John Piper (1903-1992) Exeter College Chapel, Oxford (Levinson 269), screenprint, Sold £2,300
John Aldridge RA (1905-1983) 'Condemned Cottages by the River Pant’, oil, Sold £4,200
Ken Howard RA (b.1932) 'Sarah Reflecting’ oil, Sold £29,000
Brian Kneale RA (b.1930) ‘Roses’ oil, Sold £10,500
Grayson Perry RA (b.1960) 'Alien Baby' Glazed Ceramic, Sold £6,100
Cedric Morris (1889-1982) ‘Gypsy Queen Caravans in a Sussex Meadow’ oil, Sold £23,000
Mary Fedden RA (1915-2012) ‘The Cut Melon’ watercolour, Sold £4,600
Sworders enjoyed two hugely successful sales of Modern British and 20th Century Art in June of this year. Such was the enthusiasm and demand for the pieces on offer, the sale total was far in excess of expectations, with a selling rate of over 88%, achieving a combined total of £575,723 (inc. buyers premium). East Anglia has been home to a huge number of artists throughout history, not least in the 20th Century. Sworders are ideally placed to offer works by these artists with so many collectors on our doorstep, including those who still have direct links to some of the iconic figures of mid-century art, including Cedric Morris, Eric Ravillious and Edward Bawden. We have been at the forefront of promoting Great Bardfield artists and those from The East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, based at Benton End near Hadleigh between 1937-1978. Over the past ten years we have seen their prices steadily climb, this sale was no exception. The sale was by no means dominated by local artists. The diverse content meant there was something for every taste, with exceptional results for works by Ken Howard, including the masterful ‘Sarah Reflecting’, Mary Fedden, John Craxton, Bryan Kneale and Grayson Perry, with world auction records set for Gertrude Harvey and the Maltese artist Emvin Cremona. Bidders from around the world competed to buy European, Canadian and Sri Lankan art with a selection of limited edition prints, sculptures and works of contemporary urban art, including several by Banksy. We are now accepting entries for our forthcoming Modern British and 20th century Art Auction, which will again comprise two parts, a live online auction and a timed online auction. Edward Bawden RA (1903-1989) 'Greenhouse Management' pen and ink Sold £4,100
Entries close 4 September.
William Tillyer (b.1938) 'Encounter in the 3rd Style Matrix’, oil, Sold £4,300
Gertrude Harvey (1879-1966) 'Summer Bunch’ oil, Sold £10,600
Terence Cuneo (1907-1996) 'China Clay Barges, Bangkok', oil, Sold £6,700
Benton End Benton End, on the outskirts of Hadleigh, has a rich and extraordinary artistic and horticultural past. For over forty years it was home to the esteemed artist plantsman, Sir Cedric Morris and his lifelong artist partner, Arthur Lett-Haines. Together they ran the East Anglian School of painting and Drawing welcoming many students, the likes of which included Lucien Freud and Maggi Hambling. Frequent visitors include Vita Sackville-West, Beth Chatto, Elizabeth David, Constance Spry and Benjamin Britten, to name but a few. The garden at Benton End was revered by botanists and gardeners alike, for its huge collection of rare and unusual plants. Morris famously bred bearded irises, naming 90 different cultivars many of which carry the ‘Benton’ prefix. Most recently, the property has been taken on by the Pinchbeck Charitable Trust. Having established the Benton End House and Garden trust, and now in collaboration with the Garden Museum, work to preserve the house and garden is ongoing, ensuring that the magical story of Benton End is not lost. The aim is to re-establish Benton End as a centre for artistic and horticultural education once more. Its remit is to be a haven for those wishing to practice arts and horticulture, thereby echoing the spirit of Cedric and Lett. In October 2019 Sworders auctioned ‘Foxglove’ (1932) by Cedric Morris. An unframed and previously unseen oil painting, it achieved an auction record for a work by Morris. The anonymous seller said ‘Though it’s a small and beautiful part of our family history, we now feel it’s time to pass it on to others who can also take pleasure in it’. Very generously the vendor subsequently donated part of the proceeds to The Benton End House and Garden Trust. To support the project you can sign up to their regular newsletters at www.bentonend.co.uk and follow @bentonend on instagram.
Forthcoming Picture Auctions Fine Interiors Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 September | entries close 31 July Sporting Art, Wildlife and Dogs Tuesday 6 October | entries close 21 August Modern British and 20th Century Art Tuesday 20 October | entries close 4 September The London Sale Wednesday 2 December | entries close 16 October, 1pm For further information or to consign, contact:
Jane Oakley janeoakley@sworder.co.uk
Amy Scanlon amyscanlon@sworder.co.uk
Cover image Joan Warburton (1920-1996), ‘Succulent on a Chair’, oil, Sold £5,400 (All sold prices include buyers premium at 25% plus VAT)
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