Western Morning News (Saturday)
Two-day sale was great success
DAVID Lay’s first ever two-day art sale, the largest art sale the Penzance auctioneers have ever held, was a roaring success with sales totalling over £300,000, proving that during times of uncertainty, clients are still keen to invest in art, perhaps more than conventional funds.
The star lots were sold on the first day in the Cornish Art section, with a beautiful still life by the Lamorna artist Dod Procter taking the top price of £27,000. A small portrait by the fascinating painter Gluck, also of the Lamorna colony, selling for a remarkable £20,500.
Quality work by popular names all did well with works by S.J.Lamorna Birch, Julius Olsson, Rose Hilton and Trevor
Bell also making excellent prices.
Relatively unknown artists with a certain ‘look’ obviously peaked the interest of buyers, with a collection of works by the Yorkshire artist Margaret Wardman making surprisingly high prices, several paintings with a 1950s stylistic look exceeding £800.
Buyers were certainly on the lookout and prepared to take a chance on any curiousities, bidding strongly on paintings ‘in the style of’ Old Masters or ‘followers of’ the likes of Turner, Stubbs and Constable. Lot 1066 was one such lot, a small, unsigned, early 19th century panel by an unknown artist catalogued as ‘after Constable’ Despite its low estimate, it sold for £620.
One of the most remarkable sections of the sale was the collection on day two of the print dealer and publisher Joe Graffy (1928-2020), a beautiful collection of 70 etchings and woodcuts, most noteably the etchings of Stanley Roy Badmin and the woodcuts of Clifford Webb. The works of these pre-war master printers were hotly contested by various clients on phone lines and online bidders. The 70 lots ended up totalling over £26,000.
David Lay’s next specialist sale will be its October 15 Books & Collectors items sale and its Asian Sale on October 29. The next antiques sale is November 19 and 20, and items can still be consigned to all these sales by contacting 01736 361414.