10 March Picture Sale… Prize-winning Artists, Birds and Men of War
04/03/2021
Spring is in the air at last, with the evenings getting lighter and Mallams’ first traditional picture sale of the year soon taking place.
And what a selection of pictures is on offer in our 10 March sale! A plethora of art from the last 300 years to satisfy both the more conservative tastes of the seasoned collector as well as the vibrant, cutting edge and colourful demands of the younger enthusiast.
If you are seeking a good, decorative work to brighten up a large room, look no further than lot 251, a fine copy by the John Moores prize-winning artist, Nicholas Middleton, of the world renowned “Toilet of Venus” by Velasquez. Unusually, the artist has painted the work in its unrestored state, the original having been slashed with a meat chopper by the suffragette Mary Richardson whilst it was hanging in the National Gallery in 1914 – coincidentally on 10 March of that year, the same day our Picture Sale takes place some 107 years later!
The 18th century watercolourist Thomas Rowlandson is well represented by seven works from a local Oxfordshire estate (lots 408-414). Lot 412, depicting Dutch men of war and further shipping off the coast, is especially appealing with figures beckoning to their loved ones from the coast. It also comes with a fine pedigree, having once been in the collection of Sir Bruce Ingram, Honorary Advisor of Pictures and Drawings for the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
Lot 153 is a 17th century portrait traditionally identified as Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading (1579-1651). Sir Jacob was a Royalist commander in the English Civil War. With his air of wisdom and steel breastplate he would make a fine addition to a room overlooking a dining table, perhaps furnished with period oak and wood panelling. Certainly a talking point after a glass of wine and a good meal.
Ornithology also features prominently as a subject in the sale, so if birds are your passion don’t miss out on lots 195, 303, 307, 308, 309 or 313 as these paintings are keen to fly away and build a nest in a welcoming new home!
Unfortunately we are not able to have a public viewing but the sale is fully illustrated online – see the full catalogue here. However if you would like any further information or images on any of the lots please do not hesitate to contact Rupert Fogden at rupert@mallams.co.uk
