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Lot 1615
MALER/IN 2. Hälfte 19. Jh., aus dem Umkreis Carl Schuch, "Jagdliches Stillleben", zwei erlegte Eichelhäher und Kupferkanne auf einem schwarzen Tuch arrangiert, u.re. undeutlich signiert: Ginzburg, Gunzburg, Ganzberg?, Öl/Karton, HxB: ca. 51x56 cm (63x68 cm mit Rahmen). Alters- und Beriebspuren, part. leichtes Craquelé und Farbabplatzer. Mit Rahmen (leicht beschädigt). VERSO mit Kreide handgeschriebene Nr.: 575. PAINTER 2nd half of the 19th century, from the circle of Carl Schuch, "Hunting Still Life", two hunted jays and a copper jug arranged on a black cloth, below right indistinctly signed: Ginzburg, Gunzburg, Ganzberg ?, oil / cardboard, HxW: approx. 51x56 cm (63x68 cm with frame). Traces of age and rubbing, part. slight craquelure and color flakes. With frame (slightly damaged). VERSO number: 575 handwritten with chalk.
Lot 26
A Charles II oyster veneered olivewood, rosewood, ebony, stained bone and marquetry cabinet on a later standthe cabinet circa 1685, the frieze of the stand possibly 18th century but the legs laterInlaid with urns of assorted flowers within oval and arched tablets, with further foliage and flowers within shaped reserves and spandrels, the ogee moulded cornice above a pair of doors, enclosing nine drawers of various proportions encompassing a central door inlaid with the standing figure of Mars within an oval floral wreath surround, enclosing three drawers flanked by mirror panels over one drawer, the stand comprising one frieze drawer, on ring turned baluster cup-and-cover legs, with a shaped X-stretcher, 106cm wide x 51cm deep x 135cm high, (41 1/2in wide x 20in deep x 53in high)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe offered lot was formerly housed at Elston Hall, Nottinghamshire, which was the Darwin family home from the beginning of the 18th century until just after the Second World War. Thence by descent the present cabinet on stand was passed down to descendants of the Darwin family.Also it appears in an early 20th century photograph illustrating a seated female figure, referred to as 'Marnie' Darwin, who is evidently reading in the sitting room or drawing room at Elston.The Darwins at Elston HallAlthough the Darwins of Cleatham, Lincolnshire, had close connections to Elston Hall primarily through William Darwin from 1680 onwards, they did not in fact own the estate themselves until 1708, when Robert Darwin purchased it from the Lascelles family. Later on, another Robert Darwin (1724-1816) inherited the Elston estate in 1754. Robert, an avid lifelong botanist, is perhaps best known for his book entitled Principia Botanica, which was dedicated to his nephew, Robert Waring Darwin M.D., F.R.S., who would become the father of arguably the most famous and widely celebrated naturalist of all time, Charles Darwin.Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802), also born at Elston and ultimately the grandfather of Charles, was one of the founding members of the important Lunar Society. He became a renowned doctor and physician noted for his various inventions, brilliant observations and natural propensity for kindness towards the poor and less fortunate in society than himself. It is clear that Charles, in writing his magnum opus The Origin of Species which was published in 1859, must have been directly influenced by the radical opinions regarding evolution previously espoused by Erasmus. Despite the powerful effect that Erasmus evidently had upon Charles it appears that the latter never actually resided at Elston Hall, but he would have almost certainly visited the estate nonetheless.During the 20th century Charles John Wharton Darwin D.S.O. (1894-1941) - known simply as John by the family - joined the armed forces as a young man in 1912, transferring for active service to the newly established Royal Flying Corps (which later became the Royal Air Force) from 1916 onwards. John even went on to travel as part of Sir Winston Churchill's retinue to the Paris peace talks which immediately followed the end of the First World War. Although officially resigning his commission in 1928, John was in fact retained in a new role by the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). And, following a period of extensive travel in this capacity, he went on to be a key figure in the foundation of the Bletchley Park SIS operations during the early years of the Second World War.Despite only just escaping with his life following a flying accident in 1940, Christopher Darwin - one of Charles John Wharton's three children born to him by his wife Sybil Rose - still went on to fight in the Second World War. Christopher tragically died at El Alamein in August 1942 and although his body lies buried there, a memorial for him can be found alongside one for his more widely known ancestor Charles Darwin in All Saints Church, which is located in Elston village nearby to the Hall.With compliments to: Elstonheritage.org.ukThis lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TPTP Lot 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 23
School of Seville, circa 1630-1660Still life with a knife resting on an earthenware jug, a copper cauldron beside a tin plate with a slice of bacon on a stone step, with three oranges, two pig's trotters, a mortar and pestle and a small paper packet, probably containing spices, on a stone table oil on canvas68.8 x 95.4cm (27 1/16 x 37 9/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceDuque de Aveiro, Madrid, by descent to his grandsonThe Marqués de Goubea, 1976, and thence by descent to the present ownerExhibitedLondon, Royal Academy, The Golden Age of Spanish Painting, 10 January-14 March, 1976, cat. no. 77LiteratureX. de Salas, The Golden Age of Spanish Painting, exh. cat., London, 1976, cat. no. 77, p. 85Having formerly been in the great collection of the Duque de Aveiro, in his catalogue entry for the 1976 Royal Academy exhibition Xavier de Salas wrote of the present work: 'In that collection it was formerly attributed to Velásquez, and it is without doubt a Sevillian work of the highest quality, both in the composition and handling, which seems to be contemporary with the great master. It probably dates from the second third of the century.' Not having been exhibited before the Royal Academy exhibition in 1976, it is a testament to the importance of this still life that the The Golden Age of Spanish Painting comprised such masterpieces as Juan Sánchez Cotán's Still life with vegetables hanging above a cardoon and lemons on a stone ledge, lent by the Várez-Fisa Collection, Madrid; Francisco Zurbarán's Still of ceramic and metal objects on a wooden ledge lent by the Museo del Prado; and Antonio Pereda's The Knight's Dream, lent by the Real Academia de San Fernando, Madrid; not to mention a number of the Museo del Prado's best known masterpieces by El Greco, Velásquez, Zurbarán and Ribera.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 4
Caspar Netscher (Heidelberg 1639-1684 The Hague)Portrait of a gentleman scientist, probably Constantijn Huygens, half-length, standing beside a group of miscroscopes signed and dated 'CNetscher.Fec. 1680' (lower left, CN in ligature)oil on canvas48.6 x 39.2cm (19 1/8 x 15 7/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceSale, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Palm Beach (Florida), 29 September, 2016, lot 9 (as Caspar Netscher of an unknown man), whence acquired by the current ownerThe composition of this important record of the 17th century Scientific Revolution can be related closely to another portrait by Caspar Netscher in the Musée du Louvre, which includes a similar group of microscopes on a stone plinth. The Louvre portrait is believed to depict Nicolaas Hartsoeker (1656-1725), who is best known for publishing the design for a simple screw-barrel microscope in 1694. He was fascinated by microscopes and visited Antoni van Leeuwenhoek at the age of sixteen and in 1678 he travelled to Paris as an assistant to Christiaan Huygens. Between 1684 and 1698 he lived there with his wife and sold lenses and microscopes.Since it is dated 1680 when Hartsoeker would have been only 24, it is suggested the artist must have used the composition of the present painting as the model for the Louvre portrait, and the obvious candidate for the present sitter would be either Nicolaas Hartsoeker's mentor in the design of microscopes, Christiaan Huygens (1629-95), or Christiaan's elder brother and collaborator, Constantijn Huygens (1628-1697). Christiaan had been earlier portrayed by Netscher in 1671 (Haags Historisch Museum, The Hague, on loan to the Boerhaave Museum, Leiden); but a drawing believed to be a self-portrait of Constantijn Huygens the Younger, which has been dated to 1685, shows a closer resemblance to the present portrait. Caspar Netscher was known to have also painted these two brothers' father, Constantijn Huygens the Elder and it would have been likely that he would have painted a portrait of his elder son, as well as that of his younger son, Christiaan. The Huygens family were part of an artistic circle: Constantijn Senior was a friend of Rembrandt and he had also had his portrait painted by Caspar Netscher, as well as by Jan Lievens, Michiel van Mierevelt, Thomas de Keyser and Adriaen Hanneman; while the younger Constantijn Huygens was a keen draughtsman himself and as a connoisseur of the arts served William III (to whom he followed his father in the role of private secretary) in setting up the gallery in Kensington Palace. A Dutch physicist, mathematician, astronomer and inventor, Christiaan Huygens is widely regarded as the most important scientist between Galileo and Isaac Newton. In physics, Huygens made ground-breaking contributions in optics and mechanics, while as an astronomer he is chiefly known for his studies of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon, Titan. While Constantijn was also a diplomat and diarist who has been compared to his English contemporary, Samuel Pepys, he was known mostly for his work on scientific instruments. From the 1650s he assisted his brother in the construction of lenses and between 1683 and 1687 the two brothers continued to make larger and longer focal length telescopes, culminating in very large tubeless aerial telescopes. Constantijn presented a 19 cm diameter, 37.5 m long focal length aerial telescope objective to the Royal Society in 1690 that still bears his signature. Although dubbed the 'Galileo Microscope', the large microscope to the left with a brass body and scrolled legs was the late 17th century instrument that replaced Zacharias Janssen's original 16th century compound microscope and other subsequent microscopes. To the right of this instrument is shown an elegant silver device which appears to be based on the simple microscope designed by Christiaan Huygens, which would have operated in a manner similar to the innovative microscope invented by Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek, by placing the high-powered lens next to the eye. Christiaan sketched several designs for such a simple microscope in his notebooks and in letters to his brother in the course of the year 1678. Christiaan and Constantijn were remarkably close in their collaboration, personally grinding their lenses together and, as a mark of how ahead of their time they were they were even known to have discussed the possibility of extra-terrestrial life while at the telescope. An inferior version of the present composition, 48.5 x 39.5 cm., attributed to Constantine Netscher, is in the State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.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 51
Josefa de Obidos (Seville 1630-1684 Obidos)The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine signed and dated 'Josepha de Ayalla 1647' (on wheel, lower right)oil on copper27.2 x 36.2cm (10 11/16 x 14 1/4in).Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate Collection, UK, since at least 1981LiteratureJ.O.Caetano et al, Josefa de Óbidos and the Invention of the Portuguese Baroque, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, 2015, pp. 69-70This small devotional painting dates from a remarkably early period in Josefa de Ayalla's career as she would have been only 16 or 17 at the time it was painted. Clearly The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine was a successful composition for her as, in the catalogue of the 2015 exhibition of her work at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon, Joaquim Oliveira Caetano mentions that four versions are recorded (pp. 69-70). The whereabouts of two are known, one being in the collection of the MNAA, Lisbon, signed and dated 1647 (inv. 197 min), and the other in the National Museum of Soares dos Reis, Porto, signed, but undated (inv. 244 Pin). The Lisbon painting comes from the collection of King Luis I of Portugal and the version in Porto, from the Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra. We know of two other paintings of this subject from early records. The 18th century art historian Cyrillo Wolkmar Machado mentioned a further copper dated 1647 which belonged, successively, to the collection of Gonçalo José Silveira Preto, then to the art dealer Francisco Cypriano and, in 1810, was sold to an English merchant (see Colleção de Memórias..., 1826, p. 62). Another painting on copper of this subject is referred to in the Catalogue Illustré de la Collection des Objects d'Art Qui Composent le Cabinet de Mr. Antoine Jos. Essingh, Cologne, 1865, p. 61, n. 276. As the current whereabouts of these last two works is unknown, it is possible that the present work corresponds with one of them. Born in Seville to a father who was himself a painter, Josefa moved back to Portugal with her family when she was four, settling in the small town of Óbidos, her father's birthplace. During her formative years as a painter she frequently based her compositions on engravings after earlier masters, the source of the present work being Titian's 1528 Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine painted for the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice. It was engraved by Cornelis Cort in 1565 with the image inverted, as it appears in Josefa's painting.Her output encompassed still lifes in the manner of her father, as well as religious works and engravings, and she seems to have been as comfortable undertaking large altarpieces, such as the one commissioned for the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, as painting miniatures and small-scale devotional works on copper like the present Mystic Marriage. There is a noticeable influence of Zurburán's work both in the facial types Josefa employed and in the still life elements; indeed, she would have been familiar with his work as early inventories list several of his panels in the collection of her father and other family members.We are grateful to Joaquim Oliveira Caetano for his assistance in cataloguing this work.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 62
Pedro de Camprobin (Almagro 1605-1674 Seville)A still life of a basket of flowers, a vase, a plate of fruit and a Parrot (possibly a Lovebird) perched on a box signed 'P. de Camprobín f.' (lower right)oil on canvas63.2 x 100.5cm (24 7/8 x 39 9/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceEstate of Rodríguez y Jiménez, MadridPrivate Collection, MadridSale, Christie's, Madrid, 4 October 2006, lot 69 LiteratureI. Bergström, Maestros Españoles de Bodegones y Floreros del Siglo XVII, Madrid, 1970, ill. cat. no 31. Fully signed paintings by Camprobín are rare and this still life composition is unusual in his oeuvre. It is interesting to note that each individual element was used separately a number of times by Camprobín and he brings them together here to create a unique and eye catching still life. It is also evident from this painting how influential contemporary Spanish still life painters had been on him. The painting shows elements of Juan van der Hamen in the overall composition, Juan de Zurbarán in the little plate of apricots and Tomás Hiepes in the Basket of Flowers. Camprobin has, however, painted the picture in his own unique style, as is exemplified by a certain softness of brushstroke and delicate colouring, particularly in the treatment of the flowers. Similarities can be drawn between this still life and a pair of Flowers in Baskets in a Private Collection (see: P. Cherry, Arte y Nauraleza. El Bodegón Español en el Siglo de Oro, Fundación de Apoyo a la Historia del Arte Hispánico, Madrid 1999, ill. pl. XCII). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 243
FORSTER (E.M.)Two autograph letters signed ('Morgan') to Rupert Barkeley Smith, the first recommending he visit the valleys of the Lot and the Dordogne, thanking him for having him to stay and asking if Mr Hall still sells apples ('...I should love some russets, even more than Cox's...'), the second thanking him for the apples ('...The packing of the apples is both masterly and masterful...') and talking of France ('...Not far off is Souillac with some wonderful Romanesque sculpture including a dancing Isaiah. I wish he had given lessons to other prophets...'), 4 pages, some foxing and rust stains where previously clipped together, small hole to one page not affecting text, 8vo (180 x 115mm.), King's College, Cambridge, 19 November and 30 November 1953; Where Angels Fear to Tread, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed 'R.B.S. from E.M.F./ 4/10/05' on the half-title, with a pencil note 'There is a beautiful sentence on page 161 which makes me love you' in another hand on the title, William Blackwood, 1905; The Hill of Devi, FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed 'This last Indian snippet: with affectionate remembrances to Honor and yourself from Morgan, October 1953' on the front free endpaper, photographic plates, Edward Arnold, 1953; Howards End, FIRST EDITION, ownership inscription (Nov. 1910) on front free endpaper, Edward Arnold, 1910; Collected Short Stories, bookplate of R. Barkeley Smith, Sidgwick and Jackson, [1947], publisher's cloth, rubbed, some fading, 8vo (6)Footnotes:'THE LAST INDIAN SNIPPET WITH AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCES' - Correspondence and books inscribed to Rupert Barkeley Smith (1883-1970).E.M. Forster met Barkeley Smith, an Oxford undergraduate destined for the Indian Civil Service, whilst on an Aegean cruise at Easter 1903. Despite widely different approaches to life, they initially enjoyed a close relationship, Forster visiting Smith in Oxford and taking walking trips together, with Forster hoping for something more; in his journal for 22 December 1907 he writes '...I wish he cared for fooling... It is impossible to proceed further...' (Ed. P. Gardner, Journals & Diaries of E.M. Forster, 2011, vol. 1). By the time Smith returned on leave from India in 1912, however, Forster gives the impression that their friendship had cooled, writing in his journal '...He was trying, & no doubt tired. But he keeps the curious belief that we are in sympathy...' (10 May 1912).Despite this, whilst Assistant Magistrate in Allahabad, it was Smith who facilitated Forster's trip to India in 1913 organising accommodation, servants and hospitality and, on one memorable occasion, inviting him to an annual bathing fair. On the way they visited the Buddhist sites of Buddh Gaya and caves in the Barabar Hills, later to be used as the model for the Marabar Caves in A Passage to India. Smith's attitudes, however, did not leave Forster with a favourable impression of the British in India, something which would colour his characterisations in the novel and leaving him feeling rather depressed: '...Four years in India had left their mark on Smith. He was curt and insolent in Court, wouldn't speak a word to Forster's friend Ahmed Mirza when he came to lunch, and seemed, like his 'civilian' companions, to dislike every class of Indian except the peasant...' (P.N. Furbank, E M Forster: A Life, 1978, vol.1, p.249). When the book came out in 1924, Smith took offence at the portrayal not only as a slur on the Indian Civil Service as a whole, but as a personal affront since, he believed, the Turtons' house in the novel bore too close a resemblance to his own bungalow in Agra: '...different readers took every possible different view as to the fairness of his treatment of Indian problems. Some Tory-minded readers were incensed at the book... Rupert Smith wrote him a violent letter, more or less breaking off their friendship...' (Furbank, vol. 2, p.125). By the 1950's, RBS and Forster were reconciled sufficiently for Forster to send him the fondly inscribed copy of his Indian memoirs, The Hill of Devi, but the relationship never properly recovered, Forster admitting in 1963, '...I want to spend myself in writing to people who are on the margin of my heart. Letter to RBS has gone...' (Journal, 15 August 1963).These letters are not listed in Mary Lago's Calendar of the Letters of E.M. Forster, neither are they published in the Selected Letters. They have been retained by Rupert Barkeley Smith's descendants until now.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
![SCOTLAND - BANKING[LAW (JOHN, attributed to)] Two Overtures Humbly Offered to His Grace John Duke of Argyll, Her Majesties Hi](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/478fc58d-23a3-4aa2-8e29-ac8a00d3fc8c/201c0fc6-aa54-4b0b-b574-ac8d00ce0ac0/468x382.jpg)
Lot 26
SCOTLAND - BANKING[LAW (JOHN, attributed to)] Two Overtures Humbly Offered to His Grace John Duke of Argyll, Her Majesties High Commissioner, and the Right Honourable the Estates of Parliament. The 1. For supplying the present scarcity of coyn, and improving trade. The 2. For clearing the debts due by the Government to the Army and Civil List, 8pp., drop-head title, one or two page numbers shaved, untrimmed and sewn in modern paper wrappers [ESTC T178153; Goldsmiths-Kress 04226], 4to (185 x 142mm.), [Edinburgh, 1705]Footnotes:Extremely rare pamphlet by John Law, six copies of which have been traced in institutions, and none in auction records. Law was an economist with a colourful life story. Having moved to London, he lost large sums by gambling and in 1694 fought a duel, killing his opponent and finding himself sentenced to death. When the sentence was commuted to a fine, he was imprisoned under appeal, and escaped to Holland. Returning to Scotland in 1705, Law urged the establishment of a Scottish national bank and the issue of banknotes backed by land, gold or silver. But the proposals in the present pamphlet, and in his major work of the same year, Money and Trade Considered, were ultimately rejected, and Law left to pursue his ambitions abroad. After establishing the French Banque Générale in 1716, he went on to be the architect of the ill-fated Mississippi Bubble scheme which caused a financial crisis in France and his complete fall from grace; although pardoned in England, he was to die a poor man in Venice a few years later, unaware that many of his ideas would still form a part of accepted monetary theory some three hundred years later.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: •• Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 16
A Spanish Still Life Painting of Wine and Fruit In An Ornate Gilt FrameCirca 19th century, possibly earlierOil on canvas Possibly by I. ToledauoOriginal label reads 'Pintor: I. Toledauo, Motivo: Bodegóu' 41 x 33 cm (canvas)57.5 x 50 cm (frame)*Please note this Lot is subject to 44% on the hammer price*
Lot 323
* Wallis (Barnes Neville, 1887-1979). An important Autograph Letter Signed, 'B.N. Wallis', White Hill House, Effingham, Surrey, 2 August 1948, to his Executors, giving a detailed account of his family and financial situation amid concerns for the financial welfare of his wife and children in the eventuality of his death, and hoping that they will act in his best interests with all the information he provides, Wallis begins with the death of his brother and sister-in-law, Barbara and Hurley McCormick, in November 1940, and Barnes and Molly's subsequent adoption of their two children John and Robert, 'This comparatively large addition to my dependants, combined with heavy taxation, and the refusal of the Walker family to agree to legal adoption of the children (with consequent tax relief &c), has ever since that time made my income insufficient to meet my expenditure, thus preventing my saving money to provide for the long period of widowhood that in the course of nature my wife will have to face', continuing that he had told these things to Sir Hew Kilner, managing director of the Aviation Section of Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. at Christmas 1944 and then going into details about various potential payments and tax implications, then giving an account of his various appointments and summary of his work and also referring to the 'bouncing bomb' invention, 'My Executors should know that, although urged to do so by my Patent Agents, I have refused to make any application to the Board of Inventions for any Awards that might be reasonably due to me for the inventions by which the Möhne and Eder Dams were destroyed in May 1943, or for the "Tallboy" and "Grand Slam" bomb. All these things were done entirely on my own initiative, in the face of strong opposition from Sir Charles Craven (footnoted as Chairman of Vickers-Armstrongs) though in the end with his help and approval... ', 5 pages with embossed address at head of first page, attaching two schedules, both in the hand of Barnes Wallis, the first a 'List of Appointments and Directors', summarising his career in eight periods from 1913 to the present time, written in tabular form on rectos of 2 leaves, the second schedule, being a 'List of Works' giving a more detailed description of the various projects undertaken during his working career and numbered to refer back to his list of appointments, 8 pages, all written on rectos only of a total of 15 foolscap folio sheets, first page of letter lightly toned, paperclip rust impression to blank upper left corner of first and last page, not affecting any textQty: (1)NOTESProvenance: From the family of Barnes Wallis, by direct descent. A highly important autograph summary of Wallis's working life. In the description of work schedule he gives detailed notes about the various projects and his roles in them, beginning with his involvement with H.B. Pratt on the R9. 'The R9 was stopped by Churchill then First Lord of the Admiralty, in the belief that the war would be over before the ship could be put into service. Pratt and I enlisted in the Artists' Rifles. It was soon realised that the war would be a long one, and Pratt and I, were firstly transferred to the R.N.V.R. to complete R9 as Naval Officers, and then transferred to Vickers, to carry out the programme of Naval Airship Development'. Wallis also refers to the R100 & R101 airships: 'During 1930 R100 flew successfully to Canada and back. The R101 attempting to emulate our performance by flying to India via Ismailia crashed after a few hours flight at Amiens with the loss of 48 lives. During the closing months of my time at Hawarden, when my design work was finished I had become interested in the design of aeroplanes, and saw that, with the great experience of the design of very light structures that I now possessed such improvements in the performance of aeroplanes could be made as would render the sole raison d'etre of airships, mainly their ability to fly great distances non-stop, no longer their sole prerogative. To this end I invented "Geodetic Construction" and the Wellesley monoplane... during this period also, in conjunction with R.K. Pierson I designed the Wellington Bomber which did frontline service throughout the war'. Wallis later refers to Operation Chastise and his experiments with bombs: 'Our experiments showed the impossibility of destroying these [Möhne & Eder Dams] or any other massive dams, even by the use of the largest bomb that I had suggested - ten tons, and in my extremity I invented the (still "top-secret") special weapon by which success was achieved in the historic attack which won for Wing Commander Guy Gibson the VC on the night of May 16-17, 1943. The attack did immense damage in the Eder & Ruhr Valleys. Industry in the Ruhr district was temporarily brought largely to a standstill due to the failure of fouling of the water supplies, and some 3,000 people were killed or drowned in the Ruhr Valley alone. The attack was one of amazing gallantry and skill on the part of Gibson and his Special Squadron (No. 617). The success showed to perfection the virtues of the scientific approach in modern warfare. Owing to the extreme secrecy, and novelty of the weapon and the harmful use that could be made of it against this country, it has not yet received the publicity nor the reward that it deserved, but it tended to establish in the minds of the C. in C's such as Sir Arthur Harris, and the C.E. Sir Wilfrid Freeman an impression of the rightness of the lines on which I had argued when writing my "Note on means of Attacking".' Wallis also gives an account of his involvement with the "Tallboy" and "Grand Slam" bombs and their successful use including the sinking of the "Tirpitz" by 617 Squadron, 'to the great indignation of the Director of Naval Construction and the Admiralty who still seem to think it not quite the thing that a battleship (albeit a German one) should be sunk by a bomb, when the whole efforts of the British Navy had conspicuously failed to do it by other means'. The account continues to his posting as head of a Research and Development department at Vickers-Armstrongs which was formed in 1945. The account ends in mid-sentence but is apparently pretty much complete: 'My knowledge of the German weapon V2 led to an interesting development in work that had long formed the purpose of my thought and aim in aeronautics, that is to say the development of a type of aircraft that could achieve long range, high speed and great load carrying capacity simultaneously. In a note [ends here].'
Lot 77
A unique and important dated 17th century lantern clock of large size, engraved with the arms of The Brewers CompanyWilliam Bowyer, London, dated 1632. The bell cast with the initials 'KS'The case:15.5 inches high to the top of the reduced finial, and surmounted by a substantial strapped bell (the bell cast internally with the letters KS), over three pierced frets (cast to accommodate the bases of the finials and measuring 91 x 144mm), each centred by a shield and framed by foliate scrolls, the front central shield engraved with the coat of arms of the Brewers Company above the signature WILLIAM BOWYER OF LONDon FECIT (sic), the square top plate with original holes for the balance control and with a hoop to the rear, with four boldly cast squat urn finials on tapering Doric columns over bulbous turned feet. (doors and rear plate lacking, rear left hand finial smaller) The dial:the silvered chapter ring 1 and 1/16th of an inch in width, with double line border enclosing the Roman numerals and inner quarter hour track with star half-hour markers raised on single lines, the corners with foliate scrolls, the centre fully engraved and divided into diagonal quarters by pairs of sword-shaped leaves, the upper quarter with the date 1632 below a human face surrounded by petals, the lower quarter with another male face with leaves as hair, framed by largely symmetrical patterns of leaves, with single filed iron handThe movement:the weight driven movement (two modern weights accompany the clock) with later verge escapement, the crown wheel set on a shaped brass top potance, the pallet arbor cocked front and back and with forked crutch (displaying some decorative filing) , but missing the pendulum, the strike train dictated via a pierced brass countwheel with three crossings, the heavy iron hammer with substantial stop and altered spring 39cms (15.5ins) high. Footnotes:William Bowyer is one of the great early British clockmakers and we have been fortunate enough to present several important examples in recent years, including: The so called 'Masterpiece' clock dated 1623, lot 72, 19th June 2007 £144,000. His earliest known clock, dated 1617, lot 60, 11th June 2018, £43,750. The clock he sold to John Earle of Rothes circa 1626, lot 68, 11th December 2019, £43,800. Literature: This clock is discussed and illustrated in an article by John Hooper 'William Bowyer Great Clock Maker', published in Antiquarian Horology, Summer 1998, p.122-133. 'His standard of workmanship, design and execution was exemplary throughout his working life.....His clock frames were splendidly turned and assembled and the dials beautifully engraved, especially on his early clocks....The movements of his clocks are of an equal standard of workmanship and the finishing of his wheels and pinions generally of an excellence rarely approached by other makers of his era. The tempering of his steelwork is invariably good and the wear on his pinions minimal considering the great age of his clocks and the survivors are, as a rule, still in good working order if suitably looked after.' There are no records as yet of the bell founder 'K.S', although another Bowyer clock is recorded in White with a bell cast with the initials 'G.S'The Worshipful Company of BrewersThe Worshipful Company of Brewers is one of the oldest of London's livery companies with references as far back as the 13th century. The first Royal Charter was granted by Henry VI in 1438 and the first Coat of Arms in 1468, these were the arms of Saint Thomas Becket, the Company's patron Saint. The Arms were changed to the present sheaves of barley and barrels, after the reformation, by Royal grant in 1544.Initial inspection of the Court Minutes and Accounts book has not yet revealed a reference to this wonderful clock - like today, this would have been an object of enormous rarity and value in the early 17th century, and it is quite possible that it was presented to the Company by a member as a gift - just as Bowyer himself had presented a clock to the Clockmakers Company. The Masters of the Brewers Company at around this time were Samuel Cranmer (1575-1640) from Cripplegate in 1631 and Francis Zachary, of Stepney in 1632.Andrew King writes:WILLIAM BOWYERGREAT CHAMBER CLOCK MAKERWith the more regular appearance of domestic clocks in the inventories from the earlier years of the sixteenth century, almost exclusively the work of Continental makers, the clock making trade in England may have been established in that century if it had not been for the successive plagues that took their toll of so many craftsmen. These human disasters led to a revived clock making trade which became established in the beginning of the seventeenth century learning their trade from previous sources as well as turret clock work, locksmithing and the art of the blacksmith. Within that first decade of the seventeenth century the tradition of the English lantern clock emerged. Of all the notable clockmakers from what has now become known as The first Period of lantern clock making, 1580-1640, William Bowyer remains one of the leading lights with his voluminous output of fine crafted clocks. Bowyer, probably born in the 1590s, in Berkshire and avoiding the contagion of plague married and possibly with his second wife Prudence produced six children with only three surviving infancy. Bowyer became a member of the Pewterer 's Livery Company, becoming a Freeman of the City of London in 1630, this, sometime before the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers received their Royal Charter in 1631. Establishing himself in Leadenhall Street Bowyer took at least six apprentices during his early years and another four some years later from 1638 through the Clockmakers Company. This providing only the smallest indication of the considerable workforce that must have existed in the Leadenhall Street manufactory not too far away from Lothbury the busiest area of lantern clockmaking with not only the Hall of the Founders Company but also the necessary foundries themselves for the adjacent trade.With the formation of the Clockmakers Company William Bowyer appeared to be a somewhat reluctant and not fully committed member in their ranks. His name first appeared in 1632 when he was sent with a small committee 'to treat to the Blacksmiths about their business' but the following year he was in trouble for failing to attend the Court despite warnings. Nine years later in 1642 Bowyer presented the Company with a great chamber clock, the purpose to absolve himself of all Company responsibilities, 'Mr Bowyer to be exempt from place, office and service'. With possibly a somewhat unpredictable and recalcitrant character he nevertheless, became Assistant in 1651 and was elected a Warden in 1653, the year in which it is believed he may have died.William Bowyer's lantern clocks are always notably varied and impressive with unique art and innovation in both styling and mechanical versatility.The dials of Bowyer's clocks are a unique cornucopia of flowers, fruit, swirling leaves and comical masks much of this witness from the world of silversmithing, needlework and the publications of craft and design. This unique artwork suggesting that perhaps Bowyer employed a full time engraver. It would certainly appear that with the output of this manufactory any engraver would have been very busy. The adjacent frets a reflective artwork perhaps with a central urn of flowers and leaves flowing to form the outer region of the fret and sometimes incorporating an owl or even a boar's head. These frets were considered to be such an important feature that Bowyer is cast them to accommodate the bases of the finials, a unique feature. An unusual feature of some of Bowyer's chapter rings and surely another unique feature to him, are the quart... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 150
Lucy Harwood (British, 1893-1972)Still Life with Portrait oil on canvas51 x 40.5cm (20 1/16 x 15 15/16in).Footnotes:ProvenanceEstate of Cedric MorrisWith Sally Hunter Fine Art, London, where acquired by the present owner, 2008Private Collection, U.K.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 19
Mary Fedden R.A. (British, 1915-2012)Red Still Lifesigned and dated 'Fedden 1973' (upper right), further signed and titled 'Mary Fedden/Red Still Life' (on Artist's label attached to board verso) oil on board 61 x 50.5cm (24 x 19 7/8in).Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, from whom acquired by the family of the present owner, and thence by descentPrivate Collection, U.K.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 2
Bryan Pearce (British, 1929-2007)Still Life with Striped Tablecloth signed 'Bryan/Pearce' (lower left)oil and pencil on board61 x 50.5cm (24 x 19 7/8in).Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, by whom gifted toElena Gaputyte, and thence by descent to the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.Elena Gaputyte started and ran the Sail Loft Gallery in St Ives from around 1960 until the mid-1960s.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 3
John Bellany C.B.E., R.A., H.R.S.A., L.L.D.(Lon) (British, 1942-2013)Still Life signed 'Bellany' (lower right)oil on canvas91 x 122.5cm (35 13/16 x 48 1/4in).(unframed)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 80
Carel Weight R.A. (British, 1908-1997)Still Life of Mixed Flowers in a Vase signed 'Carel Weight' (upper right)oil on canvasboard46 x 55.5cm (18 1/8 x 21 7/8in).Footnotes:ProvenanceSale; Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 11 July 2017, lot 137, where acquired byKeith William SleemanThis 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
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