Modern British Art

Over recent years, plenty of the commercially prized flower pictures by the artist-plantsman Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris (1889-1982) have made impressive sums in the saleroom. But what of his landscapes?

A notable feature of the latest Welsh sale at Rogers Jones (24% buyer’s premium) in Cardiff was the level of interest from the US.

Underlining the growing demand for David Bomberg (1890-1957) over recent years, a work on paper titled ‘The Tent Family’ recently appeared at auction for the third time in 10 years, selling for a greater amount on each occasion.

The exceptional provenance of a trademark Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) painting gave it a commercial boost when it appeared at Lay’s (21% buyer’s premium) latest sale of Cornish Art in Penzance.

If close personal connections between artist and sitter can raise the value of a portrait, then you might expect a picture by a celebrated artist of his mother to do rather well when offered on the market.

A portrait of the artist Laura Knight (1874-1970) by her husband Harold Knight (1874-1961) sounds like the kind of work always likely to generate interest at auction. And this is especially so if it happens to be previously unrecorded and offered with an inviting estimate.

Modern British artist Joan Warburton (1920-1996) is having a moment in the art market.

The young Mary Elizabeth Hall (1908-69) was probably not the easiest sitter.

While not as lucrative as the ‘select’ first tranche, part two of the Brian Whitton collection of works by John Tunnard (1900-71) at Newcastle saleroom Anderson & Garland (25% buyer’s premium) nevertheless demonstrated a breadth of interest in pictures from across the artist’s career.

Charles Rebel Stanton (1887-1954) was a flamboyant and multi-faceted artist. But, although he was something of a minor celebrity in his day, he remains largely unfamiliar to many and has never had a huge presence on the market.

A group of lots with a strong whiff of the Bloomsbury Group emerged at a recent auction held at North Yorkshire saleroom Elstob (25% buyer’s premium).

On a sweltering night in the capital, a record was set for a single-owner sale in London as the Lewis collection raised an extraordinary £296.3m total at Sotheby’s.

Painted with a scene of two St Ives double-ended mackerel luggers heeling to an offshore breeze, this Alfred Wallis (1855-1942) picture has what Mimi Connell-Lay calls “an absolute dream of a provenance”.

For those with a commercial interest in the sweeping semi-abstract paintings of Ivon Hitchens (1893-1979), June 2 must have been a pretty busy day.