It’s a week of modern British art in London with Bonham’s, Sotheby’s and Christie’s all having sales of British art, along with Irish art at Bonham’s and Christie’s. Works for sale include many well-known artists from over the last century, some still active, including L.S. Lowry, Eduardo Paolozzi,, David Hockney, Lynn Chadwick, Elizabeth Frink, Terry Frost, Henry Moore, Barry Flanagan and Jacob Epstein. Christie’s wins hand down in terms of the scale of the artworks, both in size and number, the breadth of artists represented and the prices.
In contrast to the contemporary art galleries across London with their white walls, the auction houses have decided wo show most of the art against dark and black walls, which adds a richness to the work on show.
Scottish artists are well represented, for example by Eduardo Paolozzi in the main sales and by Scottish Colourists such as Samuel John Peploe, George Lesile Hunter, Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell and John Duncan Fergusson at Christie’s sale of British Impressionist Art.