself as a talented portraitist illustrating Oxford Characters in 1896 with twenty-four lithographs. It was one of several collections of portraits depicting men and women of distinction that William would produce. In 1900 William’s painting The Dolls House (after Ibsen’s eponymous play), won a silver medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, the same year as his book on Goya was published. Such foreboding influences, however, contrasted with the many happy and light-filled works he produced following his marriage to Alice Knewstub in 1899. (lots 9 & 10). For Albert and his fellow ‘Musketeers’ the new century heralded trips to France. There he met Walter Sickert and shared holidays with William, Spencer Gore and Slade teacher Walter Russell. In London Albert thrived on Fitzroy Street and exhibited with William, Sickert, Gore, Russell and Harold Gilman. Sickert recalled their efforts ‘to create a Salon d’automne milieu in London’. Towards the end of the 1910s Albert turned increasingly to decorative designs. In 1911 he collaborated with Roger Fry on large scale murals for Borough Polytechnic (lot 20) and worked on a number of designs for the ballet and theatre (lots 14-16). He changed his name to Rutherston in 1916. After the War he married Marjory Holman, taught at Camberwell School of Art, and the Oxford School of Drawing, Painting and Design, and was appointed Master of the Ruskin School of Art (1929-49). A late but important influence in his life was the young model Patricia Koring whom he met in 1938. From the First World War on William’s work revolved around painting, teaching and writing. During 1917-18 he spent six months as an official War artist at the Front (lot 12), and was briefly visiting Professor of Civic Art at Sheffield University. In 1920 he became Principal of the Royal College of Art in London and was knighted in 1931. As well as Goya, among William’s publications were three fascinating volumes of memoirs. William’s sons carved out their own influential paths in the Arts. John (1901-92) his eldest, became director of the Tate Gallery (1938-1964), wrote Modern British Painters (1956) and was knighted in 1952. Michael (1908-1993) became a highly accomplished painter and print maker (lots 24-30).SIR WILLIAM ROTHENSTEIN (BRITISH 1872-1945)PROFILE OF PAUL GERVAISinscribed P Gervais lower right charcoal with white chalk36.5 x 23cm; 14 1/4 x 9in41.5 x 34cm; 16 1/4 x 13 1/4in (framed)Executed in Paris circa 1890. The painter Paul Gervais (1859-1944) was a teacher at the Académie Julian where Rothenstein studied from 1889-1893. A pupil of Jean Léon Gérôme, Gervais was known, and occasionally rebuked, for his depictions of sensuous nudes. Prominent commissions included Les Graces Florentines for La Salle Blanche in the Casino de Monte-Carlo and the Salle Empire in the Hôtel de Paris, Monte-Carlo.
Lot 40
HANS FEIBUSCH (GERMAN-BRITISH 1898-1998) Hans Feibusch (lots 40-65)IntroductionTo stand before an empty wall as in a trance… to let shapes cloudily emerge, to draw scenes and figures, to let light and dark rush out of the surface, to make them move outward or recede into the depths, this was bliss. The son of a Frankfurt dentist, Feibusch had fought for the Kaiser in the First World War, emerged alive from the Russian Front, and had studied with Carl Hofer in Berlin and with fauve painter Emil Othon Friesz and cubist André Lhote in Paris. Come the 1930s he had a dealer in Berlin, had exhibited widely, and been awarded the German Grand State Prize for painting by the Prussian Academy of Arts. But Hitler’s rise to power threatened it all. In a meeting of the Frankfurter Künstlerbund which he attended in 1933, a new member appeared in Nazi uniform, jumped on a table and pointing at the Jews with his riding crop said: ‘You’ll never show again’. It was the moment Feibusch determined to emigrate. Arriving in London Feibusch had his first one-man exhibition at the Lefevre Gallery, and was soon a member of the London Group. Further exhibitions with Lefevre followed; then in 1938 he completed his first large scale mural: Footwashing in the Methodist Chapel, Colliers Wood. It was a commission that would result in Feibusch becoming the leading muralist in Britain. Working both for the Church of England and local municipalities, over the next thirty-five years he decorated some forty plus churches and a range of civic buildings and private houses across England and Wales. His work contributed hugely to the re-generation of public buildings after the War and the debate on art in public places. But it also took him away from the Mayfair-centric contemporary art world and its critics, and thus to a large extent out of the public eye. After his last exhibition at the Lefevre Gallery in 1951 he didn’t have another commercial gallery show until the late 1970s. Instead Feibusch threw himself into large scale mural projects, designing the decorations for the tea room at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1946 (lots 52-54), and championed by George Bell, Bishop of Chichester, embarked on a series of commissions to decorate bomb-damaged churches that were being restored and re-built. These included painting the Ascension above the altar at All Saints, Plumstead (lot 62); Angels with Children for the baptistry of Christ Church and St Stephen’s, Battersea (lot 60) and the Baptism of Christ for Old Saint George’s Baptist Church, Plymouth (lots 61). Feibusch also wrote Mural Painting a treatise on the history, theory and technique of the art in 1946, and wrote the foreward for the catalogue of the first exhibition of the Society of Mural Painters held in 1950. A consummate draughtsman, Feibusch evoked bomb-damaged London with a keen eye and in unnerving detail (lots 49 & 50); a natural colourist, he responded to the light of his surroundings on his travels with a breathtaking freshness and immediacy (lots 57 & 58); and he applied visual humour to his commercial designs (lot 55). But above all it is the manner in which he places the human form at the heart of his work with such innate fluidity that leaves an abiding impression on the viewer and makes his work so compelling today. Exhibition Reference: The full details of the travelling exhibition abbreviated in lots 40-65 is: Chichester, Pallant House Gallery; London, Ben Uri Art Gallery; Northampton, Museum and Art Gallery; Eastbourne, Towner Art Gallery; Newport, Museum & Art Gallery, Hans Feibusch, The Heat of Vision, 1995-96HANS FEIBUSCH (GERMAN-BRITISH 1898-1998)PORTRAIT OF LUTZ FEIBUSCHsigned and dated H Feibusch / 1917 lower rightred chalk41 x 31cm; 16 x 12 1/4in46.5 x 36.5cm; 18 1/4 x 14 1/4in (framed) Lutz Feibusch, the artist's brother, was tragically killed in an avalanche while skiing in 1929. ARR may apply
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