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Click here to subscribeHMS HOOD: 8x10 inch photo hand signed by Ted Briggs, who at the time of signing was the last living of only three men to survive the sinking of HMS Hood by the German battleship Bismarck. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
HMS HOOD: 8x10 inch photo hand signed by Ted Briggs, who at the time of signing was the last living of only three men to survive the sinking of HMS Hood by the German battleship Bismarck. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
RAF collection 3 postal covers signed by 10 officers who have commanded the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight since 1981, Limited edition no 7/60. Good Condition. 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.
Rambahadur Limbu VC signed on the back of colour VC postcard. Limbu was 26 years old, and was a lance corporal in the 2nd Battalion, 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles, British Army during the Indonesian Confrontation when, on 21 November 1965 in Sarawak, Borneo, Lance Corporal Rambahadur Limbu was in an advance party of 16 Gurkhas when they encountered about 30 Indonesians holding a position on the top of a jungle-covered hill. The lance-corporal went forward with two men, but when they were only 10 yards from the enemy machine-gun position, the sentry opened fire on them, whereupon Limbu rushed forward and killed him with a grenade. The remaining enemy combatants then opened fire on the small party, wounding the two men with the lance-corporal who, under heavy fire, made three journeys into the open, two to drag his comrades to safety and one to retrieve their Bren gun, with which he charged down and killed many of the enemy. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
The Rt. Hon. Lord Hurd of Westwell CH, CBE, PC Douglas Hurd signature piece MP and Conservative Party politician, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major from 1979 1995. Photo glossy black white portrait of Lord Douglas Hurd, together with a short resume of his career and with his signature below in blue ink on white card. RAF WW2. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Gwen Taylor signed 10x8 black and white photo. English actress who has appeared in many British television programmes. She is known for her roles as Amy Pearce in the sitcom Duty Free (1984-86); Barbara Liversidge in the sitcom Barbara (1999-2003); Peggy Armstrong in the drama series Heartbeat (2005-09), and Anne Foster in the soap opera Coronation Street (2011-12). She was nominated for the 1990 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for her role as Rita Simcock in the comedy series A Bit of a Do (1989). Her film appearances include Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and The Lady in the Van (2015). Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Olympics Katie Meli signed 6x4 colour photo, American swimmer who won a Gold and Bronze for the USA at the 2016 Rio games and a gold medal in the 4x100 relay team at the 2017 world swimming championships. Sport autograph. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Simon Si Cranstoun signed 10 x 8 colour photo. British singer who spent many years as a busker on the streets of London and performed in The Dualers, a Ska band he formed with his brother Tyber, before becoming better known as a composer and singer of music heavily influenced by 1950s and 1960s Rock and Rhythm and Blues. TV Film autograph. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Joao Figueiredo signed 12x8 colour photo, 30th President of Brazil, the last of the military regime that ruled the country following the 1964 coup d'état, He was chief of the Secret Service (SNI) during the term of his predecessor, Ernesto Geisel, who appointed him to the presidency at the end of his own mandate, He took the oath of office on March 15, 1979, serving until March 15, 1985. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Sybil Thorndike signed album page. (24 October 1882 - 9 June 1976) was an English actress who toured internationally in Shakespearean productions, often appearing with her husband Lewis Casson. Bernard Shaw wrote Saint Joan specially for her, and she starred in it with great success. She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1931, and Companion of Honour in 1970. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST movie photo signed by actress Louise Fletcher who played the iconic Nurse Rached. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
WHERE EAGLES DARE classic war movie 8x10 photo signed by actor Derren Nesbitt who played Major Von Papen. He and Clint Eastwood are the only members of the principal members of the cast of this film still alive today. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
THE PRISONER cult TV series 8x10 photo signed by actor Derren Nesbitt who played No2. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
WHERE EAGLES DARE classic war movie poster 8x10 photo signed by actor Derren Nesbitt who played Major Von Papen. He and Clint Eastwood are the only members of the principal members of the cast of this film still alive today. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
GAME OF THRONES 8x10 photo signed by actor Edward Dogliani who played the Lord of Bones. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
MR BENN 8x10 children's TV series photo signed by series narrator Ray Brooks who has also added the popular phrase from the series 'suddenly as if by magic' to his signature. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 Tardis photo multi signed by FOURTEEN actors who have appeared in the series during their careers, Bernard Cribbins, Francois Pandolfo, Colin Spaull, David Bulbeck, Caroline Munro, Christopher Ryan, Victoria Alcock, Philip Voss, Barry Noble, Ray Brooks, Velile Tshabalala, John D Collins, Prentis Hancock and John Leeson. 14 great signatures!. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 scene photo signed by actor Tom Baker as the Time Lord himself. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 photo from Doctor Who, Planet of the Ood, signed by actor Tim McInnerny. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 photo signed by actor the late Nicholas Parsons. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 scene photo signed by actor Tom Baker as the Time Lord himself. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
MR BENN 8x10 children's TV series photo signed by series narrator Ray Brooks who has also added the character name to his signature. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
WHERE EAGLES DARE classic war movie 8x10 photo signed by actor Derren Nesbitt who played Major Von Papen. He and Clint Eastwood are the only members of the principal members of the cast of this film still alive today. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 photo signed by actor Michael Kilgarriff as one of the Cybermen. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 scene photo signed by actor Paul McGann as the Time Lord himself. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
RAF collection 3 postal covers signed by 10 officers who have commanded the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight since 1981, Limited edition no 8/60. Good Condition. 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.
DOCTOR WHO 8x10 scene photo signed by actor Tom Baker as the Time Lord himself. Good Condition. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
Theofilos Hadjimichael (Greek, 1871-1934)The hero George Karaiskakis in battle with Kioutachi titled and inscribed in Greek (upper left and lower left) natural pigments on cardboard70.5 x 100.5 cm.Footnotes:ProvenanceT. Eleftheriadis collection, Petra, Mytilene, Greece. (Zygos magazine, 1975) Private collection, Athens.ExhibitedPetra, Mytilene, T. Eleftheriadis House, T. Eleftheriadis Collection of Paintings by Theofilos, 1961.Mytilene, Tourist Pavilion, The Painter Theofilos on Mytilene, October 7-30, 1962, no. 16 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 6).Athens, Athens Art Gallery, Theofilos, May 12-31, 1975, no. 9 (listed in the exhibition catalogue). LiteratureG. Samatouras, Twelve Folk Painters, Athens 1974, p. 88, fig. VII (illustrated).Zygos magazine, no. 13, March-April 1975, p. 79 (illustrated).Anti magazine, vol. 2, no. 20, May 31, 1975 (mentioned). T. Spiteris, 'Works in the Collection of Takis Eleftheriadis - Petra, Mytilene', handwritten list, c. 1960s (T. Spiteris Archive, Tellogleion Art Institute), no 8 (listed and illustrated). M.G. Moschou, Theofilos Hadjimichail Self-Biographed, doctoral dissertation, University of Athens, Athens 2005, vol. 1, p. 13 (mentioned).An exceptional work by the 'wandering magician of Greek history'1, this engaging canvas of pulsating energy, brilliant colour and keen sense of heroic stature, shows the artist's lifelong fascination with the 1821 Greek War of Independence, paying homage to a giant of the uprising and a legend in his own time.Portrayed on horseback and followed by prominent chieftains (their names fully mentioned in the lower left hand corner inscription),2 Georgios Karaiskakis, commander-in-chief of Greek forces in eastern Greece, hounds the Turk Reshid Mehmed Pasha (known to the Greeks as Kiutahi) who had laid siege to the Acropolis of Athens in 1826. The Sacred Rock, epitomised by the Parthenon ruins shown on the upper right, was of little strategic importance but it had a strong emotional and symbolic value for the Greeks and the philhellenic movement in Europe. The scene's main protagonist is depicted at the centre of the composition, where the viewer's eye is usually drawn, as is the case with Byzantine painting, which lacking a vanishing point, allows the eye to freely wander and naturally focus on the middle of the painting.3 Emerging from the smoke and dust of battle, his gaze fixed on the turbaned Turk, the battle-ready leader holds his pistol in his right hand, while his black steed is about to rush the enemy. The vehemence with which both Karaiskakis and his horse prepare to attack is expressed by the dynamic design and the vividness of colour.4 The Greek hero is portrayed full length and well in view, presented in such a manner as to show his figure to the best advantage. Much like a Byzantine icon painter, Theofilos is aiming at an interpretation of the historic event adjusted to a preconceived scale of values.5 Gallantry is indicated through the repetition of pictorial and iconographic conventions, an approach to painting rooted in Byzantine and folk tradition and reminiscent of the Karaghiozi shadow-puppets or descriptions found in demotic songs. The linear arrangement of the warriors, the symmetry and rhythm of the composition and the impression of an immutable reality, take one even further back to Archaic Greek vase painting and the narrative arrangement of that precursor of folk poetry, the Homeric epics, where all parts—sentences, ideas, episodes or figures—are placed one after the other like beads on a string.6 The Greek heroes are identified as such not only by the blue and white banner on the right or their characteristic fustanella kilts—the same highland garb the painter himself wore when he left Smyrna for Athens to voluntarily enlist in the 1897 campaign against Turkey and which eventually became his signature attribute—but by purely pictorial means as well: they are more carefully modelled and shown considerably bigger than their opponents, reflecting Theofilos's insistence in taking full advantage of art's liberating freedom that recognizes no limitations when it comes to scale or perspective.7 The wealth of detail, as in the background group of young pallikares fighting over the ruins of the ancient theatre of Herodes Atticus and captured in a style reminiscent of the representational conventions used by Dimitrios/Panayotis Zografos and Ioannis Makriyannis, is a vehicle of initiation into the artist's vision; a means of rendering more tangible to the spectators' imagination the world of gallantry and legend they are invited to contemplate. 1 See T. Eleftheriadis, 'Theofilos, Chieftain and Guardian of Greek Painting' in The Painter Theofilos in Mytilene [in Greek], exhibition catalogue, Mytilini 1962.2 This inscription, as well as the title on the upper left, reflect the painter's desire to provide a full description of his subject by leaving nothing obscure. On the contrary, everything is explained and clearly expressed and, therefore, all phenomena are thrust forward to the narrative surface where they receive even illumination in a flat, continuous present. The inclusion of written text, in addition to expressing a longing for knowledge following the Ottoman occupation, denotes a unification of iconographic and linguistic symbols in a uniform and living Greek myth. See H. Kambouridis - G. Levounis, Modern Greek Art, The 20th Century, Ministry of the Aegean, Athens 1999, p. 43.3 See P.A. Michelis, Aesthetic Approach to Byzantine Art [in Greek], Panayotis end Efi Michelis Foundation, Athens 1990, p. 203.4 See E. Diamantopoulou, Theofilos in Mt. Pelion [in Greek], Alexandria editions, Athens 207, p. 75.5 See A. Grabar, Byzantine Painting, Skira, Geneva 1979, pp. 36-37.6 See H. Kambouridis - G. Levounis, p. 43.7 See L. Papastathis, 'Theofilos in Mt. Pelion' [in Greek], Lexi magazine, no. 172, November-December 2002, p. 945.*Please note that due to Greek regulation, this lot cannot be exported from Greece and will be available for viewing and inspection in Athens either by appointment or during the Athens Preview, 26-29 March 2020. This work will be located in Athens during the auction.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Nikolaos Gyzis (Greek, 1842-1901)Oriental man with beard signed 'N.Gysis' (middle right)oil on panel 20 x 16.5 cm.Footnotes:This delightful and psychologically acute portrait of a whimsical and spirited Oriental—probably the same bearded sitter who posed for the artist's Oriental with pipe in the collection of the National Gallery in Athens—stands as a lucid demonstration of Gysis's extraordinary painterly impulse. His limited but intense palette seems to burst out of the dark background—not only the signature Gysis red but also his mesmerising turquoise blue, which, as noted by N. Misirli, 'conveys the impression that the painter dipped his gaze in the deep blue waters of the Aegean.'1 The vigorous brushwork, especially in the modelling of the headpiece, generates a sense of mobility, accentuating the picture's close-up immediacy and compelling energy.Gysis's life-changing trip to the Orient in 1873 led to the development of a new personal style that retained elements of the Munich School teachings remoulded, however, through the eyes of a Greek. As argued by T. Tsatsos, 'colour became as critical for Gysis' design as light was for ancient Greek sculpture. It imbued his design with an instantaneous, fleeting, yet vibrant feel.'21 See N. Misirli, Gysis [in Greek], Adam editions, Athens 1995, p. 80.2 T. Tsatsos, About Painting [in Greek], Estia publ., Athens 1970, p. 48.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Nikos Engonopoulos (Greek, 1910-1985)Jason signed in Greek and dated '51' (lower right)oil on canvas45 x 34.5 cm.Painted in 1951.Footnotes:ExhibitedAthens, Zappeion Hall, 4th 'Armos' Group exhibition, December 10, 1952 - January 10, 1953, no. 93 (listed in the exhibition catalogue, p. 12).Venice, XXVII Biennale, June 19 - October 17, 1954, no. 38, (listed in the exhibition catalogue, p. 295).LiteratureAngloelliniki Epitheorisi, vol. 6, no. 3, Winter 1953-1954, p. 206 (illustrated).N. Engonopoulos, Atlantikos, 1954, p. 4 (illustrated).Nikos Engonopoulos, Painter and Poet, Epta Imeres, Kathimerini weekly magazine, 25.5.1997, p. 30 (illustrated).Nikos Engonopoulos, As Handsome as a Greek, Goulandris-Horn Foundation, Athens 2000 (illustrated on the cover).K. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Mythology, Ypsilon editions, Athens 2006, no. 35, pp. 82-84 (discussed), p. 85 (illustrated).N. Chaini, The Painting of Nikos Engonopoulos, doctoral dissertation, National Technical University of Athens, 2007, no. 66, p. 221 (discussed and illustrated). N. Engonopoulos, Love is the Only Way, National Book Centre of Greece, Athens 2007, p. 8 (mentioned).K. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Son Univers Pictural, exhibition catalogue and catalogue raisonée, Benaki Museum, Athens 2007, no. 397, p. 527 (mentioned), p. 270 (illustrated), p. 436 (illustrated).http://www.engonopoulos.gr/_homeEN/bio.html, 2017 (mentioned).The journey beginscome alongwe embarkto foreign landsN. Engonopoulos, Atlantikos, 1954A historic painting, which illustrated N. Engonopoulos's surrealist poem Atlantikos when it was first published in the Angloelliniki Epitheorisi journal in 1954, Jason was exhibited in the 1954 Venice Biennale1 alongside surrealist works by such towering figures of modern art as Arp, Ernst, Miro, Klee, Bacon and Magritte. There, for the first time, Greece was represented by one artist alone. As noted by K. Perpinioti-Agazir, who prepared the painter's catalogue raisonné, 'in the 1946-1954 period, and probably throughout Engonopoulos's career, his most important milestone was the representation of Greece at the Venice Biennale.'2 Prefacing the exhibition catalogue, Biennale's Secretary General R. Palluchini noted: 'Greece devotes its entire pavilion to Engonopoulos, whose work certainly is a surprise to everybody.'This brilliant picture shows the ancient Greek hero Jason standing aboard his legendary Argo, which is registered here in the seaside town of Chalkis, wielding a trident in his left hand, while making a characteristic gesture with his right in an effort to discern something in the distance, perhaps the faraway land that stretches on the horizon. This painting was indeed a perfect choice to illustrate Atlantikos, which, as noted by literary critic V. Chadjivassiliou, 'seems to look outward, possibly towards an ontological and existentialist field, where what's primarily at stake is the non-negotiable struggle for freedom, which the poet invokes right from the opening verses: the ship sounds / the train whistles / from the turrets they give the signal / beware / the journey begins / come along / we embark / to foreign lands.'3 Alluding to a heroic past drawn from the treasury of Greek mythology, Jason faithfully reflects the artist's attitude towards painting as an ideal vehicle to probe into the world of Greekness and reinterpret a rich tradition in a modern and vigorous manner. As noted by art historian N. Loizidi, 'Engonopoulos gave us a version of surrealism that's universal, but at the same time deeply rooted in Greekness'.4 His persistence on indigenous cultural sources and experiences clearly indicates that while European surrealists used an irrational vocabulary to break free from the shackles of traditional conventions, Engonopoulos perceived tradition as a connecting cultural link.5 His 'Greekness' is not only achieved through iconographical choices but it is also shaped by the values of ancient Greece and the principles of Byzantine painting and folk art. As a result, the artist is credited with carrying on the tradition of Greek art from antiquity to the present.6 1 Up until the mid-20th century the Venice Biennale was the only major artistic event worldwide. Especially for outlying countries like Greece, showing in Venice was extremely important on a national level and highly enviable on a personal one.2 See K. Perpinioti-Agazir, Nikos Engonopoulos, Son Univers Pictural [in Greek and French], exhibition catalogue and catalogue raisonée, Benaki Museum, Athens 2007, p. 78.3 V. Chadjivassiliou, 'From Bolivar (1944) to Atlantikos (1954): Surrealist Uprising and Defeat in the Poetic Mythology of Nikos Engonopoulos', Lexi magazine, no. 179, January-March 2004, p. 81. 4 N. Loizidi, Surrealism in Modern Greek Art, the Case of Nikos Engonopoulos [in Greek], Nefeli publ. Athens 1984, p. 181.5 See N. Loizidi, 'The Indigenous Surrealism of Nikos Engonopoulos' [in Greek], To Vima daily - Nees Epoches, 21.10.2007, p. A57.6 See L. Tsikouta, 'On Nikos Engonopoulos' [in Greek], Eikastika magazine, no. 48, December 1985, p. 21.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994)Shutters I signed 'K.GHIKA' (lower center)oil on cardboard 34 x 27 cm.Painted c. 1927.Footnotes:ProvenanceG. Isaias collection, Athens.Nia Stratos collection, Athens.ExhibitedAthens, Stratigopoulou Gallery, Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture by N. Hadji-kyriakos Ghika and Michael Tombros, May 1-31, 1928, no. 15 (listed in the exhibition catalogue, p. 4).Athens, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Ghika, May 1973 (not included in the exhibition catalogue). Athens, To Trito Mati Gallery, Nikos Hadjikyriakos Ghika, 1st Retrospective Exhibition 1921-1934, May 11 - July 3, 1977.LiteratureCahiers d'Art, Paris, no. 6, 1927, p. 217 (illustrated).To Trito Mati Gallery Bulletin, no. 1, May 1977, p. 21, no. 49 (catalogued and illustrated).N. Petsalis-Diomidis, N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Catalogue Raisonné 1921-1940, Athens 1979, no. 52, pp. 238 (listed), 130 (catalogued and illustrated).J.P. de Rycke, N.P. Paissios, Ghika and the Avant-Garde in Interwar Europe, Benaki Museum - N.H. Ghika Gallery, Ephesos editions, Athens 2004, pp. 48, 51 (discussed), fig. 20, p. 53 (illustrated). E. Mystakas, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika and Space in his Painting, doctoral dissertation, Athens, 2005, p. 148 (discussed), fig. 13, p. 308 (catalogued), p. 150 (illustrated).K.C. Valkana, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, His Painting Oeuvre, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, p. 53 (discussed), fig. 38, p. 51 (illustrated).Echoing de Chirico's metaphysical spaces and Matisse's psychologically acute interiors, this historic 1927 Ghika shows a window view from the artist's family home in Athens at 25 Omirou Street, which he visited regularly while residing permanently in Paris since 1923.Ghika, who had recently given up portraiture, nude and landscape painting to concentrate on interior and studio views in the spirit of the early 20th century avant-garde, focuses here on the interplay of volumes and planes that look intensified by the oblique evening light. This pronounced schematization of form accompanied by an overall feeling of naiveté is greatly indebted to the proto-renaissance primitive styles he had recently discovered during his travels in Italy, while pointing to the post-Cubist trends, which he was to become increasingly associated with. As noted by art critic Maurice Raynal in 1927, 'Ghika belongs to the group of artists who, while adhering to the tenets of Cubism are now attempting to expand them, without adulterating them with sentimental or literary pretexts...From his Greek origins he retains a fondness for light and architecture.'11 See J.-P. De Rycke - N. Paisios, Ghika and Avant-garde in Interwar Europe, Benaki Museum - N. H. Ghika Gallery, Efesos editions, Athens 2004, pp. 199, 201.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
Georgios Bouzianis (Greek, 1885-1959)Portrait of young man (self-portrait) signed, inscribed and dated 'Jo Busianis/Paris/931/' (lower right); signed and inscribed 'Manes Bild' on the pass-par-toutwatercolour and pencil on paper63 x 48 cm.Footnotes:ProvenanceHeinrich Barchfeld collection, Leipzig.Alexander Fischer collection, Munich. Private collection.ExhibitedAthens, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens Cultural Capital of Europe, Yorgos Bousianis, October 21 - December 8, 1985, no. 34 (discussed, p. 47, and illustrated in the exhibition catalogue).Athens, Municipal Gallery, Hommage Bouzianis, 1990 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, p. 38).LiteratureBouzianis Watercolours, Agra editions - The Friends of Bouzianis', Athens 1982, p. 86 (listed), p. 42 (illustrated).D. Deliyannis, Yorgos Bouzianis 1885-1959, Adam editions, Athens 1996, no. 314, p. 296 (catalogued), p. 97 (illustrated).This stunning portrait from the artist's Paris output (1929-1932)1 formerly in the collection of German sculptor Alexander Fischer,2 with whom Bouzianis co-exhibited at the Chemnitz Kunsthütte in May 1927, demonstrates some of the key signature traits—swift rendering of the subject, fluidity of line and pulsating spread of colour—that bestowed Bouzianis's noteworthy reputation among the European avant-garde in the 1920s. Reviewing the artist's 1928 exhibition at Barchfeld's in Leipzig, Dr. H. Hofmann argued that Bouzianis's watercolours confirm his status as one of the greatest artists of his time.3 1 Professor D. Deliyannis, who prepared the artist's monograph, uses this portrait to illustrate his point that 'during his Paris years, Bouzianis focused on diligently rendering the world of appearances—landscapes and faces—and on adapting to the requirements of the watercolour medium without lessening its dynamic quality.' D. Deliyannis, preface to Yorgos Bousianis, exhibition catalogue, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens 1985, pp. 47, 57. 2 Alexander Fischer (1903-1981), who held Bouzianis in great admiration and respect, had in his possession a significant number of his works, of which he owned one or two and the rest (7 oils, 32 watercolours and 30 drawings) he held in trust, since WWII, on behalf of gallery owner in Leipzig and Bouzianis's lifetime supporter and soul mate Heinrich Barchfeld. After Fischer's passing in 1981, his inheritors sold almost all works to Greek collectors who brought most of them to Greece. Part of the Fischer collection was shown in the Bouzianis 1985 retrospective at the National Gallery in Athens. See George Bouzianis, Letters to H. Barchfeld [in Greek], National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Athens 1989, pp. 44, 305.3 H. Hofmann, Leipziger Abendost daily, 6.9.1928.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
Théodore Jacques Ralli (Greek, 1852-1909)Soubrette arrosant des fleurs signed and dated 'T.Ralli/1876' (lower left); inscribed with the artist's address on the stretcheroil on canvas55.5 x 46.5 cm.Footnotes:ProvenanceEstate of the artist and by descent to the present owner.ExhibitedParis, Palais des Champs-Élysées, Salon, Exposition des Artistes Vivants, 1876, no. 1705.Liverpool, Autumn Exhibition of Modern Pictures, Corporation of Liverpool, 1876.Manchester, Royal Manchester Institution, Annual Exhibition of the Royal Manchester Institution, no. 45.Paris, Palais de Champ de Mars, Exposition Universelle Internationale, 1878. LiteratureThe Theodore Ralli Archive (illustrated).Undated newspaper clip, Th. Ralli archive (discussed).Liverpool Mercury newspaper, October 4, 1876.T. Véron, Dictionnaire Véron ou Mémorial de L'Art et des Artistes de Mon Temps. Le Salon de 1877, Poitiers 1877, p. 360 (discussed). L. Énault, Les Beaux-Arts à Exposition Universelle de 1878, E. Gros, Paris, 1878, p. 100 (discussed).T. Véron, Dictionnaire Véron ou Mémorial de L'Art et des Artistes de Mon Temps. Le Salon de 1878 et L'Exposition Universelle, vol. II, Paris and Poitiers 1878, p. 788 (discussed). D. de Pesquidoux, L'Art dans les Deux Mondes. Peinture et Sculpture (1878), vol. I : L'Art au XIXe Siècle, Plon, Paris, 1881, p. 567 (discussed).É. Cambanis, Théodore Rallis, maîtrise, Université de Paris X - Nanterre, 1984, p. 158.Dictionary of Greek Artists, Melissa editions, vol. 4, Athens 2000, p. 85 (mentioned).Paris-Athens 1863-1940, exhibition catalogue, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens 2006, pp. 199-200 (listed).M. Palioura, The Painting Oeuvre of Theodoros Ralli (1852-1909), doctoral dissertation, University of Athens, Athens 2008, vol. I, p. 27 (mentioned), vol. II, fig. 5 (illustrated).M. Katsanaki, Theodore Ralli, A.G. Leventis Foundation - A.G. Leventis Gallery, Athens 2018, pp. 60-62 (discussed), p. 60 (illustrated).This painting will be a treasure to whoever secures it.Liverpool Mercury, 1876Following its showing in the 1876 Salon des Artistes Vivants, the 1876 Liverpool Autumn Exhibition and the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle, Soubrette arrosant des fleurs met with extensive critical acclaim:'A young girl holding a pitcher is watering, inside a room, flowering plant pots. But here is how successfully Mr. Ralli has captured this most common of ideas. In the middle of an opulent room, a beautifully coloured and elaborately dressed young girl, wearing the clothes of a lady's maid of the previous century, holds out with her right hand an alabaster vessel towards a plant pot, while with her left hand she slightly raises her dress and her apron, in order for them not to be splashed by the water being poured. The slant of the young girl's body is very graceful, as she concentrates on her task and stretches her blonde head towards the flowers showing three quarters of her face, while leaning her body to the right, to stand away from the falling water. Her dress leaves her tender arms bare to the elbows and her neck almost to the chest; and, as it is lifted slightly from below, it reveals her tiny and elegantly shod feet. The light falling sideways colours her rosy cheeks and the light green bodice, which fits tightly around her chest and arms. The plant pots of various shapes and older times, standing on the floor and on tripods, contain plants blossoming with pink and yellow flowers, their broad or narrow verdant leaves spreading out all over. Behind her, at the back of the room, hanging Gobelin tapestries portray battle scenes...Not only once or even twice were we happy to see this young girl watering flowers, who, resembling them in tenderness and being with them, is reminiscent of the lovely season of spring. Juxtaposing Mr. Ralli's present-day painting to last year's, we can tell him that, if he is to progress in a similar way each year, he will soon be vying for an award. Because when one has such facility in drawing, when one knows how to match colours so successfully to generate the feeling which the blonde maiden generates amid the green flowers, and when, lastly, one expresses ideas which have so much in common with aesthetic quality, then how can one not be justified to hope that not long after he will distinguish himself among those exhibiting at shows?' Unidentified clipping in the Theodore Ralli Archive. See also M. Katsanaki, Theodore Ralli, A.G. Leventis Foundation - A.G. Leventis Gallery, Athens 2018, p. 61. 'This is painting with care, knowledge and true industry. It will be a treasure to whoever secures it.' Liverpool Mercury newspaper, October 4, 1876.'She is sweet and truly poetic, this charming soubrette; her pose has vigour, élan and a truly seductive grace.' T. Véron, Dictionnaire Véron ou Mémorial de L'Art et des Artistes de Mon Temps. Le Salon de 1878 et L'Exposition Universelle, vol. II, Paris and Poitiers 1878, p. 788.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika (Greek, 1906-1994)Terrace plant signed and dated 'Ghika/65' (lower right)oil on canvas100 x 73 cm. Footnotes:ExhibitedAthens, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Ghika, May 1973, no. 115 (listed in the exhibition catalogue). Athens, Benaki Museum, N. Hadjikyriakos Ghika, The Apollonian, the Dionysian 1906-1994, November 11, 2006 - January 15, 2007 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, no. 236, p. 140).LiteratureK.C. Valkana, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, His Painting Oeuvre, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, no. 366, p. 300 (illustrated).A riot of festive colours and a lacework of energetic lines and rhythmically orchestrated forms, this luminous and cheerful painting of Dionysian contemplation and paganistic zeal aptly illustrates Ghika's ability to filter the world around him through his rich imagination and transform an ordinary terrace plant into an expression of the enthusiasm sparked in him by nature. Every part in the picture is imbued with the breath of the exuberant flora and the refractions of light, exploding into dazzling mosaic-like fragments that spin and swirl around enigmatic webs of geometric and patterned features so that the whole composition is in a state of perpetual becoming, immersed in a constantly changing and revived atmosphere.1 From the late 1950s on, Ghika's ordered architectural structures were gradually replaced by a world subject to natural forces,2 to explosions of colour and form, where trees, leaves, bushes and flowers were set in motion, engaged in a perpetual Dionysian dance. Inspired perhaps by Japanese calligraphy's pronounced gestures and constant flow of brush and pen, his landscapes became denser and more mystical, reflecting his perception of nature as a cosmogony invested with pantheistic rituals and Oriental myths.'I tried to evoke the whispering of leaves, the buzz of insects, the movements of tree branches, the breathing of the juices, the swirling of petals. The artist discovers pulsating rhythms derived from his intimate relationship with nature. He discovers them in the leaves and insects, in the light and the shadows cast by wind-swayed trees, in the flight of birds and the nuances of colour. In other words, I want the viewer to feel the knife used to carve out nature. I want him or her to even feel the music, the sounds emanating from the orchestration of different forms, different shapes, different lines and not only the orchestration but, if possible, even the inherent scent they exude, which is the most elusive sense of all.'3 'Every artist who is by nature a colorist bears within him his own harmonies of colour, which are never exactly those of nature but those of his own ideal of nature. In my case, these harmonies are mainly composed of mauves, greys and pinks, but sun-drenched, sun-saturated colors that have at the same time preserved something of the brightness which might have been theirs in a less cruel light.'4 'What remains as my strongest impression about Ghika's work is its constant inspiration from nature – the wonder, the strength, the beauty, the power, the patterns. I asked him if nature was always inspiring to him and he answered, Always. No matter what happens in life, nature is always an inspiration.'5 1 See N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, the Apollonian-the Dionysian [in Greek], exhibition catalogue, Benaki Museum, Athens 2006, p. 52.2 See M. Achimastou-Potamianou, 'The Art of Ghika' [in Greek], in The Greek Painters, vol. II, 20th Century, Melissa editions, Athens 1975', p. 340.3 See N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, The Birth of New Art [in Greek], Astrolavos-Efthini editions, Athens 1987, pp. 232-234; N. Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, In Front of Others [in Greek], Athens 1990, p. 25. See also transcribed excerpts from the 'Monogramma' television documentary, ERT-2, 1984 in Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika [in Greek], Tegopoulos editions, Athens, 2009, p. 150.4 Ghika's interview by E. Roditi, The Charioteer magazine, vol. 1, no. 2, Autumn 1960, p. 55. 5 H. Livas, Contemporary Greek Artists, Vantage Press, New York, 1993, p. 11.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
Yiannis Moralis (Greek, 1916-2009)Composition signed in Greek and dated '1960' (lower left)acrylic on hardboard100 x 366 cm.Footnotes:ExhibitedAthens, Benaki Museum, Yannis Moralis, Architectural Compositions, February 10 - April 30, 2011 (illustrated in the exhibition catalogue, pp. 52-53).LiteratureZygos magazine, no. 80, July 1962, p. 25, no. 61 (illustrated).Architectoniki magazine, no. 42, November-December 1963, p. 8 (mentioned), p. 11, no.16 (illustrated).Architectoniki magazine, no. 46, July-August 1964, p. 44 (illustrated).The Greek Painters, vol. II, 20th Century, Melissa editions, Athens 1975, p. 383 (mentioned).Yannis Moralis, Functional Art, Polyplano editions, Athens 1976, p. 29 (illustrated).Sima magazine, no. 22, no. 5, March 1979, p. 40 (illustrated).Yannis Moralis, Commercial Bank of Greece Group of Companies edition, Athens 1988, no. 782, p. 476 (mentioned), p. 496 (illustrated).C. Christou, Moralis, Adam editions, Athens 1993, p. 254 (mentioned).Yannis Moralis, Epta Imeres, Kathimerini weekly magazine, April 10, 1994, p. 5 (mentioned).Y. Bolis, Yannis Moralis, K. Adam editions, Athens 2005, p. 168 (mentioned).Y. Bolis, Yannis Moralis, Contemporary Greek Painters, Ta Nea editions, Athens 2007, p. 139 (mentioned).Y. Moralis, Traces, exhibition catalogue, Museum of Contemporary Art - Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation, Andros 2008, p. 218 (mentioned).A Tribute to Yannis Moralis, exhibition catalogue, National Gallery - Alexandros Soutzos Museum, Athens 2011, pp. 209, 245 (mentioned).Gr Design magazine, September 2018, p. 12 (mentioned).A monumental Moralis, Composition 1, 2 is one of the most beautiful and imposing paintings by the artist ever to appear on the auction market. Epic in scale and magnificent in its simple grandeur, this striking work echoes the timeless values of ancient Greek art.Disciplined line and pure form, reminiscent of architectural fragments from an ancient Greek temple or a neoclassical Athenian mansion, set up a perfectly balanced geometric edifice from which engaging floral motifs emerge playfully against luminous patches of blue colour indicative of clear skies. The well thought out compositional scheme, the shallow depth, suggestive of sculptural relief, and the overall serene rhythm, dictated by the classical sense for human scale, compose an evocative world of poetic images that revives the archetypal universe of an Ionian frieze.Pointing out Moralis's ideological kinship with his classical models, M. Lambraki-Plaka, Director of the Athens National Gallery, notes: 'Verticals, horizontals, diagonals and curves compose a harmonious whole full of intensity, hidden under apparent tranquillity.'3 As Nobel laureate O. Elytis once said of Moralis, 'by using a limited vocabulary of form, Moralis has succeeded—in a manner unprecedented in Greek art—to transform the language of the natural world into a purely optical phenomenon. Memories and encounters are repeatedly distilled until they blend into forms of great simplicity and precision.'4 Elaborating on the relationship of painting and architecture in Moralis' work from the 1960s, art critic A. Xydis notes: 'For a long time I have believed that the qualities of Moralis's art were particularly appropriate to the full expression of a work of architecture. His strength in and love of composition, his sensitive and balanced colour harmonies, the diligence of his technique, and the clarity and monumentality in the organization of planes and volumes, make up a combination of qualities much sought after by architects. They are even related to those that belong to a good architect, whose artistic temperament must at every moment be subjected to the control of reason.'5 1 Composition adorned the Xenia hotel in Florina, designed in 1960 by architect G. Nikoletopoulos in the vein of the legendary modernist Aris Konstantinidis. As noted by art critic A. Xydis, 'since 1959, Moralis produced a series of epoch-making works that paved the way to a wider use of artists by architects, who realised that they had only to gain from such a collaboration. In his first such works [as is the case with the Florina Xenia], Moralis did not depart far from the easel painting techniques he had been using at the time, the more so as these works were intended for interior spaces. He worked either in situ or in his studio.' A. Xydis, 'Auspicious Collaboration of Art and Architecture, the Work of Yannis Moralis 1959-1963' [in Greek], Architectoniki journal, no. 42, November-December 1963, p. 8.2 As noted by the artist himself, Composition was painted in the studio of artist Natalia Mela. See Yannis Moralis, Architectural Compositions [in Greek], exhibition catalogue, Benaki Museum, Athens 2011, p. 53.3 M. Lambraki-Plaka, 'Classic and Human-centred' [in Greek], Kathimerini daily, Epta Imeres, 10.4.1994, p. 114 O. Elytis, preface to the Moralis exhibition catalogue, Iolas-Zoumboulakis Gallery, Athens 1972.5 Xydis, p. 8.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
Michalis Economou (Greek, 1888-1933)On the way to Loutraki signed 'M.Economou' (lower left)oil on flannel laid on canvas60 x 50 cm.Painted in 1927.Footnotes:ProvenanceNia Stratos collection, Athens.ExhibitedAthens, Parnassos Gallery, Exhibition of Paintings by Mich. Economou, November 17 - December 10, 1927, no. 26 or 42 (listed in the exhibition catalogue).Athens, Armos Gallery, Michalis Economou 1888-1933 Retrospective Exhibition, April 1961, no. 36, listed in the exhibition catalogue (possibly).LiteratureA. Kouria, Michalis Economou, Adam editions, Athens 2001, no. 114, pp. 107, 115 (mentioned), p. 245 (listed), p. 256 (catalogued), pp. 108, 163 (illustrated).Resembling flames of dark green flaring from the earth against an animated sky, Economou's evocative cypresses echo one of Van Gogh's signature subjects1 (compare Road with cypresses, 1890, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.) The work dates after 1926, the year Economou returned to Greece from France, and was included in his 1927 personal exhibition in Athens. Reviewing the show, critic D. Kokkinos noted that the exhibits were 'true works of poetry, but so masterfully rendered that their significance as paintings prevailed.'2 As noted by art historian A. Kouria, who prepared the artist's monograph, critics of the time stressed the museum quality of these works and urged art lovers to hasten and purchase them. In light of such critical and popular acclaim, it's no wonder that Economou's works adorned the collections of major early 20th century Greek collectors, such as C. Loulis, G. Stringos and A. Benakis.3 In this evocative rendition infused with an ethereal light and a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, nature becomes a landscape of the artist's inner world, while reality is transformed into an image of subjective truth. As noted by Kouria, 'an ambivalent sense of presence/absence suffuses these silent images, suspended between real time and memory... In some paintings, the trees (pines and cypresses, lone or in combination) seem to have lost their weight, becoming insubstantial and vulnerable, with slender, sinuous lines as trunks. ...A latent energy, a secret, surreptitious life force enlivens these paintings...In certain cases, the expressive thrust takes on a dramatic quality, which borders on expressionism with Northern European overtones, as in On the road to Loutraki.'41 Van Gogh was fascinated by cypresses as natural equivalents of architectural forms, 'as beautiful in lines and proportions as an Egyptian obelisk.' He admired their inherently expressive character, stressed their spiritual significance and compared their colour to a musical note. 2 Elliniki newspaper, December 4, 1927. See also A. Kouria, Michalis Economou [in Greek], Adam editions, Athens 2001, p. 125.3 Kouria, p. 125. 4 Ibid, pp. 108-113, 115.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
Yiannis Tsarouchis (Greek, 1910-1989)Kinderkarneval oil on canvas167 x 230 cm.Footnotes:This engaging large-scale painting, commissioned by the internationally acclaimed Greek pop star, friend of Tsarouchis, Demis Roussos, was painted in the 1970's after Kinderkarneval (1888) by Friedrich August von Kaulbach (1850-1920), a German portraitist and history painter who worked in the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger.ProvenanceDemis Roussos collection.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
Yiannis Spyropoulos (Greek, 1912-1990)Synthesis N signed in Greek (lower right)oil in canvas60.5 x 80.5 cm.Painted in 1959.Footnotes:ProvenanceBonhams, The Greek Sale, 10 Nov 2008, lot 55.Acquired from the above by the present owner.LiteratureY. Papaioannou, Yannis Spyropoulos - Monograph, Yannis and Zoe Spyropoulos Foundation, Athens 2010, no. 491b, p. 370 (listed), p. 222 (referred), p. 219 (illustrated).A powerful mixture of simplicity and sophistication and a wise conciliation between gestural brushwork and sturdy compositional structure, this captivating work offers a commanding display of technical discipline and intuitive expression. Planes, surfaces and textures are meticulously analysed by dark structural outlines, while intense counterbalancing forces and energetic shapes are articulated into a serene and robust geometrical structure set in motion by circular gestural marks that endow the composition with an improvised yet coherent inner rhythm.1 'The Greek scenery with its architecture of masonry fences, arches, courtyards and dry stone walls, observed from afar as outlined geometrical shapes, constituted the onset of visual stimulation before becoming a painterly proposal.'2 This beautiful canvas also reflects Spyropoulos' deep interest in Byzantine art. Professor C. Christou notes: 'The golden-yellow colour that comes to dominate the work of Spyropoulos by 1960 and which in essence reflects nothing more than the presence of sunlight, or rather Greek light, is something he finds around and within himself, in the past from which he hails and the present where he belongs. It reveals the influence of the Byzantine icon painting he grew up with and his familiarity with the Greek light under which he lives, while at the same time his work expresses the intricate nature of modern artistic creation.'3 Yiannis Spyropoulos was the first Greek painter who, while residing permanently in Greece, managed to attain an illustrious international career, highlighted by his participation in the 1960 Venice Biennale, where he was awarded the UNESCO prize. His works, which represent the most advanced and mature aspect of Greek abstraction, have been included in prestigious private collections around the globe -particularly in America where this painting comes from- and exhibited at the most important European and American museums of modern art.41 See E. Ferentinou, 'Jannis Spyropoulos' [in Greek], Zygos magazine, no.32, July 1958, p. 18.2 L. Tsikouta, 'Processes, Influences, Assimilations, Personal Idiom, Birth of an Artwork: The Case of Jannis Spyropoulos' in Jannis Spyropoulos, The Classicist of Abstraction, exhibition catalogue, National Gallery – A. Soutzos Museum, Athens 1995, p. 141.3 C. Christou, Jannis Spyropoulos [in Greek], Athens 1962, p. 158.4 See H. Kambouridis - G. Levounis, Modern Greek Art, The 20th Century, Athens 1999, pp. 156-158.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: ARAR Goods subject to Artists Resale Right Additional Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
A GERMAN GOLD BOXby Charles M Weisshaupt & Sohne, Hanau, c.1860Rectangular with waisted sides, applied and engraved floral decoration, engraved to the underside of the hinged cover with the crest and coronet of the Earl of Craven and "From Mrs Bradley Martin 1856-1906", stamped "1302".3.5cm high, 7.5cm wide, 5.8cm deep. 86 grams.Note: The engraving "Mrs Bradley Martin" seems to refer to Cornelia Martin (1843-1920), who together with her husband Bradley Martin threw the notoriously profligate Bradley-Martin ball in 1897. Their daughter married the 4th Earl of Craven, whose crest and coronet, it seems, the "Bradley-Martins" adopted for themselves.Important NoteSmall dent to back left corner. The hinge in very good condition and the box opens and closes neatly and snuggly. In generally good condition.
Avro Lancaster and Dambusters - after Phillip West 'Primary Target' a signed limited edition photolithographic print numbered '337/350' also signed by George Chambers DFC DFM (flew on the mission aircraft AJ-O); Sqn Ldr Jerry Fray DFC (Spitfire PRU pilot who took arial photographs of the target dams before and after the raid); Cpl Ron Barton (fitter for 617 Sqn Lancasters); Harold Roddis (fitter for Geoff Rice and Guy Gibson); Victor Gill (flight mechanic for Bill Asell and Dinghy Young) and Richard Todd OBE (who played W/Cdr Guy Gibson in the film 'The Dam Busters'), the image 43.5cm x 69.5cm, (framed and glazed 68 x 89 cm overall)
A fine exhibition standard model of a 7 1/4 inch gauge British Railways Class 4T 2-6-4 tank locomotive No 80008, completed by Mr T Dixon of Southwick following original high standard building work carried out by Mr R Cheal of Bath who constructed the frames, wheels, cylinders, coupling and connecting rods. Due to ill health Mr Cheal was unable to complete the model. The super-heated copper boiler with four elements supplied by Paul Gammon, a stainless steel ball valve is used for the regulator, stainless steel ash pan and lever operated fire-box doors. The boiler backhead with 2 three cock water gauges by Dave Noble, steam pressure gauge, sliding fire doors, whistle, regulator, manifold control and two injector steam valve controls. A floor mounted column houses the blower and drain cock valves, other fittings include two injector water valve and damper controls. The rear of the cab has coal doors ,cupboards and a mechanical brake control. The reverser has a spring loaded locking lever and direction indicator. The cab with wooden floor panel. There is a blow down valve on each side of the fire box. The chassis with twin outside cylinders and piston valves, the pistons are lubricated by two ratchet driven Duplex oil pumps. Each pump supplies oil to both cylinders. Steam operated drain valves fitted to the cylinders.The model finished in traditional livery with buffer detail, lamp irons, step, lamp irons, stainless steel handrails and wash out plug on the boiler casing. Detailed information plates by Diane Carney. The model comes together with firing tools, boiler instructions and certificates.Boiler History: The boiler was built by Kingswood Boilers of Bristol. Serial No KB06006 Certificate dated the 1st of September 2006. Hydrostatic test pressure 200 psi. Maximum working pressure 100 psi. Re-tested by Maxitrak on the 28th of April 2014. Certificate Serial No 2062.The model has not been steamed. Length 1.75 metres. Cab width 38cm. Height 52 cm.BOILER HISTORY DISCLAIMER Please Note: All boiler history records and references made in this catalogue are made for guidance only and the auctioneers are not able to convey any guarantees or warranties as to the safety of the boilers or their present condition.* The full size locomotives were built between the 1920's and 1950's. No 80008 was built in Derby in 1957 and was withdrawn from services in 1964.
Oil on canvas (Dimensions: 62cm x 47cm (24.5in x 18.5in)) Eustache Le Sueur (1617- 1655) was a prolific French artist of the seventeenth century, and one of the original founders of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1648. A lifelong Parisian, Le Sueur trained with Louis XIII’s premier peintre du roi Simon Vouet from 1632 before leaving the studio and going on to be elected as one of the original twelve elders in charge of the Royal Academy’s administration. Chiefly known for his religious scenes, Le Sueur’s compositions follows in the gracefulness of his master Vouet and is remembered as one of the establishing artists of French classicism. The Deposition depicts the scene of Christ being taken down from the cross after his crucifixion. A partial label to the verso of the painting reveals that this oil on canvas was formerly in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch at Boughton House near Kettering in Northamptonshire. The label refers to a sale in 1942 in which the Duke was the vendor –establishing him as the 8 th Duke of Buccleuch, Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, who held the dukedom from 1935 until his death in 1973. Montagu Douglas Scott was a politician and a military leader, commanding the 4 th King’s Own Scottish Borderers. Works by Eustache Le Sueur can be found in important private collections and public institutions internationally, such as the musée du Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Signed and dated 1796, oil on canvas, oval (Dimensions: 51cm x 39cm (20in x 15.25in)) Willem van Leen (19 February 1753- 6 April 1825) was a Dutch painter who specialised in flower paintings, best known for his decorative work for mantelpieces and overdoors. After training with his father Jan van Leen as a child in his hometown of Dordrecht, Willem travelled to Paris at the age of twenty, where he studied flower painting for three years. From this point, van Leen split his time working between Holland and Paris, receiving important commissions such as designing wall decorations in the Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg for the Grand Duchess of Russia. Van Leen settled in Delfshaven in the Netherlands from 1806, where he worked as a councilor from 1811 until his death in 1825. His work is notable for its delicateness and elegance, which set him apart from the precision of his contemporaries. Highly collectable, pieces by van Leen can be found in important international collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Signed and dated 1794, oil on canvas, oval (Dimensions: 51cm x 39cm (20in x 15.25in)) Biography: Willem van Leen (19 February 1753- 6 April 1825) was a Dutch painter who specialised in flower paintings, best known for his decorative work for mantelpieces and overdoors. After training with his father Jan van Leen as a child in his hometown of Dordrecht, Willem travelled to Paris at the age of twenty, where he studied flower painting for three years. From this point, van Leen split his time working between Holland and Paris, receiving important commissions such as designing wall decorations in the Pavlovsk Palace in St. Petersburg for the Grand Duchess of Russia. Van Leen settled in Delfshaven in the Netherlands from 1806, where he worked as a councilor from 1811 until his death in 1825. His work is notable for its delicateness and elegance, which set him apart from the precision of his contemporaries. Highly collectable, pieces by van Leen can be found in important international collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Oil on canvas (Dimensions: 30cm x 25cm (12in x 9.75in)) Francesco Solimena was one of the foremost artists of the Italian Baroque period, who enjoyed numerous important patrons and commissions during his extensive and prosperous career. Born in Canale di Serino on 4 October 1657, Solimena trained under his father before settling in Naples in 1674, where he worked in the studio of Francesco di Maria. He quickly established his own studio, which went on to become a sort of academy in its own right with numerous important pupils such as Corrado Giaquinto, Sebastiano Conca and Allan Ramsay. This recently discovered Ecce Homo , attributed to Francesco Solimena, exhibits the artists signature chiaroscuro as the figure of Christ emerges from his darkened background. His wounded body is wrapped in a red robe, as he holds a reed sceptre in his left hand, and wears a crown of thorns, typical instruments of the Passion. The attribution becomes more evident when compared with the known Francesco Solimena Ecce Homo in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, in which both the facial structure and the drapery bear striking similarities.
Oil on canvas, oval (Dimensions: 78cm x 54cm (30.75in x 21.25in)) Note: Penelope, nee Naunton, married first husband Paul Bayning, 2nd Viscount Bayning of Sudbury, Suffolk. He died 1638. The couple were painted individually by Van Dyck. Married second husband Philip Herbert , 5th Earl of Pembroke in 1639. Resided at Wilton House. One child, William. Provenance: Bonhams, Edinburgh Summer Antiques Sale 25/6/2015, lot 178, catalogued as 'Manner of Gerrit van Honthorst.' According to label verso - The collection of Alexander Fraser, 2nd Lord Saltoun. The Saltoun title links back directly to the Duff family of Duff House, Fife. William Duff, 1st Earl of Fife and builder of Duff House and its significant art collection, owned this portrait and it hung in his private drawing room in his personal residence Rothemay House (a.k.a Rothiemay Castle). James, 2nd Earl of Fife, added to the family art collection and published a book listing the paintings room by room in his residences: Catalogue of the portraits and pictures in the different houses belonging to James, Earl of Fife , published by Thomas Collins c.1807. 94 pages. See Getty Museum copy free online. As well as over 17 listed Van Dycks, including a full length portait of Lady Penelope, this particular portrait is listed on page 78, painting No.6 in the private drawing room of Rothemay. No attribution for the painter is given. William, 1st Earl, resided at Rothemay, rather than Duff House, until his death, after a serious dispute with William Adam, architect of Duff House. The present portrait remained in situ in Rothemay House throughout the lifetime of James, 2nd Earl, who lived in London mainly and occassionally at Duff House. It stayed in the family until the mid 1960s. In 1944, Simon Alexander Fraser, son of 2nd Lord Saltoun, was killed in action. Left without an heir, Rothiemay estate was sold to Lord Brockett in 1946. In 1964, the estate was sold to H.D. Ward Ltd and Rothemay was demolished. Sometime around this date, the painting found its way to an art dealer in Birmingham, from whom it was purchased by the vendor at Bonhams.
Oil on canvas (Dimensions: 73cm x 57in (28.75in x 22.5in)) Note: Sir Edward Stradling, 2nd Baronet (1601-1644) was an English politician at the time of the Civil War. He inherited the baronetcy in 1637 upon the death of his father, the poet and politician Sir John Stradling, 1 st Baronet. Edward was a keen businessman and was elected as a member of Parliament for Glanmorgan in the Short Parliament of 1640. During the first English Civil War, Stradling marched with troops from Glamorgan to join Charles I at Shrewsbury in 1642. He was Colonel of a regiment of foot at the Battle of Edgehill, a conflict in which he was taken prisoner. He died the next year and was buried at Jesus College Chapel in Oxford on 21st June 1644. Therefore, this portrait could not have been painted after 1642. He married Mary Mansel and had one son, with whom he lived at the family seat of St. Donat’s Castle in Wales. St Donat’s was in the Stradling family from around 1300 until the death of Sir Thomas Stradling in 1738. The castle fell into a state of decline until it was purchased by the American newspaper and magazine tycoon William Randolph Hearst in 1925 for $130,000. Hearst undertook an extensive redevelopment programme of the castle, spending vast sums of money on furniture, decorations, and works of art. His spending was so significant that at the peak of his buying, Hearst's expenditure accounted for a quarter of the world's entire art market. It is most likely during this period that Hearst purchased this portrait of Sir Edward Stradling by the Studio of Anthony Van Dyck, returning it to its original home. Provenance: The Dukes of Bedford, Woburn Abbey; by descent to Hastings William Saxville Russell, 12th Duke of Bedford; His sale Christie's January 19th 1951, Lot 93; William Randolph Hearst for display at St. Donat's Castle; William Randolph Hearst's London editor Hampstead; unnamed London businessman who purchased the picture with the Hampstead residence and, when transferring his affairs to Israel, gifted the painting to the present owner as a pension fund payment in 1990. Private UK Collection
Red chalk on paper (Dimensions: 19cm x 30.5cm (7.5in x 12iin)) Provenance: Christies New York 2010 - Sale 2289, Lot 46 as Circle of Jan Both. Note: During the seventeenth century, a group of Dutch artists found themselves lured by the light of Italy. One such artist was the landscape painter Willem de Heusch, who lived in Italy from c.1640-45 until returning to his hometown of Utrecht by 1649. This period had a profound impact upon his work: going so far as to start signing his work G D Heusch, adopting the Italianate form of his name by using a ‘G’ rather than a ‘W’; Guglielmo. Upon his return to Holland, he became Dean of the Guild of St Luke; fellow Dutch landscape painters Jan Both and Cornelis van Poelenburgh were also on the council. Like his teacher, Jan Both, who he often emulated in his compositions, de Heusch painted romantic visions of the Campagna; the Italian countryside around Rome. Unlike Claude Lorrain, whose work from his time in Italy was highly influential to de Heusch, Willem rarely introduced biblical scenes into his landscapes, choosing to depict the utopian dream instead. This original red chalk sketch and the following oil on panel of this Italianate Landscape evokes the Arcadian world that de Heusch is known for. These two expressive pieces have only recently been reunited after hundreds of years apart, when the sketch was purchased from a major international auction house in New York and the oil on panel was purchased from the collection of an English Lord. The slender and delicate trees, which gracefully entwine themselves amongst each other, obscure the background, provoking a desire in the spectator to journey onwards into the distance. In the foreground, a shepherd herds three donkeys homewards along a rocky track.
Oil on panel (Dimensions: 23cm x 33cm (9in x 13in)) Provenance: Lord Shuttleworth, Leck Hall, Private Collection Note: During the seventeenth century, a group of Dutch artists found themselves lured by the light of Italy. One such artist was the landscape painter Willem de Heusch, who lived in Italy from circa 1640-45 until returning to his hometown of Utrecht by 1649. This period had a profound impact upon his work: going so far as to start signing his work G D Heusch, adopting the Italianate form of his name by using a ‘G’ rather than a ‘W’; Guglielmo. Upon his return to Holland, he became Dean of the Guild of St Luke; fellow Dutch landscape painters Jan Both and Cornelis van Poelenburgh were also on the council. Like his teacher Jan Both who he often emulated in his compositions, de Heusch painted romantic visions of the Campagna; the Italian countryside around Rome. Unlike Claude Lorrain, whose work from his time in Italy was highly influential to de Heusch, Willem rarely introduced biblical scenes into his landscapes, choosing to depict the utopian dream instead. The previous original red chalk sketch and this oil on panel of an Italianate Landscape evokes the Arcadian world that de Heusch is known for. These two expressive pieces have only recently been reunited for the first time after hundreds of years apart, when the sketch was purchased from a major international auction house in New York and the oil on panel was purchased from the collection of an English Lord. The slender and delicate trees, which gracefully entwine themselves amongst each other, obscure the background, provoking a desire in the spectator to journey onwards into the distance. In the foreground, a shepherd herds three donkeys homewards along a rocky track.
Oil on canvas (Dimensions: 78cm x 103cm (30.7in x 40.3in)) Note: The early nineteenth century was a time of great change in Louisville, Kentucky, becoming the states first city in 1828. The city had a mass influx of settlers at the turn of the century, with the population tripling between 1810 and 1820. One such settler was John James Audubon (1785- 1851), the noted ornithologist, naturalist and painter who moved to Louisville in 1808. Audubon married Lucy Bakewell and had two sons: Victor Gifford Audubon (1809- 1860), and John Woodhouse Audubon (1812- 1862). Their eldest son studied painting under his father before assisting his him with the publication of his celebrated work The Birds of America , which was first published in sections between 1827 and 1838. While Victor Gifford was a hardworking and successful clerk, travelling to London in 1832 to assist with the dissemination of his father’s work internationally, he was also a talented artist in his own right. In London he took lessons in landscape painting from the Scottish artist John Wilson, and exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy of Arts. Audubon returned to America in 1840 to assist his father with the publication of his final work, The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America . Both Audubon brothers assisted their father with this publication, with Victor contributing to the landscape details of the final volume, accurately depicting trees, plants, and general landscape backgrounds that he had become so talented with and fond of. Back in America, Victor exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design from 1840, and was elected as a National Academician in 1846. Audubon’s oil on canvas painting A View of Symonds Yat, Hudson River, New York State , is a great example of his skill in landscape painting. The viewer notes the fine realism in this piece, as he naturalistically observes and documents the vista. His care and attention to detail, which he inherited from his father’s ethnographic studies of nature, results in a piece that is in equal measure informative and enchanting. This fine scene embodies many of the characteristics of the Hudson River School of painters. This intensely Romantic art movement promotes American settlement and exploration, harmoniously living with nature. This is particularly noticeable with the addition of the sailing boat in the distance and the small building on the hills, showing humanity as present yet unobtrusive in our majestic natural surroundings. Victor Gifford Audubon’s landscape paintings offer a glimpse of a moment of great change in North America. Through his romantic, detailed portrayals of the Hudson River, such as A View of Symons Yat, Hudson River, New York State ¸ we note not only the artist’s skill in depicting nature with acute accuracy that he inherited from his father, but also a love and fascination for the remarkable landscape in which he lived and worked.
Signed and titled, indistinctly signed verso, oil on board (Dimensions: 16.5cm x 26.5cm (6.49in x 10.43in)) Note: With thanks to Kenneth McConkey for his help in cataloguing this painting. In the summer of 1887 John Lavery was recalled to Ulster to paint a large plein air group portrait of the Smiley family who lived at Drumalis, Larne, in county Antrim. Smiley was co-owner of The Northern Whig , and through his wife, his business interests extended to the Coats, Clark, Kerr thread-making conglomerate that came together in Paisley in 1896. Lavery’s grand project, however, did not go well, and from two other extant small oil sketches, we can infer that the skies were unpredictable and sometimes overcast. The painter, nevertheless, managed to complete a portrait of his patron’s four-year-old son (unlocated), which was shown in the winter exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1887. He and Hugh Houston Smiley remained in contact and the artist returned to Larne during August 1890, expressing his enthusiasm in an undated letter to his friend, Robert Macaulay Stevenson, and suggesting that he, James Guthrie and other Glasgow School painters might join him. Although this did not happen, Smiley enlisted George Walton, the architect brother of fellow ‘Glasgow Boy’, EA Walton, to redesign the interiors of the Larne house in 1893. The present small sketch which dates from Lavery’s first sojourn, can nevertheless be placed securely on the rocky county Antrim shore because of the unique character of a coastline that features black volcanic basalt boulders. Thrown up over four hundred million years ago these relics of lava layers, broke through the limestone crust and can be seen in the cliffs and sands of the area. They proved exciting to geologists in the first post-Darwinian age, in indicating that the world was much older than the Biblical creationists of the day had calculated. Although he would return regularly to Ulster in later years, these tiny Larne beach scenes were among the first pictures painted of Lavery’s native province.
A magnificent Chinese silk kesi 'Peach Festival' hanging scroll, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), richly embroidered in bright colours with a lively scene depicting immortals celebrating the birthday of Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West, of a pantheon of Daoist immortals and deities, including He He Erxian, Liu Hai, Shoulao and the Eight Immortals, on a garden terrace with lingzhi , pine and peach trees issuing from rockwork, awaiting the arrival of Xiwangmu, who descends from the sky seated astride her phoenix with her entourage of attendants, a crane in flight above, 175 x 89cm The ‘Peach Festival’, according to legend, takes place every 3000 years at the Jade Palace in the Kunlun Mountains in the Western paradise. A traditional Daoist theme, the festival is part of the celebrations for Xiwangmu’s birthday, during which she gifts immortals with the Peaches of Eternal Life, so their immortality may continue. This scroll captures the moment the immortals wait in anticipation for Xiwangmu, who is seen making a grand entrance on the back of a phoenix. The panel’s auspicious theme made it ideal to present at birthdays. For a similar lot, see Sotheby's, London, 13 May 2015, lot 122. 清 缂丝蟠桃会图挂幅
A Japanese bronze group, Meiji period (1868-1912), depicting the story of the Chinese historian Sima Guang who rescued his panicking playmate from a vat of water by calmly smashing the pot, the pot with shaped panels of mythical beasts to the shoulder, below a key fret border to the rim, on three mask and tongue feet, stamped mark Shokaken, 35.5cm high
A Gandhara grey schist Buddha, 4th century, the seated figure with legs crossed and his hands resting in his lap in Dhyana mudra, wearing a pleated sanghati , with loose scoop neck collar, his serene face with bow-shaped lips, downcast eyes, finely arched eyebrows, with pierced elongated ear lobes, wavy hair and ushnisha , with the remains of a halo, the front base carved with smaller figures of a bodhisattva with a turban and halo, flanked by kneeling disciples in a position of reverence, 40cm high For a similar lot, see Bonhams, Hong Kong, 3 Oct 2017, lot 42 and Christie's, New York, 15 March 2017, lot 243. Provenance: From a private collection since before 1920 and part of the property of Sir James Roll, who was a city financier who died in 1927, the present lot by descent to his wife Dame Emma Roll, who gave the item to her niece, Mrs Emma Allden, and thence by descent. 犍陀罗 四世纪 片岩佛造像
Antoine-Marie-Melotte(1722-1795) attributed.a monumental documentary Flemish oak diorama panel (CIRCA.1745-50) carved in 3-dimension ,of very fine quality, depicting an equestrian battle scene executed by one of the last great baroque wood carvers who trained under the most important 17th century sculptor Simon -Cognoulle.(1687-1744)this carved panel was influenced by the alexander the great cult which swept through Europe in the late 17th century and early 18th century in fashion and design,the panel is a direct interpretation carved in wood ,of the huge oil painting ,painted in 1665 by louis X1V court painter Charles-Le-Brun(1619-1690)of monumental size.470cmx1264cm.which now hangs in the louvre museum,paris,and titled alexander the great and porus(puru) during the battle of the hydaspes,depicting the captured indian king porus who is being carried by Macedonian soldiers,around and beyond is the aftermath of the great battle,alexander is to the right of centre,as in le-bruns majestic heroic oil painting,alexander wearing his exuberant plumes in his helmet on his mounted steed bacephalus,at his side the mounted general Hephaestion,conversing with the captive king.Even as a prisoner porus was not to be cowed ,and when alexander asked him how should he be treated,porus told him as a king to a king,and that was how he was treated.sadly for alexander his faithful loyal old battle horse bacephalus died of his wounds after the battle.........APPENDIX..see- exhibition The myth of Alexander.De.Groot.Hermitage-Amsterdam,on the 8th of September -2010- to 8th march -2011.an extract as mentioned in the exhibition catalog .on the first floor room setting ,admire the magnificent carved wood wall panels by the master carver antoine-marie-merlotte from liege,belgium,who has directly translated in wood ,Charles -le- bruns majestic oil paintings of the immortal alexanders collective battles from antiquity ,they are off the finest quality influenced in wood-sculpture.....LITERATURE.see etching by Sebastian -Le-Clerc(,french.1637-1714),after Le-Brun.titled .aAlexander pities the misfortunes of King Porus and receives him as a friend ..etching by Gerard Audran...(.lyons.1640-1703 ) .Alexander and King Porus,held by the national trust collection at dunster castle.uk. the panel offered is probably from a fireplace or overmantle- back, of the period.(size of panel 36"x78") in unrestored condition,with some defects to the carving,and cracks to the 3 panel hewn planked panel back , not in original frame,see images with close ups..
Martin Sheen Signed photo black and white 10 x 8 inch. From The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. Dedicated To Gerald. Condition report out of 10, 6. Very minor scuffing to white border at three corners. All autographed items are genuine hand signed and 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.
An historically interesting Third Reich DDAC (Der Deutsche Automobil Club) enamelled car badge from Hitler’s personal car, the back marked “Pg. Nr. 7”, attached to its original Y shaped blackened steel mounting bracket. Good Condition (small chips to the enamel). Accompanying the badge is a small archive of material relating to the provenance and authenticity of the badge, including a letter from the previous owner, who in early May 1945 was a member of a small RAF team attached to the US Army in Northern Germany, describing how it was acquired from an American, who said it had been removed from the car near to the notorious bunker, in exchange for a Luger pistol; also a letter from the German Historical Institute London confirming that Pg.Nr 7 was Hitler’s number, and a small quantity of newspaper cuttings, photo copies, etc relating to the car and the end of the war. Badge Plate 1
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