Roseberys London’s latest Modern British & 20th Century Art auction (29th November 2023) featured a truly international range of artists, from French Masters Jean Dufy and Claude Venard to contemporary stars Grayson Perry, Sterling Ruby and El Anatsui.

Please find below a selection of notable sales by William Summerfield, Roseberys’ Modern British & 20th Century Art specialist.

‘This two-part sale had strong results across the board, with many works flying over their top estimates. The star artists remained solid, with great prices for Jean Dufy, El Anatsui and Grayson Perry, however, it was at the lower end of the market that the bidding was most exciting, in the results for works by U Ba Nyan, Peter Rose Pulham and Ashley Havinden.’

 

Lot 70: Jean Dufy, Les Battages

 

Freshly authenticated and to be included in the forthcoming edition of the artist’s catalogue raisonné, two online international bidders competed for this highly characteristic work by the French master. The work eventually sold to a private collection in Switzerland for £28,840 (including premium).

 

 

Lot 134: Peter Rose Pulham, The Conjuror’s Table

 

An exciting and rare artist at auction, this work made the second-highest price ever recorded for the artist. Multiple bidders online, on the phone, and in the room ensured this work tripled its upper estimate, before eventually selling for £11,808 (including premium) to a private collection in the UK.

 

Lot 88: U Ba Nyan, View from Thamakan, 1924

 

Setting a new auction record, three international bidders competed for this rare work by the Burmese artist, one of only a handful to come to public auction. The work had been in a public collection for nearly 30 years and was sold for £15,744 (including premium), as the artist’s work is being celebrated at the exhibition ‘Burma to Myanmar’, which runs until February 2024.

 

Lot 432: El Anatsui, Untitled, 1983

 

Following the high level of critical and popular acclaim for his current installation in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, the work sold solidly within the estimate, of £26,240 including premium, demonstrating the continued commercial interest in the artist.

 

Lot 541: Sir Grayson Perry CBE RA Hon FRIBA,

I Am A Planet/ I Am The Future/ To Love Me Is/ To Love Your/ Next Life, c.1984

 

Hot off the back of his large retrospective at the National Galleries of Scotland, this typically subversive early work by the artist sold near the top end of its estimate, for £19,680 including premium, to a private collection in the UK.