Saddek Wasil, Saudi Arabian, Untitled (Open book with hands)

This year's summer sale on the 12th June is headlined by a selection of works from the private collection of Dr Mohammed Said Farsi, who rebuilt Jeddah in the 1960s and 70s making a huge contribution to the Saudi appreciation of contemporary art. He was a standard bearer, putting aesthetic into the town’s infrastructure, commissioning monumental sculptures from the greatest English, Saudi and Egyptian sculptors of the day. We have been generously given over 250 lots from Dr Farsi’s private collection including one of the most comprehensive selection of mid-20th-century Egyptian and Islamic Art, the founders of Middle Eastern Modernism. Highlights include over 40 works by brothers Seif and Adham Wanly. This collection represents a unique opportunity to view the artists work in one room, and we hope you can find the time to do so.

Multiple other highlights are Mahmoud Saïd (1897 - 1964), Mohamed Naghi (1888 -1956), Ragheb Ayad (1882 - 1982), Abdel Hadi El-Gazzar (1925-1966), Ahmed Mater (b. 1979), whose Magnetism series is so highly regarded worldwide, Faberge, Henry Moore, Salvador Dali and multiple other greats.

Familiar faces and new have been popping up at both the Lower Sloane Street and Fulham Road branches in Chelsea and offering truly extraordinary things. From these important and often local collections of jewellery, paintings, and sculpture both ancient and modern, the sale has developed a unique flavour that crosses the centuries yet has real swing – we hope you enjoy and find a chance to view at 158-164 Fulham Road.

The sale is inherently cool. Photography is led by Joseph McKeown’s (1925 - 2007) large portrait of racer Juan Manuel Fangio winning at the French Grand Prix in Reims. A different flavour and completely unique, are the unpublished series shot by Patrick Lichfield. The images showcase himself and Hugh Middleton driving across the empty quarter of Saudi Arabia in a Mini Moke. The collection comes locally, from the late Gaia Servadio, writer, artist and haute-bohemian, the rest of whose collection is to be auctioned with us on the 3rd July. These images are deeply touching in their humanity.

Other photography includes Nick Knight’s (b.1958) ‘Monday 29th May, 2017’ and a portrait of Noël Coward by Lord Snowdon, one of only two images, the second of which is hanging in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG P1864). Our vendor developed this image personally with Lord Snowdon in his dark room, around the corner from our premises.
Stylistic parallels can be drawn between Dr Farsi’s progressive, Middle Eastern mid-century works and that of Christopher Wood’s (1901 - 1930) ‘Girl in a Blue Dress’ from 1926, with exquisite provenance. A later English household name is David Hockney. Here, we offer ‘Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book’.
Earlier important works to be auctioned include an extraordinarily rare, enormous, panoramic landscape by John Wootton. The painter is one of the first English artists to paint landscapes for its own sake, while better known for his sporting and equestrian subjects and considered the forerunner to George Stubbs. Here, Wootton explores pure landscape taking his inspiration from the Neo-classicists such as Gaspard Dughet.

The view of Creswell Crags by Harry John Johnson comes from the Duke of Bedford’s collection amongst a consignment of other beautiful old masters that include the Jacob van Ruisdael (1628 - 1682), its first outing out at auction since 1872.

We are also to offer Dr Farsi’s antiquities collection, which is represented by over 40 South Arabian and Greco-Roman works in marble and alabaster. His passion and love of the ancient cultures of the Middle East shine through his collection. This includes an important highly decorated Seljuk casket, and particularly moving amongst the objects is a huge silver and gilt appliqué panel from the Holy Shrine.
To round off the interesting and ancient is a particularly special Northern Qi Dynasty (549-577 AD) very large Caparisoned Horse.
The sale presents an astounding 98 lots of jewellery including an exquisite diamond necklace with an approximate total weight of 35 carats and a central 4.72 carat brilliant cut diamond. This is presented alongside an equally impressive pair of old cushioned cut diamond earrings weighing approximately 3.70 carats. Dr Farsi’s collection also boasts two exceptional pieces of Fabergé, the former being a large Rococo style silver desk time piece and the latter a two-coloured gold and pink guilloche enamel bowenite cane handle.
Again, we present nearly 50 lots of carpets, including an exceptional Bidjar carpet, from the collection of Gaia Servadio.

We remain extremely grateful to our vendors who, by refining their collections, have allowed us, and by extension you, access to the beautiful and the unique.