Works by the likes of Sir Cedric Morris, Bridget Riley and Graham Sutherland far exceeded their pre-sale estimates at the Cheffins Art & Design Sale on 26th October.
Hosted at the firm’s salerooms in Cambridge, this important auction saw 636 lots go under the hammer, grossing over £495,000 in total. The highest price paid on the day was £44,000 for a signed print of ‘Firebird’ by Bridget Riley (1931 -), against an estimate of £18,000. This was followed by a still life of an autumnal bouquet by Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris (1889 – 1982), which achieved £26,500, alongside a portrait of Sir Cedric Morris by his student, Vivian Gribble (1888 – 1932), which was sold for £12,500 against an estimate of £3,000. These headline results were followed by a work by Graham Sutherland (1903 – 1980), which achieved ££11,000 and a collection of pieces by Zdzislaw Ruszkowski which made £26,000.
Autumnal bouquet, by Sir Cedric Morris
Elsewhere, a collection of items which belonged to the late sculpture and graphic artist, Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924 -2005) were sold for £14,000. Consigned from the estate of Freda Paolozzi, Eduardo Paolozzi’s ex-wife, the collection included a number of never-before-seen items, such as a copper and brass table lamp, designed by Paolozzi, which achieved £1,150. Also, among the objects, a pair of Georg Jensen silver candlesticks sold for £7,100 and a stunning example of a Sir Ambrose Heal for Heal & Son chestnut ‘Owl’ suite sold for £6,000.
Ambrose Heal for Heal & Son, a chestnut 'Owl' suite
Brett Tryner, Director, Cheffins, says: “20th century art and design is continuing to hold the market’s focus, and prices for both Modern British art and prints are consistently rising. Sir Cedric Morris is maintaining his popularity, alongside other members of the Suffolk-based Benton End Group, with these artists being sought out by collectors. Similarly, the great designers of the mid-century, from both the UK and abroad, are seeing a growing fanbase, as buyers look to the stalwarts of design for timeless and quality pieces of furniture. This sale saw hundreds of buyers take part, both here in the auction room and online, and we were thrilled to welcome almost 150 new buyers to the sale. We are now seeing an average of over 60 brand new buyers here at Cheffins at every sale, as our auctions continue to be an exciting and sustainable hunting ground for art, antiques and collectables.”
The prices reported are totals, inclusive of buyers’ premium at 24.5 per cent and VAT where applicable.
Auction: The Art & Design Sale, 26th October 2023
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA
For further information contact the Fine Art Department on 01223 213343, fine.art@cheffins.co.uk