Among the highlights were two preparatory studies made by Graham Sutherland (1903- 80) during his work as an official war artist in 1942. A Foundry: Hot metal being poured into Moulds, Cardiff (£18,000), an early version of a work in the Tate, and Mouth of a hot metal container, Cardiff (£15,000), a study for picture owned by Manchester City Art Galleries, were sold by Christopher Kingzett Fine Art.
Both were bought by the same private collector, who Kingzett said was a new client.
The British Art Fair ran from September 20-23, hosting 50 exhibitors. Other strong sales early in the fair included Fidelma in a Chair, a 1984 oil by Leon Kossoff offered for a price in the region of £110,000 by Connaught Brown.
The fair followed close on the heels of the LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair, which had its 10th edition in Mayfair’s Berkeley Square from September 14-19.
There, The Parker Gallery sold a full-length portrait of George Edwards (1694-1773), an English naturalist and ornithologist, to the Royal Society for an undisclosed sum. Painted by Benjamin Wilson (1721-88), it shows Edwards in his library together with his engraving of The Painted Pheasant from China.
