The only way is British in Essex sale

Works by British artists were in demand at Essex auctioneers Sworders‘ recent sale of modern and contemporary prints.

Banksy - Love is in the Air screenprintWell-known names such as Banksy, Damien Hirst, Patrick Hughes, Bridget Riley and Grayson Perry topped the sale of almost 500 lots.

The top seller was Banksy’s Love is in the Air, a coloured screenprint from 2003, featuring an image of a protester with a face covered with a bandana, throwing a bouquet of flowers. Published by Pictures on Walls in an edition of 500 (this one numbered 332), it was accompanied by a certificate from authentication body Pest Control. A UK-based private buyer pushed the hammer to £11,800.

Consigned from a local private source was the Bridget Riley (b.1931) screenprint, To Midsummer (Schubert 34), printed by Graham Henderson, on wove paper in 1989.  A London gallery purchased the print for £3,800.

Bridget Riley screenprint, To Midsummer (Schubert 34)The same local vendor also consigned the Gillian Ayres (b.1930) etching, Sikar II, that was signed, dated 1993 and numbered 34/100. This colourful abstract includes extensive hand colouring in acrylic paint.

A Patrick Hughes’s composition, Jazz, from 2016 was bought by a private London buyer for £4,700. One of ten artist’s proofs, it depicts pictures in an art gallery – employing the optical illusion the Birmingham artist calls ‘reverspective’.

Within the Modern British section was a selection of John Piper (1903-92) topographical prints from the series published by Marlborough Fine Art in the 1970s.

Local scenes attracted the highest sums: a view of Corton Church, Suffolk took £1,850, while Holkham Gate, Norfolk from 1975 (signed and numbered 23/70) went to £1,700.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.