News
2010-02-08
Bibliophile Sale, 18th February
The new home for the well loved Bibliophile sale is proving a success, the sales continue to attract a good crowd and the ‘on line’ bidding is busy.
In the substantial English Literature and History section from the Property of the late F William Torrington, the historical researcher, is lot 78 A Collection of 18th Century Acts, estimated £750-1000. Here too, is lot 153 Inigo Jones’s 1725 The Most Notable Antiquity of Great Britain, Vulgarly called Stone-Heng (estimate £600-800).
As always amongst the Modern First Editions there is an interesting group of Ian Fleming books (lots 227-240), many of which are inscribed and the estimates run from £120-350.
One of the highlights in the British Topography section, is the 42 volume Journal of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club of the English Lake District, estimated £300-400 (lot 339).
Books on Mountaineering and Polar Exploration traditionally find their way to Bloomsbury;amongst the former are six lots including lot 390 which consists of various titles such as a first edition of Two Seasons in Switzerland of 1895 and How to become an Alpinist, all estimated £250-300. Amongst the four lots on Polar Exploration is the vivid account of a year’s exploration by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, Through the First Antarctic Night by Dr Frederick Cook (lot 396) with an estimate of £200-250.
A first edition of Jethro Tull’s Horse-Hoeing Husbandry (written by the early 18th century agricultural pioneer who helped to bring about the Agrarian Revolution, not the British rock band), is expected to fetch £200-300 (lot 412). The two volume Natural History of Parrots by Prideaux Selby (lot 415) has 30 hand-coloured plates and is also expected to reach £200-300.
2009-11-18
20th Century Prints
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| Paula Rego (b.1935) Getting Ready For The Ball |
Prints from the ‘London School’ with its emphasis on figurative art from the mid 70s onwards, form the exciting nucleus of the sale. Bloomsbury is delighted to present the largest group of lithographs by the London based, Portuguese artist Paula Rego ever seen at auction, and none have ever been offered for sale (lots 360-376). All are from the same vendor, Rego’s printer and all are from the Jane Eyre series of 2001-2002. Often taking her inspiration from literature and fairy tales, Rego’s prints explore the darker, disturbing side of human nature. The estimates range from £800 to £8000 thus giving admirers of her work a wonderful opportunity to buy. The art of Paula Rego is very much in the public eye at the moment, as a museum dedicated to her opened in September this year outside Lisbon.
One of the keystone exponents of the London School is Lucien Freud and Bloomsbury’s sale includes six important examples of his work (lot 349-354). One of the artist’s rare and largest etchings is Painter’s Garden which carries an estimate of £30000-50000 (lot 349) while fans of Kate Moss will be interested in Before the Fourth (lot 352), depicting the pregnant model reclining on a bed (estimate £15000-20000). The following two lots are magnificent detailed portraits, Portrait Head and The Painter’s Doctor each estimated £12000-15000. Another powerful portrait by a London School artist is WH Auden by David Hockney (lot 409). This rare and important 1970 drypoint, is from the collection of Charles Montieth, former Chairman of Faber & Faber and had been bequeathed to Auden’s lifelong friend, Adrian Poole (estimate £2000-3000).
No Modern Prints sale is complete without examples from masters such as Matisse, Picasso and Chagall. Jeunesse by Picasso (lot 235) is one of the artist’s greatest lithographs, depicting the confronting heads of a beautiful young couple, a dove and an olive branch between them (estimate £20000-30000).