Modern & Contemporary Art and Modern Living: Art & Design

Fresh-to-market pictures with a strong provenance coupled with the enduring appeal of quality furniture makers drove the results at Tennants’ Auctioneers Modern and Contemporary Art Sale and Modern Interiors Sale on Saturday 22nd June which achieved a total hammer price for the two sales of £356,120.

The top lot of the sale was “Gwastadnant” by Sir Kyffin Williams which sold for £29,000 (plus buyer’s premium). This painting by the Welsh artist was exhibited at The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1993. Williams is celebrated for his depictions of the Welsh landscape, which he captured using bold strokes in a subdued colour palette of black, greys, browns and olive greens. Northern Artists continued to achieve strong prices and ‘Street Scene With Tanky Engine’ by Norman Cornish sold for £15,000 (plus buyer’s premium) whilst "Monday, on Location with Sheep" by Peter Brook sold for £5,000 (plus buyer’s premium).

A selection of works from The Grosvenor School performed well, with the iconic ‘Cricket’ by Edith Lawrence selling for £6,500 (plus buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £2,500-4,000 and ‘The Quartette’ by Dorrit Black selling for £5,500 (plus buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £3,000-5,000. The results for these artists may have been influenced by the opening at the Dulwich Gallery last week of ‘Cutting Edge: Modernist British Printmaking’ in which these two artists were featured. Elsewhere in the sale, a selection of watercolours by Edward Ardizzone sold confidently, the top lot being ‘Holidaymakers On The Front’ which sold for £3,000 (plus buyer’s premium).

The Modern Living: Art and Design Sale was dominated once again by a very strong selection of furniture largely from private vendors, made by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson. The top lot was a pair of ‘Mouseman’ English Oak Open Backed Bookcase Benches, from St. Hilda’s Priory, Whitby, North Yorkshire which sold for £9,000 (plus buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £7,000-10,000. Also in demand were usable pieces of 1970’s Danish furniture which included an Amme Jacobson for Fritz Hansen: A Swan Swivel Chair circa 1957 selling for £380 (plus buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £100-150.

Elsewhere in the sale, interesting sculptures were popular, with A Pulcino Glass Bird Sculpture by Alsessandro Pianon selling for £3,400 (plus buyer’s premium). ‘Reading Man’ by Richard Stainthorp sold for £900 (plus buyer’s premium) against an estimate of £300-500.

Tennants are currently accepting lots for the Modern Sales on Saturday 12th October 2019, please contact them on 01969 623780 or enquiry@tennants-ltd.co.uk for details.

Modern & Contemporary Art results

Modern Living: Art & Design results