A number of auction records were broken at the Cheffins Art & Design Sale on 25th February which saw works by some of the biggest names in 20th century art and sculpture go under the hammer in Cambridge.
Martin Millard, Director, Cheffins says: “Despite a complete lack of public viewing or attendance, appetite for fresh-to-market, quality entries proved insatiable, with a series of auction records set during the course of this incredibly buoyant sale. A captive audience of bidders, unable to spend their money on other things, resulted in record numbers of registrations and a sale rate of 95% by lot, with 54% of buyers being entirely new clients. With a marked increase in the number of bidders now at every sale, we are seeing that private buyers are increasingly turning to regional auction houses in order to find ways to furnish their homes with original, one-off items rather than simply via the High Street or online stores - long may it continue!”
One of the first records to be broken was £14,500 paid for a painting by famous Norfolk-based artist, Gwyneth Johnstone. Titled Provencale Market, the picture was one of seventeen remaining works from Johnstone’s private collection and studio near Coltishall.
Another record was set in the sculpture section, where £6,000 was paid for an abstract bronze work by Keith McCarter as part of the much-anticipated John Ady collection which was sold on behalf of Kettle’s Yard House and Gallery. Also from the Ady collection, a record was set for abstract post-war artist, John Blackburn, when two pictures, titled Black Forms on White and Blue Helmet sold for £7,500 apiece. These were amongst the 23 pictures for sale by John Blackburn, representing the largest collection of his work to have come to auction. Similarly, the £3,600 paid for a painting titled Farm during a Storm is also an auction record for the artist James Thomas Armour Osborne.
Demand was also high for the best examples of signed prints on offer, with a series of records being set for certain works. For example, a signed copy of Blue Horse Head by Dame Elisabeth Frink, numbered 63/70, was sold for £5,500 which is a record for the print which previously sold for £4,375 at its most valuable. Similarly, a Ben Nicholson print titled Tree, Column and Moon and numbered 29/50 sold for £3,200 which is an auction record which previously was set at £3,000.
Other key highlights of the sale included a bronze by famous French artist, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. Being one of an edition of only 12, this cast bronze sculpture titled ‘Duck’ is one of Gaudier-Brzeska’s well-known, ‘pocket sculptures’, which sold for £15,000. Similarly, a limited edition posthumously cast sculpture by Salvador Dali, conceived in 1977 and cast in 1984, sold for £7,500, whilst a sculpture of eight curlews by Guy Taplin sold for £9,000, well in excess of its estimate of £1,500-2,500.
The furniture section featured six pieces by lauded designer, David Linley, all of which saw competitive bidding and well exceeded estimates, such as a pair of sycamore bedside cabinets which sold for £3,400. In addition, an Eames lounger and ottoman sold for £3,800, whilst a good collection of Heal’s furniture all sold for healthy prices.
The sale grossed a total of £490,000 with a sale rate of 95% by lot.
Prices reported are hammer prices and are not inclusive of buyers’ premium at 24.5% + VAT (29.4%).
Auction: The Art & Design Sale, 25th February 2021
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA