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Lot 65
HMS Tiptoe visitors book with 846 autographs inc four Donald Cameron VC and two Bell Davies VC. Incredibly rare signatures of Lt Cdr (later Commander) Donald Cameron VC and Lt (later Vice Admiral) Lancelot Richard Bell Davies VC, CB, DSO, AFC. As far as we know, no copies of these signatures have appeared on the market. They are significantly rarer than, say, Guy Gibson. has over 100 pages of text, signature list etc. A rare opportunity to acquire an important Visitors' Book that was kept in HMS Tiptoe between Nov 1947 and May 1952. Its 846 signatures, most of which have been identified, are a Who's Who of the Royal Navy. Cameron has signed the book four times; Bell Davies has signed it twice. There is some bleeding on some pages, but priced just for the rare VC autographs. Comes with list of the signatures. Includes many Killed in Action during the war with huge array of Admirals and important medal winners. Full list of signatures included, following hundreds of hours of research. Sure to have some valuable and scarce autographs. Includes Commander Donald Cameron VC, David Riley Johnston OBE, DSC Lawrence Hugh Oliphant CBE, DSC Robert Thomas Smith MID x 2Cedric William Crocker Green DSM Lt Michael Timothy Hickie DSC Lt [later Vice Adm] Lancelot Richard Bell Davies VC, CB, DSO, AFC Commander Donald Cameron VC Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] David John Lisle Foster DSC Capt Hugh Christopher Lee Browne CBE, DSO Lt Cdr Edward Talbot Stanley DSO, DSC, MID Vice Admiral (E) Sir Denys Chester Ford KCB, CBE Lt John Arthur Davis DSC Lt (E) Alfred Lewis Giordan DSC Surgeon Lt Eric Arthur Penn DSC, MRCS, LRCP Lt Cdr John Dennis Martin DSC Lt [later Lt Cdr] John Norman Devlin DSC, MBE Lt [later Lt Cdr] Andrew Thomas Chalmers DSC, MID Wilfred Allan Plummer DSC Lt Cdr Arthur John Wright Pitt DSO Cdr Edward Talbot Stanley DSO, DSC Commissioned Engineer Albert Ewart John Hodge MID Lt Phillip Rutter Wood DSC, MID Capt [later Admiral Sir] Gerald Vaughan Gladstone GBE, KCB Lt Ian Macfarlane Stoop DSC Possibly Lt Cdr Robert Stuart Scott Ingham OBE, DSC Lt Cdr Herbert Anthony John Hollings MBE, DSC, MiD Skipper Lt Harry Leonard Lang DSC, RD, RNR Lt Cdr [later Cdr] Cecil Gordon DSO Lt Cdr Robert George Pierson Bulkeley DSC Instructor Lt Clifford John Jones MID Lt [later Capt] Donald Roy Saxon DSC, MID, RCN Lt [later Cdr] Charles Brian Mills DSC Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] Gerald Slingsby Mellor DSC Lt John Hateley Blacklock OBE, MIDL (E) [later Rear Admiral] Derek Garland Spickernell CB, CEng, FIMechE, FIET, FIMar Cdr (E) Richard Frederick Hermann Schlesinger Tolson DSC Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] Gerald Slingsby Mellor DSC Lt Cdr (E) Robert George Lane DSC, MIMarE Lawrence Hugh Oliphant CBE, DSC Lt Donald Cameron Douglas MID Cdr [later Commodore] Sir Thomas Erasmus Barlow, 3rd Baronet, DSC, DL Lt Cdr (S) Gerald Huthwaite Moore CBE, MID Lt Cdr Peter Edward Newstead DSC Capt Casper Silas Balfour Swinley DSO, DSC, ADC Lt [later Cdr] Charles Brian Mills DSC Cdr [later Capt] Stewart Armstrong Porter DSC, MID Temp Lt Cdr Herbert Frank Metson DSC Cdr [later Capt] George Edward Hunt DSO, DSC, MID x 2 Lt Michael Timothy Hickie DSC Lt Donald Cameron Douglas MID Lt Reginald Patrick Fitzgerald DSC, MID Lt Cdr Peter Edward Newstead DSC Lt Reginald Patrick Fitzgerald DSC, MID Lt Donald Cameron Douglas MID Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] Richard John Sutton DSC Lt Cdr Jack Whitton DSC Lt Cdr Guy Stewart Chetwode Clarabut DSO, DSC, MID Lt Cdr [later Rear Admiral Sir] Michael Francis de Halpert DSC Lt Cdr Jack Whitton DSC Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] Richard John Sutton DSC Cdr (E) Edward Hort Player DSC Lt Cdr Henry Carty Gowan OBE, MID Lt Cdr [later Capt] Michael Lindsay Coulton Crawford DSC, MIDL (E) [later Vice Admiral Sir)] John Stuart Crosbie Lea F/O Gerhard Hegland DSC (500909)Senior Commissioned Engineer Joel Clifford Edgecombe Blamey DSC, DSM Lt [later Major] Michael Mancell Aldworth VRD, MID Lt Cdr [later Vice Admiral] Iwan Geoffrey Raikes KCB, CBE, DSC Cdr [later Capt] George Edward Hunt DSO, DSC MID x 2 Lt Cdr James Stuart Launders ADC, DSO, DSC Cdr Edward Talbot Stanley DSO, DSC, MID Lt Cdr James Anthony Lawrence Wilkinson DSC Lt Cdr John Dennis Martin DSC Lt Cdr [later Rear Adm] David Hepworth CB Cdr (S) [later Rear Admiral] Morrice Alexander McMullen CB, OBE Cdr (S) [later Rear Admiral] Morrice Alexander McMullen CB, OBE Lt [later Admiral Sir] Derek Roy Reffell KCB Cdr John Douglas Hayes DSO, MID x 2Air Commodore Henry Edward Forrow CB, OBE, OAR4 (04007) Lt Col George Burnett Stevenson MID (52699)Capt Archibald George Forman CBE, DSC, MID x 2 Lt Cdr Robert Francis Gerard Elsworth DSC Ian Edward Fraser VC, DSC, LoM, RD, JP Lt William Albert Perren MID Lt Cdr Henry Carty Gowan OBE, MID Lt Cdr Douglas Lambert DSC Capt Casper Silas Balfour Swinley DSO, DSC, ADC Capt Douglas Henry Reid Bromley DSC, MID x 2 Lt Cdr (E) Ronald Henry Bull DSC Cdr (L) Thomas Joseph Roger Kirkby MID Vice Admiral Albert Lawrence Poland KBE, CB, DSO, DSC, MID x 2Capt Basil Jones DSO, DSC, MID Rear Admiral (E) Ronald Gordon Murray CB, CBE Lt Cdr [later Cdr] Donald Hay MID Lt Cdr David Swanston DSO, DSC Lt [later Admiral Sir] Peter Geoffrey Marshall Herbert KCB, OBE Lt [later Cdr] John Hateley Blacklock OBE, MID Lt Cdr [later Rear Adm] David Hepworth CB Cdr Edward Talbot Stanley DSO, DSC, MID Cdr Donald Cameron VCL (E) John Watkins Northwood MBE, DSC, MID, MIMarE Lt Cdr James Stuart Launders ADC, DSO, DSC Lt Cdr Brian Cochrane Longbottom MID Cdr Donald Cameron VC Lt Cdr [later Capt (Hon)] Richard Femister Tibbatts DSC Lt Cdr [later Vice Admiral Sir] Ian Stewart McIntosh CB, MBE, DSO, DSC Lt Cdr [later Capt] Stanley William Clayden DSC Lt Cdr Sybold van Ravesteijn ON4, BK x 2, OHK5, OV1, XX, DSC Lt [later Rear Admiral] John Bethell Hervey CB, OBEL (E) [later Lt Cdr] Ernest Redver Head OBE, MID Lt Cdr (E) [later Cdr] Gerald Slingsby Mellor DSC Squadron Leader Sidney Frank Tolman MID (73914) Cdr Alec Murray McKillop DSC, MID x 2 Lt [later Admiral Sir] Allan Gordon Tait KCB, DSC, MID Capt Ian Agnew Patterson Macintyre CBE, CB, DSO, LegH Charles Learmonth Bedale DSC, RN Captain Francis Howard DSC, RN Cdr John Bertram de Betham Kershaw DSO Cdr (E) [later Reverend] Oliver John Frank Lockwood St John DSC Capt Hugh Christopher Browne CBE, DSO Capt [later Rear Admiral] Bertram Wilfrid Taylor CB, DSC, MID Lt Cdr [later Cdr] John Raymond Henry Bull MBE, DSC Lt Cdr Bruce Collins MBE, MID Capt [later Vice Admiral Sir] Maxwell Richmond KBE, CB OBE, DSO, RB, CdeG, MID x 2 Cdr Ralph Grosvenor Jenkins OBE, DSC, MIDG/C [later Acting Air Vice Marshal] Fergus Alexander Pearce CBE, MID x 2 (26187)Capt [later Admiral of the Fleet Sir] Michael Le Fanu GCB, DSC, LoM, MID Lt Cdr Edmund Roger Stone MIDF/L [later G/C] Basil William Parsons CBE, DFC, AFC, MID (133754) Lt [later Vice Adm] Lancelot Richard Bell Davies VC, CB, DSO, AFC. Good condition. All autographs come with a Certificate of Authenticity. We combine postage on multiple winning lots and can ship worldwide. UK postage from £4.99, EU from £6.99, Rest of World from £8.99
Lot 25
Leon Underwood (British, 1890-1975)The Sculptor black Irish marble38.7 cm. (15 1/4 in.) highCarved 1938-49UniqueFootnotes:ProvenanceSidney Rothman (probably acquired from the 1953 exhibition),thence by family descent to the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.ExhibitedLondon, Beaux Arts Gallery, Leon Underwood, 11 May-24 June 1953, cat.no.41Colchester, The Minories, Leon Underwood: A Retrospective Exhibition, 9 August-10 September 1969, cat.no.120LiteratureChristopher Neve, Leon Underwood, Thames and Hudson, London, 1974, p.176, pl.131 (ill.b&w)Ben Whitworth, The Sculpture of Leon Underwood, the Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2000, p.64, cat.no.118 (ill.b&w)The Sculptor appears to be the only carving Underwood made using black Irish marble, or Kilkenny marble as it is often referred to. An exquisite, fine-grained carboniferous limestone, its main source lies just south of Kilkenny, nicknamed 'the Marble City', in south-east Ireland.Of the present sculpture, which is appearing for sale through auction for the first ever time, Christopher Neve comments:'Ironically, with the 1939 Zwemmer exhibition indicating that his print-making and sculpture was not only increasing in momentum but beginning to regain a public lost when he went to America, war was declared. In no time he was frittering away a second spell in camouflage, this time attached to the Civil Defence department at Leamington Spa, with almost no opportunities for getting on with his work. The last major sculpture before the war is, significantly, The Sculptor, a massive and powerful figure in Irish black marble in which the head is drawn into the shoulders and all the forms block in on one another, the weight of the buttocks balanced by the heavy head of the mallet and the deliberately phallic and potentially productive chisel held against the body in front' (Christopher Neve, Leon Underwood, Thames and Hudson, London, 1974, p. 176)Whilst Underwood's earliest carvings in stone and wood appeared in the early 1920s, such as Torso in Tournai slate (collection: Tate Gallery, London), it was his sculptures of the mid-to-late 1930s which achieved greatest aesthetic resonance. African Madonna (St George's Anglican Cathedral, Cape Town, South Africa) for instance, in lignum vitae with silver-gilt inlay of 1934-35, is arguably his most impressive and successful. It was received in South Africa in 1935 to mixed reviews, to which Underwood explained his thought process, as Neve goes on to explain, 'In May, Underwood replied to his critics in an open letter to the Rand Mail, saying that he hoped in time the sculpture would be accepted as belonging to a new and different order of beauty by the descendants of those African artists 'whose simplicity of expression helped to rescue Western art from the slough of naturalism and vulgar sentiment' into which it has fallen in the nineteenth century.' (Op. cit. p.156). The Sculptor shares affinities with African Madonna, including its primitive, mask-like face and powerful over-sized forearm and hand. However, with the present lot the sculptor has jettisoned the rhythmic lines of lead or silver-gilt inlay which infiltrated his work during the middle part of the decade and concentrates all his artistic prowess on the medium to hand. Here, the inherent qualities of the fine-grained Kilkenny marble have been used to maximise impact. Part polished and unpolished, the areas left roughly sanded and are therefore less black, assist in accentuating the flowing lines of the glistening figure's body and face, thereby creating a dramatic sense of depth. It is the culmination of Underwood's twenty year-long investment with carving, as Ben Whitworth remarks:'Underwood's final carving was The Sculptor in black Irish marble, begun on the eve of the Second World War. This image of artistic power must not be read as a self-portrait, but it is ironic that, after making an image that epitomises the heroic view of direct carving, Underwood never again carved a block of stone or wood'. (Ben Whitworth, The Sculpture of Leon Underwood, The Henry Moore Foundation, Much Hadham, 2000, p.64)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 1
Keith Vaughan (British, 1912-1977)Frogmen at Worbarrow signed and dated 'Keith Vaughan/March 1964.' (lower centre)gouache and collage on paper50.8 x 40.6 cm. (20 x 16 in.)Footnotes:ProvenanceDr Patrick Woodcock, by whom gifted to the present ownerPrivate Collection, IrelandVaughan was familiar with Worbarrow Bay on the Isle of Purbeck and painted several works inspired by its craggy, limestone cliffs (see Purbeck Landscape 1963; Small Limestone Landscape, 1963 and Black Purbeck Landscape, 1964). The coastline is popular with sea divers, not least because of the dramatic underwater boulders and gullies and the wreck of a barge off Worbarrow Tout. The present work was inspired by an incident from the previous year. In the summer of 1963, Vaughan drove down to the Jurassic Coast specifically to hunt for new subjects. While sitting having a drink at the Swanage Hotel, he recorded in his journal an encounter with some sea divers that morning:We drove down on Saturday through hideous traffic until at Romney we cut adrift & took byways through the New Forest. Blissful Isolation & open roads. Beer & Sandwiches at a little pub. There were perfect moments – the first view of Chapman's Pool on Sunday morning, crossing the stubbly field near the farm, the low stone wall. And then the sudden unsuspected drop away & the bay far below, nearly deserted, china blue.The scramble down – knee-breaking. So much further than it looks, the distances always deceptive in this landscape which was made for Mastodons. Then the group of skin divers which appeared from outer space, peeling on their incredibly erotic, skin tight rubbers, crutch piece, belt of lead, leggings, top piece, helmet & goggles. Then they set off face down on the water, dozens at a time, only their red periscopes showing. (Keith Vaughan, Journal XLIV – supplement, Swanage, July 29-31, 1963). The group of figures are preparing for their dive. The standing, foreground figure, complete with flippers and swimming trunks, dominates the composition. Arms raised, he prepares to 'peel on' his gear. His friends stand or sit on a rock close by. The neutral palette indicates a grey overcast day and the patches of black and splashes of paint evoke the rubbery squelch of their diving suits. Areas of collage and hand-rendered lettering (these are not unknown elsewhere in Vaughan's more improvisatory gouaches) can also be seen and add to the texture and inventive quality of the imagery. We are grateful to Gerard Hastings, who is currently working on his new book Keith Vaughan: The Graphic Art, to be published by Pagham Press, for compiling this catalogue entry.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * AR* VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium.AR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 11
David Wynne O.B.E. (British, 1926-2014)Cresta Rider signed, dated and inscribed 'DAVID WYNNE 1984 A/C' (on the side of the toboggan)bronze with a brown patina on a marble base36.9 cm. (14 1/2 in.) wide (excluding the marble base)Conceived in 1984, the artist's cast aside from the edition of 6Footnotes:ProvenanceThe Artist, by whom gifted toWilliam Shand Kydd (1937-2014), and thence by descent to the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.LiteratureJonathan Stone (ed.), The Sculpture Of David Wynne 1974-1992, Lund Humphries, London, 1993, p.158The present work is the only Artist's cast maquette at this scale for the unique six-foot version commissioned in 1984 by the St Moritz Tobogganing Club to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cresta Run. The Cresta is a natural ice run, built each year for a limited nine-week window of amateur rides. It winds three quarters of mile in length down from St Moritz to what was the village of Cresta, through a steep gully and round ten varying corners, including the notorious shuttlecock, with speeds ranging from fifty to eighty miles an hour (depending on the skills of the rider). Wynne was a keen Cresta rider himself, and especially enjoyed the associated social life of the St Moritz season. The contacts he made there led to several commissions and memorable anecdotes, including an evening spent in the company of Audrey Hepburn who, according to his recollection, insisted on dancing only with him.We are grateful to Nicola Bennet for her assistance in cataloguing the present work.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 33
William Turnbull (British, 1922-2012)Metamorphosis 2 stamped with monogram, numbered and dated '6/9/80' (at the back)bronze with a dark brown patina on a stone base40.3 cm. (15 7/8 in.) high (excluding base)Conceived in 1980Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Waddington Galleries, London, where acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.ExhibitedLondon, Waddington Galleries, William Turnbull (Sculptures), March 1981 cat.no.2 (ill.b&w, another cast)LiteratureAmanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2005, p.153, cat.no.201 (ill.b&w, another cast)Another cast from this edition is in the collection of the Tate Gallery, LondonBy referring to earlier Metamorphosis sculptures, the viewer of the present work, Metamorphosis 2, can gain an understanding of the processes at work with this group of bronzes dating from the late 1970s and early 1980s. As Amanda A. Davidson comments, 'Turnbull's long-standing interest in metamorphosis becomes the focus of his recent sculpture. Many of these works express metamorphic qualities by ambiguously combining various images and hinting at various uses.' (Amanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation, Much Hadham, 2005, p.64)Two separate sculptures titled Metamorphosis 1 (1979 and 1980), along with Metamorphic Figure (1979) and Metamorphic Venus (1981) all communicate it was the female form which Turnbull used as the reference point for Metamorphosis 2. Others with different titles (Hook Torso for instance, 1980) use the same concept.Elegantly displayed on its contemporaneous stone base, the present work incorporating a rich brown patina, has been pared down to the bare essential of what appears to be the lower half of a female torso. The work has indeed metamorphosed into an intriguing and ambiguous statement with hints of anthropomorphic attributes, such as a circular indentation located upper centre to denote the navel, and even smaller further indentations to indicate the pubic area. The looping arms of Hook Torso have been dramatically reduced to bulges on both sides at the top of the bronze. The overall impression of a loose heart shape further adds to this sculpture's huge appeal.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 34
William Turnbull (British, 1922-2012)Key Torso stamped with monogram, numbered and dated '2/9/81' (at the back)bronze with a light brown patina on a stone base42.3 cm. (16 5/8 in.) (excluding base)Conceived in 1981Footnotes:ProvenanceWith Waddington Galleries, London, where acquired by the present ownerPrivate Collection, U.K.LiteratureAmanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation in association with Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2005, p.154, cat.no.207 (ill.b&w, another cast)During the mid-1950s William Turnbull created a sculptural group of semi-abstract female figures of considerable size, knows as his Idol series. He returned to the theme, using new titles, again in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Amanda A. Davidson comments on them:'As artworks rather than as equipment they create an experience of pieces of sculpture as physical and potentially practical objects. They achieve this through their overt reference to tools. They go beyond the earlier Idols by creating new versions of archetypal figures from unusual sources.' (Amanda A. Davidson, The Sculpture of William Turnbull, The Henry Moore Foundation, Much Hadham, 2005, p.62)One of these 'practical objects' was the key. With Key Torso the sculptor has taken an everyday object and transformed it into a human presence. Its curved outline with deep notches either side, whilst reinforcing the work's genesis, also serves to describe the contours of a female figure; the incisions being the narrow waist and wide hips. The subtlest of protuberances denote the figure's breasts, and throughout, the surface is covered with his trademark dots, shallow circular motifs which Davidson refers to as 'designs' and the sculptor himself as 'signs'. They are on the fringes of the sculpture at regular intervals, but also run vertically down its centre, from the head to its base, as well as cutting across horizontally and diagonally in the lower section to suggest the pubic area. Regarding this aspect of his work, Davidson comments:'The marks often come from the personal vocabulary of symbols that Turnbull has been exploring throughout his career. There are no predetermined public meanings and there is no secret code for the initiated. Some of the marks can be interpreted as indicating faces, hair, limbs and genitals but there can be many interpretations of these marks and the viewer is free to come to their own readings.' (Op. cit. p.65)Key Torso was made at a time when Turnbull had begun to be more adventurous and experimental with different-coloured patinas. It can be no coincidence given the object of the title, which is traditionally made out of brass or nickel-brass, that he has chosen a similar colour to these alloys, in addition to smoothing the surface right down so as to appear metallic.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 36
Spanish school; second half of the XVII century."Penitent St. Jerome".Oil on canvas.It has slight repainting.Measurements: 39 x 29,5 cm; 59,5 x 41,5 cm (frame).This canvas deals with the theme of St. Jerome penitent in the desert. Thus, the saint is shown seated and placing his left hand on his heart in a pious attitude, which is reinforced by the presence of the crucifix that he holds in his right hand. The scene is completed with the presence of the characteristic attributes of Saint Jerome, such as the book, the skull and the cardinal's hat. During the 17th century the image of the saint became popular, being the protagonist of numerous artistic manifestations. This was due to the Christian tradition that establishes Saint Jerome as the translator of the Bible, thus transforming the sacred scriptures into a Latin text accessible to a wider public. This version of the Bible, known as the Vulgate, was declared the official version during the Council of Trent 1546.One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, St. Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. One of the most frequent representations of this saint is his penance in the desert. His attributes are the stone he uses to beat his chest and the skull on which he meditates. Also the cardinal's cape (or a red mantle), although he was never a cardinal, and the tamed lion. The latter comes from a story of the "Golden Legend", where it is narrated that one day, when he was explaining the Bible to the monks of his convent, he saw a lion coming with a limp. He removed the thorn from its paw, and from then on he kept it in his service, instructing it to look after his donkey while it grazed. Some merchants stole the donkey, and the lion recovered it, returning it to the saint without hurting the animal.
Lot 59
Circle of IL GUERCINO (Cento, Italy, 1591-Bologna, 1666); second half of the 18th century."Penitent St. Jerome."Oil on canvas. Preserves original canvas.Presents repainting and restorations.It has frame of the twentieth century.Measurements: 114 x 91 cm; 119 x 96 cm (frame).In this canvas the theme of penitent Saint Jerónimo is approached, through a classic composition, in which the author arranges the saint in a sober interior, in which any anecdotal detail that could cloud the message of transmission of the Christian faith and devotion is eliminated. One of the four great Doctors of the Latin Church, St. Jerome was born near Aquileia (Italy) in 347. Trained in Rome, he was an accomplished rhetorician and polyglot. Baptized at the age of nineteen, between 375 and 378 he retired to the Syrian desert to lead an anchorite's life. He returned to Rome in 382 and became a collaborator of Pope Damasus. One of the most frequent representations of this saint is his penance in the desert. His attributes are the stone he uses to beat his chest and the skull on which he meditates. Also the cardinal's cape (or a red mantle), although he was never a cardinal, and the tamed lion. The latter comes from a story of the "Golden Legend", where it is narrated that one day, when he was explaining the Bible to the monks of his convent, he saw a lion coming with a limp. He removed the thorn from its paw, and from then on he kept it in his service, instructing it to look after his donkey while it grazed. Some merchants stole the donkey, and the lion recovered it, returning it to the saint without hurting the animal.Due to its technical characteristics, it is possible to relate this piece to the artistic circle of Guercino, who was one of the most acclaimed Italian artists in the first half of the 17th century. He was born in the town of Cento, in the province of Ferrara. The main influences that shaped his style were the Bolognese; Ludovico Carracci, his cousin Anibal Carracci and the Ferrarese Ippolito Scarsella. Apart from a two-year stay in Rome during the papacy of the Bolognese Gregorio XV Ludovisi, he was active in his hometown until 1642 when he moved to neighboring Bologna. He was about twenty-five years old when he came to the attention of his first important clients, among them Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi, Archbishop of Bologna; Cardinal Jacopo Serra, papal legate in Ferrara; Grand Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany; and Duke Ferdinand Gonzaga of Mantua. By the mid-1620s he had turned down invitations to work outside Italy, from Charles I of England among others. He seems to have been reluctant to enter into direct competition with his Bolognese rivals, especially Guido Reni, who from about 1610 was the most celebrated painter in Italy. Most of his abundant output consists of altar and easel paintings, but in the first half of his career he also painted frescoes in Cento, Bologna, Rome (the Aurora on the ceiling of the Casino Ludovisi) and the cathedral of Piacenza (1626-1627). His early style, "tenebrist", is characterized by dramatic lighting, saturated colors and agitated compositions. His stay in Rome led him to gradually modify his style towards a much more idealized and classical language, with calmer and more structured compositions, more elegant contours, a palette generally lighter and richer in pastel tones.
Lot 19
Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994)Escarpments signé et daté 'GHIKA 59' (en bas à droite)huile sur toile33 x 47cm (13 x 18 1/2in).Peint en 1959.signed and dated (lower right)oil on canvasFootnotes:ProvenanceLady Nöel Evelyn 'Peter' Norton, London.Thence by descent to the present owner.ExposéAthens, Benaki Museum, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Apollonian - the Dionysian, November 22, 2006 - January 15, 2007, no. 215 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 219).LittératureK.C. Valkana, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, His Painting Oeuvre, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, p. 188 (mentioned), p. 193 (illustrated).Imbued with the breath of the earth and the refractions of Greek light, Escarpments is a captivating work of dynamic lines, lush colours and explosive forms that spin and swirl around agile webs, so that the whole composition seems like an ever-growing organism immersed in a constantly changing and revived atmosphere.1 Trees, branches, leaves, bushes and flowers are set in motion, engaged in a perpetual Dionysian dance, while the crooked stone walls that inform so much of the Greek insular landscape and rank among the painter's signature subjects, emerge like ancient ruins from the luxuriant flora.1 See D. Iliopoulou-Rogan, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Apollonian-the Dionysian, exhibition catalogue, Benaki Museum, Athens 2006, p. 52.Imprégnée du souffle de la terre et des réfractions de la lumière grecque, Escapments est une Å“uvre captivante, faite de lignes dynamiques, de couleurs luxuriantes et de formes explosives qui s'enroulent et tourbillonnent autour de points agiles, de telle sorte que toute la composition ressemble à un organisme en perpétuelle croissance, immergé dans une atmosphère qui ne cesserait de se transformer et de revivre. Les arbres, les branches, les feuilles, les buissons et les fleurs sont représentés en mouvement, engagés dans une danse dyonisiaque perpétuelle, tandis que les murs de pierre tortueux, qui rappellent tant le paysage insulaire grec et font partie des thèmes récurrents de l'artiste, émergent comme des ruines antiques de la flore luxuriante.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ** VAT on imported items at a reduced rate of 5.5% on the hammer price and the prevailing rate on buyer's premium if the car remains in EU.TVA sur les objets importés à un taux réduit de 5.5% sur le prix d'adjudication et un taux en vigueur sur la prime d'achat dans le cas où la voiture reste dans l'Union Européenne.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 43
Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994)École de danse signé et daté 'Ghika/ 65' (en base à droite)huile sur toile65 x 91.5cm (25 9/16 x 36in).Peint en 1965.signed and dated (lower right)oil on canvasFootnotes:ProvenanceD. Pierides collection, Athens. Private collection, Athens. ExposéAthens, Benaki Museum, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Apollonian - the Dionysian, November 22, 2006 - January 15, 2007, no. 272 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 164).LittératureDemetris Z. Pierides Collection of Contemporary Greek Painting and Engraving, Athens 1982, no. 63 (listed and illustrated).Tachydromos magazine, no. 1501, February 17, 1983, p. 48 (illustrated).K.C. Valkana, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, his Painting Oeuvre, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, p. 209 (discussed and illustrated).In one of the most insightful essays ever written on Ghika, poet Kimon Friar elaborated on the idea of the artist as composer, discussing his paintings in terms of music and rhythm: 'The works of Ghika are composed: that is, they contain the elements of both composition and composure. They are a designer's compositions in line, colour and space; they are the work of a musical composer; and their final resolution is a composure which the classical artist imposes on the recalcitrant materials of life to create a cosmos for which we all long and dream but which only the artist may invoke.'1 These perceptive remarks written in 1946 perfectly apply to École de danse, a pictorially complex exploration of youthful energy painted almost twenty years later. Indeed, rhythm, musical effect, composure, sense of space and proportion, Dionysian movement and Apollonian order all come together in a well thought out, tightly designed and dynamically balanced composition, where spirit is transformed into rhythm and vice versa. As noted by D. Iliopoulou-Rogan who curated the artist's 2006 major retrospective in the Benaki Museum, Athens, 'this spirit-rhythm duality is not disassociated from flesh and bodily pleasures, as his works call upon both the senses and the intellect.'2 This is indicated by the presence of marble sculpture alluding to lofty humanistic aims, and by the choice of subject for the easel painting in the centre which refers to more mundane interests. 'The whole point is to find the balance,' Ghika once told the art critic Dora Vallier. For him proportion was the fundamental condition for a work of art.3 Reflecting the artist's long involvement with the design of sets and costumes for Rallou Manou's legendary 'Hellenic Choreodrama' dance group4 and echoing many of Degas's complex multi-figure paintings of ballerinas set in rehearsal studios practicing their steps, Ghika's young dancers inhabit the large space haphazardly, creating casual patterns of movement and gesture that would never be seen on stage (compare E. Degas, Ballet dancers, c. 1890-1900, National Gallery, London).Moreover, demonstrating Ghika's extremely broad and varied range of artistic concerns, this exquisite canvas features a host of references to the history of art ranging from Hellenistic and Byzantine conventions to cubist experimentations and surrealism's poetic metaphors and subversively irrational visions. The sculptural figure on the right echoes André Masson's famous Gradiva, while the enigmatic dancer on the left, captured simultaneously as stone and flesh, alludes to mythical Galatea, the statue that came to life and became a surrealist muse (compare Salvador Dali, Galatea of the Spheres, 1952). This compelling duality reflects Ghika's two-sided nature: 'the one, the methodical man restrained by reason, the other, the man whom the senses restore to the centre of human life. We would be wrong to imagine that either one is struggling to dominate the other. Rather, they unite his strengths in a spirit of collaboration, not rivalry, to achieve a victory that belongs equally to both of them.'5 1 K. Friar, 'Ghika as Composer,' in Paintings by Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, exhibition catalogue, British Council, Athens 1946. 2 D. Iliopoulou-Rogan, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Apollonian-the Dionysian, exhibition catalogue, Benaki Museum, Athens 2006, p. 60.3 D. Vallier, 'Portrait of the artist', Art News and Review, no. 157, February 1955.4 See Iliopoulou-Rogan, Parallels, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika [in Greek], Polyplano editions, Athens 1980, p. 41.5 C. Zervos, article from Cahiers d'Art, December 1952.Dans l'un des essais les plus pénétrants jamais écrits sur Ghika, le poète Kimon Friar développe l'idée que l'artiste est un compositeur, et décrit ses peintures en termes de musique et de rythme : « Les Å“uvres de Ghika sont composées ; autrement dit, elles contiennent les éléments à la fois de la composition et de la maîtrise. Ce sont des compositions dans leur ligne, leurs couleurs et leur espace ; elles sont l'Å“uvre d'un compositeur de musique ; et leur réalisation finale témoigne de la maîtrise que l'artiste classique impose aux matériaux récalcitrants de la vie, afin de créer un cosmos dont nous rêvons tous depuis longtemps mais que seul l'artiste peut invoquer. Ces remarques très pertinentes, écrites en 1946, s'appliquent parfaitement à l'École de danse, qui est une exploration picturale complexe de l'énergie juvénile, peintes près de vingt ans plus tard. En effet, le rythme, l'effet musical, la composition, le sens de l'espace et de la proportion, le mouvement dionysiaque et l'ordre apollonien, tout concourt à une Å“uvre très bien pensée, dessinée d'un trait ferme et équilibrée sur le plan dynamique, où l'esprit est transformé en rythme et vice versa. Comme l'a noté D. Iliopoulou-Rogan, curateur de la grande rétrospective consacrée à l'artiste en 2006 au Musée Benaki à Athènes, cette dualité esprit-rythme n'est pas dissociée des plaisirs de la chair et du corps, étant donné que ses Å“uvres font appel à la fois aux sens et à l'intellect. Il suffit, pour s'en convaincre, de citer la présence de la sculpture de marbre qui évoque des aspirations humanistes élevées, ainsi que le choix du sujet sur le chevalet qui figure au centre, qui évoque des intérêts plus banals. Le tout est de trouver l'équilibre, comme Ghika l'a dit un jour à la critique d'art Dora Vallier. Pour lui, la proportion était la condition fondamentale de toute Å“uvre d'art. L'artiste a longtemps créé des décors et des costumes pour le groupe de danse légendaire de Rallou Manou 'Hellenic Choreodrama' ; cette expérience se retrouve dans l'École de danse, qui fait également écho à beaucoup d'Å“uvres de Degas, qui représentent des ballerines s'exerçant dans des studios de répétition. Les jeunes danseurs de Ghika habitent le vaste espace au hasard, créant des chorégraphies aléatoires et des gestes que l'on ne verrait jamais sur scène (comparer avec E. Degas, Danseuses de ballet, vers 1890-1900, National Gallery, Londres).En outre, cette toile exquise atteste de l'éventail extrêmement large et varié des préoccupations artistiques de Ghika, et fait de nombreuses références à l'histoire de l'art, depuis les conventions hellénistiques et byzantines jusqu'aux expérimentations cubistes, aux métaphores poétiques surréalistes et aux visions irrationnelles subversives. La figure sculpturale sur la droite fait écho à la célèbre Gradiva d'André Masson, tandis que le da... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 83
Nata(Natalia) Mela (Greek, 1930-2019)Jeune guerrier signé 'Natalia' (sur la base) fer 170 x 65 x 45cm (66 15/16 x 25 9/16 x 17 11/16in).Réalisé vers 1963-70.Cette Å“uvre est unique. signed (to the base)ironThis work is unique.Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, New York.Private collection, Venice.Natalia Mela studied Sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1942 -1947) under Kostas Dimitriadis and Michalis Tombros. She also attended the workshop of Thanassis Apartis. Her early carrier was defined by monumental works, busts and public commissions realised in marble and stone. From 1960's onwards, Mela was intrigued by the newly introduced sculptural welding techniques of post-war modernism. Her focus in ready-made iron materials and their malleable qualities played a pivotal role in defining her new aesthetics. Sourcing raw materials from the Athenian Streets, she assembled figures inspired by the natural world and Greek mythology. The presented lot belongs to her Warrior series, characterized for their heroic and commemorative nature. The Young Warrior's captivating, dynamic and almost chorographical posture renders Melas virtuosity in transforming pieces of rough metal into symbols of natural force and power.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Lot 563
AN EDWARDIAN DIAMOND AND HALF PEARL HINGED BANGLE CIRCA 1910the gold bangle with a central half pearl and old mine cut diamond cluster, estimated to weigh 0.35 carats, to pierced foliate shoulders, the clasp stamped 15ct, in an associated bangle boxSIZE/DIMENSIONS: Inner width 5.4cm GROSS WEIGHT: 12.8 gramsCondition Report: The bangle has some light wear, the central diamond colour estimated I-J, clarity SI2, fracture to one side of the stone, a mineral inclusion and feather to the surface, some light wear to the surfaces, the clasp and hinge in good working order. The box shows some signs of age and use.Condition Report Disclaimer
Lot 565
A PAIR OF PERIDOT AND DIAMOND EAR PENDANTS the old brilliant cut diamonds in claw settings, approximately 0.50 carats total, suspending pear cut peridots, estimated to weigh 11.74 carats and 8.71 carats, in claw settings, in a J.W Benson. Ltd boxSIZE/DIMENSIONS: 2.6cm longGROSS WEIGHT: 8.5 gramsCondition Report: Peridots measure approximately:18.9mm x 12.5mm x 8.1mm (11.47 carats)18.3 x 12.6 x 6.3mm (8.71 carats)The majority of the earrings are from the first half of the 20th century, but the stud fittings are later, there are marks at the top of the studs where a hook fitting or another stone may have been removed. Some light wear commensurate with age and use.Condition Report Disclaimer
Lot 650
STEPHEN WEBSTER, A SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED YELLOW SAPPHIRE AND YELLOW STONE CLUSTER DRESS RINGthe rectangular facetted yellow sapphire estimated to weigh 9.50 carats, within a surround of calibré step cut yellow stones in illusion settings, London 2016 hallmark with maker's markSIZE/DIMENSIONS: Finger size L 1/2GROSS WEIGHT: 18.5 gramsCondition Report: The sapphire is an approximate weight due to closed back settings, some typical inclusions, including healed fractures, 18 carat gold setting has some light surface scuffsCondition Report Disclaimer
Lot 661
A 1970S EMERALD AND DIAMOND THREE STONE RINGthe step cut emerald with canted corners estimated to weigh 1.80 carats, between two old brilliant cut diamonds, approximately 1.50 carats total, to a pierced gallery, Birmingham 1975 platinum hallmark and PJF maker's markSIZE/DIMENSIONS: Finger size M 1/2GROSS WEIGHT: 5.3 gramsGemmological Certification Services, Emerald Report 8139-56, Date stating: Colombia, Minor amount of oil in fissuresThis emerald presents distinct growth structures, creating a rare optical effect known as : 'gota de aceite'Condition Report: There is some abrasion to the emerald crown facet edges, bright stone, there are a few typical inclusions. The diamonds are bright and lively, colour estimated I, clarity VS and SI. There is thinning to the claws commensurate with use, some are quite thin, the outer claws holding the diamonds have worn off and so need retipping, wear to the setting commensurate with use.Condition Report Disclaimer
Lot 673
A PAIR OF DIAMOND EARSTUDSthe studs each set with a pear cut diamond, estimated to weigh 0.99 carats and 0.92 carats, in three claw settings, butterfly backsSIZE/DIMENSIONS: approximately 8.7mm longGROSS WEIGHT: 3.4 gramsCondition Report: The diamonds colour estimate l-M, one clarity I1/2 there is a large fracture to one side of the stone, the other VS, assessed in settings, medium fluorescenceCondition Report Disclaimer
![[GP] RUBY AND DIAMOND FIVE STONE RING set to the centre with an oval ruby with cushion shaped diamonds and an oval ruby on ei](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/135c58ee-6ca3-4812-b0ca-adcc010525c3/eede7d09-cc4f-44d4-afb3-addb0108cb04/468x382.jpg)
Lot 402
A BRONZE PLAQUETTE, ITALIAN, EARLY 17TH CENTURY oval, with half-length facing profiles of a Brigittine and a visiting monk with the dove of the Holy Spirit between them, on reverse a wreath bordered Latin inscription, translating as: "1619 Month May D. Blasius Bagnuascento of the Order of the Holy Saviour, D. Marian Bon Bonon, (visitor), have placed a foundation stone, and dedicated it to the Holy Spirit" 11 x 13.5cm Provenance: Collection of Alfred Spero (1886-1973), London, from whom acquired by Bernard Kelly between 1967-1969. *See lot 309 for Introduction to the Bernard Kelly Collection and Selected Bibliography*
![˜[GP] COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE PASTE comprising: pendant suspending a circular portrait of a baby on ivory within a foliate fram](https://cdn.globalauctionplatform.com/135c58ee-6ca3-4812-b0ca-adcc010525c3/2af06f30-321c-4136-aef6-addb0108c325/468x382.jpg)
Lot 670
˜[GP] COLLECTION OF ANTIQUE PASTE comprising: pendant suspending a circular portrait of a baby on ivory within a foliate frame decorated with paste, 1900s, fitted case J A Haskell, Ipswich; paste floral and foliate stomacher, 1880s, with brooch fitting and hook fittings, diameter 65mm approximately (3 stones deficient); pair of paste foliate buttons, 1840s composite, mounted as brooches; pair of foiled paste oval buckles, 1850s; pair of rectangular foliate buckle slides with an associated slide, 1900s, makers mark VBc; pair of pendent earrings; three stone paste ring with millegrain settings, size L; and two stone paste ring with border, size Q 1/2 (13)
Lot 12
A five stone diamond ring set with baguette cut diamonds, 6mm x 5mm, two at 5mm x 4mm and two at 4mm x 3mm, approximately 1.75cts in total to a white metal setting and 18ct yellow gold shank, approximately 5 grams, size K 1/2 CONDITION REPORT: The facets and the edges of the diamonds are in good condition, the central stone has an inclusion to the edge visible with a 10x lens surface scratches to the metal, claws possible could benefit from re tipping
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