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Christopher Wood Sale–February 28th, 2007 The Christopher Wood sale, held at Christie's in King Street, London, was a resounding success, totalling £1.3m ($2.6m), with 268 lots out of 296 sold. Several of the unsold lots have been sold since. The sold rate was 95% of the total, indicating that it was only lesser things that were bought in. The room was crowded, the telephones hummed with over 400 registered bidders, and several lots were sold to online buyers, a new development. The sale confirmed the trend towards single-owner sales, accompanied by a special catalogue, which are now a feature of the current market. We can expect to see more of them, both private collections and dealers’ stock. Predictably, the top lot was the Atkinson Grimshaw, a small but beautiful early landscape, which made £156,000 ($305,292). I bought it in about 1970 from a dealer now sadly forgotten, Mrs Charlotte Frank, who worked out of a small office in a basement in St James’s Street. Among the other paintings, the biggest surprise was The Love Letter by the little-known Jessie E. Gorst, which made a record £31,200 ($56,362). A small but very spirited John Brett of the Welsh coast made a surprising £22,800 ($44,460). A pretty landscape with harvest horses by Henry Brittan Willis also went over-estimate at £10,800 ($21,060). Just over its estimate was William Henry Knight’s Hide and Seek, a charming cottage interior, which made £19,200 ($35,520). A tiny fairy picture by John Henry Naish also caused a surprise at £10,200 ($19,890). The Abraham Solomon of two girls, entitled Town and Country Belle went well above-estimate at £16,800 ($32,760). There were two pictures by W. P. Frith in the sale, an 1893 version of The Crossing Sweeper and a portrait of Frith’s wife Isabelle asleep in a chair. Both made £26,400 ($51,480). The Crossing Sweeper was purchased for the Government Art Collection. There were two pictures by the still-neglected Reginald Hallward, who I held an exhibition of in 1984. His Don Quixote made £10,200 ($19,890), and Elijah £7,200 ($14.040). Both used to hang on the staircase at the School House, so I shall miss them. But no doubt replacements will be found. The bulk of the sale was made up of watercolours and drawings. The drawings represented over thirty years of collecting, and this was rewarded by some very good prices. The two drawings of girls’ heads by J. W. Waterhouse, in particular, did well, the red chalk one making a record of £72,000 ($140,904), and the black chalk £22,000 ($42,900). The drawing of a nude girl by Herbert Draper also went to a record of £28,800 ($56,362). Next came the D. G. Rossetti of Elizabeth Siddal at £28,800 ($56,362). The three Burne-Jones drawings all sold in line with expectations, but the very strong Herkomer drawing of a man’s head made £3,120 ($6,084). Two pleasant surprises were the Millais drawing of Millais and Effie in profile, which made £9,000 ($17,550), and the Holman Hunt caricature of himself painting in appalling weather, which went to £21,600 ($42,120). Also a great surprise was the £7,200 ($14,040) for the study of hands by Herbert Johnson. A fine male nude by William Mulready made £6,000 ($11,700); I had hoped this would make more. I felt the same about the E. R. Frampton drawing, which made a within-estimate £3,600 ($7,020), and the Henry Lamb at £4,560 ($8,755). I was however very pleased that the Augustus John made £10,200 ($19,890). Among the watercolours too, there were some terrific results and two records. The two woodland scenes by William Fraser Garden, in particular, did incredibly well, the large one making a record £60,000 ($117,420), and the smaller £38,400 ($74,880). As I pioneered the Fraser family, and William Fraser Garden in the 1970’s and 80’s, this was a welcome affirmation. The Benjamin Walter Spiers still-life also went to a well-deserved record of £38,400 ($75,148). He was also an artist I helped to promote, and I have always regarded him as one of the greatest English painters of still life. Garden watercolours and interiors were also specialities of mine; these sold steadily, rather than spectacularly. The same could be said of the prints, all of which found buyers. The decorative arts section of the sale also elicited a tremendous response, especially the bronzes. Lord Leighton’s rare Needless Alarms made £46,800 ($91,587) which I think is a record. Certainly a record was the £38,400 ($75,148) paid for the cover piece, Credo by Fremiet, which became an icon of the sale. I was also very pleased with the embroidered gothic chair, lot 10, which made £8,400 ($9,828). The gothic revival pedestal, lot 75, was probably French, and it did very well at £7,640 ($14,898). So did the set of three ‘Mouseman’ tables at £4,320 ($8,424), and the gothic throne (lot 280) at £9,000 ($17,550). Among the ceramics, I was particularly pleased that the Della Robbia pieces did well, the large charger making £1,680 ($3,276). I have been collecting Della Robbia since the 1960’s, and think it is still undervalued. Many people have asked if I did not regret selling so many things. My reply is no, as I made the decision to have a sale several years ago. The fact that the sale has done well is an affirmation of my taste and my collecting, after all these years. I have also enjoyed the whole experience, in particular working with the staff at Christie's, where I started my own career in 1963. I have told Christie's that I intend to have another sale, in five or ten years. Meanwhile, I will continue to work as a dealer and consultant, at number 10 St James’s Place, my new office. For further details please contact the gallery. |
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