Comprising 20th century British paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, furniture and books, the sale follows the white-glove auction of 79 lots from the couple’s collection at Christie’s in January 2020 which raised £2.26m including premium.
The 399 lots on offer in west London on February 25 are estimated between £100-2000 and many are offered without a reserve.
Among the most-represented artists is Eileen Agar (1904-91), with 22 works by the Surrealist painter on offer.
Pictured here is a 13½ x 9¾in (34 x 25cm) pencil and gouache from 1954 titled Spiral head which the Freers acquired from the artist herself. It is estimated at £1000-2000.
In an unpublished manuscript about the artist, Allen wrote: “The fantastic heads of mythical personae that she painted must have had their beginnings in the heads carved in the intaglios… They blossomed forth in vibrant colours with their dynamic form and communicated her delight in the design of old stones.”
