The first Art & Design Sale of 2023 will take place on Thursday 23rd February, and we are still inviting entries for what is looking set to be a fantastic auction. Already consigned is a wonderful single owner collection of paintings by Simon Bussy, which were bought directly from the artist himself.
There are five works on offer, with estimates ranging from £2,000 - £4,000 up to £7,000 - £10,000, depicting the flora and fauna scenes for which Bussy became famous. Born to a family of shoemakers in Dole, France, during a period in which the provincial bourgeoisie classes were rapidly expanding, Simon Bussy was the first in his family afforded the opportunity to liberate himself from the restrictive shackles of the family trade. Although an accomplished painter of portraits and landscapes, it is for his small-scale studies of animals, particularly those of birds and reptiles, that Bussy is perhaps best known for today.
Simon Bussy, A Lady Gouldian finch perching beside purple irises, estimate £5,000 - £8,000
As a young man, Bussy was awarded a scholarship to study at the local drawing school, before travelling to Paris to study under Gustave Moreau at the École des Beaux-Arts. Whilst he gained valuable experience under Moreau, the Symbolist works of his mentor were of little consequence to Bussy, who cited Japanese prints and the works of painters, such as James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Edgar Degas, as his primary influences.
After a successful solo exhibition at the hugely influential and innovative Galerie Durand-Rue, in 1901, Bussy left Paris for London. Upon his arrival in the city, Bussy was quickly introduced to the fashionable Bohemian scene by his friend, and fellow artist, William Rothenstein. It was during this time that Bussy was introduced to Dorothy Strachey, who, in 1903, would become his wife. As a novelist in her own right, and as the sister of Lytton Strachey, Dorothy and Simon were closely associated with the Bloomsbury Group and would often host members, including Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, at their marital home, Le Souco, in Roquebrune, near Monaco.
Simon Bussy, Papillion Jaune, estimate £4,000 - £6,000
Alternating between Roquebrune and London, it was in the United Kingdom, specifically at London Zoo, where Bussy is known to have created most of his animal studies. Discussing these works, Bussy wrote, “Every work is an invention, a poetic composition, not only decorative. In the animals I paint and in the environment around them there is no element that has not been the subject of a patient observation”. Indeed, through his bold and confident presentation of colour, the simplification of form and space and the meticulous and nuanced interpretation of the character of each animal, the present lots demonstrate the seamless confluence of the formal and the more ineffable and poetic qualities that have made Bussy’s works so collectable.
Simon Bussy, Papillion Argus, estimate £2,000 - £4,000
The Art & Design Sale is one of our most popular auctions here at Cheffins. Including art, furniture and collectibles from 1860 to the present day, this auction always presents a diverse catalogue of items, drawing both private collectors and the trade. Alongside the Simon Bussy works, there are a number of other paintings already consigned to the sale, including a double-sided work by Sir Cedric Morris and Lucy Harwood, a collection of Christopher drawings and a large oil by Wilfrid Gabriel de Glehn and the furniture and collectibles section has also seen some fabulous entries.
We will be inviting entries to the sale until Thursday 5th January, and anyone with an item to sell should contact the Fine Art Department on 01223 213343 or email fine.art@cheffins.co.uk
To view the calendar for the Fine Art auctions at Cheffins, please click here