The Cheffins Art and Design sale, which took place on 22nd February, saw strong results across all categories, achieving a sales total of £370,000 with 125 new buyers.
Highlights included ‘Count Basie’ a bronze sculpture crafted by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) in the late 1980s, depicting the American jazz pianist and bandleader, a work that demonstrates the full fruition of Paolozzi’s explorations into the human head. It sold for £31,000 – double its guide of £12,000-£18,000. Other sculptures that sold successfully include Le Retour, by Chana Orloff (1888-1968), an impressionistically modelled bronze of a seated male in thought, which went under the hammer for £10,500.
‘Count Basie’, crafted by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005)
The painting highlights include Gwen John’s (1876-1939), Sleeping Cat, a gentle and quiet watercolour which demonstrates the meditative and soulful nature of John and her artistic practice. It went under the hammer for £25,000, significantly above its £3,000 – 5,000 guide. Meanwhile, a Frank Auerbach (1931-), Primrose Hill Landscape - one of Auerbach’s most enduring and multifaceted subjects - captured in pencil, sold for £20,000.
Gwen John's 'Sleeping Cat', sold at the Art & Design Auction
Finally, a Dino Martens for Aureliano Toso 'Oriente' glass vase, circa 1950s, achieved a sale price of £5,500 against a £2,000-£3,000 guide.
A Dino Martens for Aureliano Toso 'Oriente' glass vase
Martin Millard, Director at Cheffins, comments: “Our first Art & Design sale of the year saw strong demand across all sections and it’s great to see so many new buyers, demonstrating the continued upward appeal of this period of art and design. It was also heartening to yet again see such a large percentage of private buyers, often outbidding the trade, choosing to acquire choice pieces via our online bidding platforms, including, among other top lots, the Paolozzi bronze of Count Basie.”