Nicolette Tomkinson's Top Picks

No. 1

Lot 1: λ John Wells (British 1907-2000), Satellite, Watercolour, bodycolour and pencil on board | Est. £2,000-3,000 (+ fees)

"I love the fact that Wells trained as a doctor and was a GP in the Scilly Isles during World War II, however he had gone to art school in London in the 20s and his dream was always to be a full-time artist. He knew Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth and through them met Naum Gabo. Finally in 1945 he moved to Newlyn and realised his ambition -  showing it’s never too late!"

No. 2

Lot 4: λ Terry Frost (British 1915-2003), Untitled (Red, Black, Blue, Orange), Acrylic and collage| Est. £4,000-6,000 (+ fees)

"Although Terry was living in Oxford when he painted this work his love of the landscape and the sea  shine through. The way he uses the shapes and colours from the boats that he saw in Newlyn and St. Ives creates such a fresh and vibrant feel."

No. 3

Lot 10: λ Laurence Stephen Lowry (British 1887-1976), On the Thames at Greenwich, Pencil | Est. £20,000-30,000 (+ fees)

"It’s unusual to see a London Lowry and I love the way he has contrasted the rippling, fast moving water with the weight of industry in the darkly drawn power station on the right, with the ships lying heavy in the Thames. The simplicity is deceptive as the drawing’s power comes from Lowry’s reductive process through careful observation."

No. 4

Lot 22: λ Dame Elisabeth Frink (British 1930-1993), Dog (Childhood Sculpture) [FCR 401], Bronze | Est. £60,000-80,000 (+ fees)

"There is so much humanity in the expression on the animal’s face. Anyone who owns a real dog will know that face well!"

No. 5

Lot 63: λ Karl Hagedorn (British 1889-1969), Burford, Pencil and watercolour | Est. £800-1,200 (+ fees)

"I’m not familiar with Karl Hagedorn’s work but I was really drawn to this watercolour as it reminded me of the linocuts of the Grosvenor School who were working around the same time. I wonder if Hagedorn knew Cyril Power?"

No. 6

Lot 109: λ Ben Nicholson (British 1894-1982), 1966 (Interior Tuscan Cathedral), Ink and gouache on an etched ground | Est. £15,000-25,000 (+ fees)

"Ben Nicholson produced a wonderful series of prints of various Italian locations at this time and some he worked up individually like this piece. I love the fact that it is in one of Nicholson's original frames with the squared off corners and not mitred. It was also a gift to Sir Norman Reid who was Director of the Tate Gallery at the time so Nicholson himself must have rated this work highly."

No. 7

Lot 110: λ Marc Newson (Australian b. 1965), "Event Horizon" Table,Polished and partially lacquered aluminium | Est. £100,000-150,000 (+ fees)

"The sculptural element of this work is so beautiful. I love the way that Newson had a vision of what he wanted to create and then went out to find a way to realise it. He truly has pushed the boundaries of design and reminds us that the most utilitarian objects can also be the most beautiful."

No. 8

Lot 114: λ David Nash (British b. 1945), Char Cross Egg, Burnt and carved wood | Est. £3,000-5,000 (+ fees)

"I love the work of artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Richard Long and David Nash. There has never been a more important time to question our own personal relationship with the natural world."

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Auction Details

Wednesday 15 March | 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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