Son snaps up John Prescott portrait
A unique portrait of the Lord John Prescott, the late Deputy Prime Minister in the Labour government under Tony Blair, wearing an expression familiar to many who crossed his path during an extraordinary political career, stunned his son, David Prescott, when it went up for auction on the weekend of what would have been his 87th birthday.
David was at home remembering his father’s birthday on Saturday May 31, the first without the former Hull East MP who died last year on November 20. He posted a picture of him and his dad on Facebook and received a message back telling him about the auction and the portrait for sale at Hawleys antiques and fine art auction in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
“It was the first I knew of it”, said David. “I just couldn’t believe it – a portrait of my dad for sale at an auction on his birthday. I knew I had to go there and buy it. So, I went to see it on Saturday, the day before it went up for auction, then returned to buy it on Sunday.”
Lord Prescott was known as an old-style political bruiser who played a vital part in the New Labour project under Tony Blair’s leadership. Described as having no time for what he called “the beautiful people” in smart suits with mobile phones who became the new face of Labour, he was known for his blunt, no-nonsense style in decades of public service.
“His expression in the painting is one I knew well, but the portrait reminded me of the style of Lucien Freud. I loved the way the artist painted the flecks of grey in his hair, the pallor of his skin and, of course, that expression.”
The artist is Susie Davis, now a contemporary painter of exuberant floral and abstract paintings, but 25 years ago she was an enthusiastic amateur and the portrait of Lord Prescott was a practise painting. She worked on it from a photograph of the veteran Labour politician.
She signed it in her maiden name, Lucas, and gave it to her lifelong friend Andrew Moore. He said: “Susie thought it was rubbish, but I liked it so she gave it to me. She’s a very good painter and her son Julian is a well-known landscape artist in America.”
The portrait was among the last few lots to be sold in the recent two-day auction.
David was there and bought the painting for £100. Afterwards auctioneer Caroline Hawley put David and Andrew in touch so David could find out more about the portrait and the artist.
“This is the great thing about auctions’,” said Caroline. “They are always full of surprises. The portrait of Lord Prescott certainly caught people’s attention. It’s that expression; you can imagine he used it to glower at the Opposition benches in Parliament, or maybe at that egg-throwing protestor – just before he punched him.”
The scuffle with the protester during the general election campaign in 2001 was one of many memorable moments in Lord Prescott’s career as a Labour Party stalwart. He served as deputy prime minister for a record ten years between 1997 and 2007. He was Hull East MP for almost 40 years.
The portrait of Lord Prescott was one of several paintings put up for sale at the auction by Mr Moore, who lives in Wiltshire. The others were four paintings by renowned English painter Frederick Elwell who lived in Beverley.
Mr Moore said his family had a strong Yorkshire connection: “My late wife’s great grandfather was a GP in Beverley, a Dr Young, and Elwell would give paintings to him in payment for his medical services.”
Two of the paintings sold for well above the estimate; An oil painting. “River Scene” near Beverley, probably Wansford Beck, sold for £1,500 – three times the estimate; and the oil painting “Venice Scene” sold for £1,000, double the estimate.
A superb example of a Prussian Garde du Corps Officers Helmet worn by the personal guard of the German Kaiser Wilhelm, sold to a bidder from the USA for £10,400, double the estimate of £4-5,000.
There was a lot of interest in a huge collection of powder compacts and perfume bottles, many vintage and designer brands. Two Volupte “Golden Gesture” powder compacts in the form of two hands, one with red painted nails and the other with a paste set engagement ring together with a Coty ‘Flying Colours’ triple vanity compact circa 1942 with a spread wing design, sold for £460 – well over the estimate. The collection of compacts sold for a total of £2,350.
And a quantity of 19thC lace including cuffs, collars, trimmings etc together with kid gloves, sequinned bolero, crumb brush, black feather fan, various purses, handkerchiefs etc sold for £2,900 – a massive jump on the estimate of £50 to £80.
A damaged but very rare London delftware plate of William and Mary head and shoulder portraits inscribed “W M R” sold for £1,500, over three times its estimate of £300-£500.
A vintage Super National lozenge-shaped glass petrol pump globe by Hallware, stamped to outside neck and stamped inside the neck: ‘Property of National Benzole Co. Ltd. Sold for £650; the estimate was £300-£500.
A diamond and sapphire set bracelet in white metal which tests as platinum sold for £2,600, more than double the estimate.
A remarkable looking salt cellar in the shape of a silver lion holding a dish together with hallmarked silver lidded glass jar. London 1892, maker Archibald Douglas, with crest to top – Sapiens Qui Asiduus, with an estimate of £150-£200 sold for £750.
The auction had some exceptional vintage clothes and handbags: an Yves St Laurent black Jamie 4.3 small quilted lamb leather shoulder bag with sliding adjustable chain strap and gold tone hardware, internal zip and slip pocket and YSL dust bag, with an estimate of £200-£400, sold for £750.
A Bridget Riley print: Intervals 1 – a limited edition framed screenprint in colours, 2019, signed, dated and numbered 24/120 in pencil, published by the National Gallery of Scotland. With certificate of authenticity and original purchase receipt, sold for £2,800.
After the auction Caroline Hawley said: “We have had some extraordinary lots for sale this time, attracting world-wide interest. We have had a lot of people here on both days and we’ve taken bids from Japan, Australia, America, France, Malta, the Netherlands and South Africa, among others. It’s been enjoyable and I’d like to thank my fantastic team for all their hard work – not just over the two days of the auction but over the months of preparation. We start preparing for the next one now!”.