Browse Part I Catalogue | 25 March, 10am Browse Part II Catalogue | 25 March, 2pm
Roseberys’ forthcoming Modern British & 20th Century Art auction brings together a wide-ranging selection of works spanning early twentieth-century European painting through to significant contemporary voices. The sale is led by notable private collections and a strong representation of female artists, reflecting both the historical depth of the category and growing demand in the secondary market.
Lot 99: Willy Eisenschitz, Austrian 1889-1974 - Île du Levant, 1967
Among the most significant groups is a Private Collection of French Naturalist Painters, featuring works by Willy Eisenschitz and Gaston Balande. A highlight is Eisenschitz’s Île du Levant (1967), estimated at £8,000 - £12,000, a luminous depiction of the Mediterranean landscape painted in the artist’s adopted home of Provence. Eisenschitz became known for his sensitive treatment of light and atmosphere and exhibited widely across Europe, including a notable exhibition at Adams Brothers Gallery in London in 1934.
Lot 27: Gaston Balande, French 1880-1970 - La descente du Cabaret-Rouge, Souville, 1917
Also offered is Balande’s La descente du Cabaret-Rouge, Souville (1917), estimated at £6,000 - £8,000. Painted during the First World War while the artist was working as an official war artist, the work reflects the grim realities of the battlefield around Verdun. Rather than a dramatic or propagandistic vision of conflict, Balande presents a restrained and deeply human scene, emphasising the solemnity of soldiers moving through a devastated landscape.
The sale also reflects the growing prominence of female artists in the secondary market. Recent results at Roseberys demonstrate this momentum, with new auction records achieved in the March Modern British sales for pioneering twentieth-century artists including Paule Vézelay, Fay Pomerance and Léa Decamps-Lafugie. Vézelay’s Five Forms: Orange, Brown, Red and Grey on White (1959) achieved £22,304, more than doubling its estimate and setting a record for the artist’s works on paper. Meanwhile, two paintings by Decamps-Lafugie realised £13,120 and £11,152 respectively in an earlier dedicated sale of French Naturalist painters from a private collection, marking the highest prices achieved for her works in this category.
Lot 55: Léa Decamps-Lafugie, French 1890-1972 - Lishu jouant du khène
The current auction continues this focus, with further works by Léa Decamps-Lafugie included in the sale. An artist and explorer, Decamps-Lafugie travelled widely across Southeast Asia during the 1920s and became celebrated for her vivid depictions of the landscapes and cultures she encountered. Her Lishu jouant du khène (estimate £3,000 - £5,000) reflects her distinctive ability to capture cultural life, atmosphere and the subjects that would define her oeuvre.
Lot 34: Dame Ethel Walker, British 1861-1951 - Sketch for 'The Stepmother', c.1899
Female artists are represented throughout the auction alongside established names such as Mary Fedden and Ethel Walker. A highlight is Walker’s Sketch for ‘The Stepmother’ (c.1899), an important study for the painting The Artist’s Stepmother, Mrs Arthur Walker now in the collection of Tate. The work captures the atmospheric qualities that would define Walker’s mature style and demonstrates her place among the leading British painters of her generation.
Further highlights include a portrait by Isabel Rawsthorne, whose Portrait of Alan Rawsthorne II / Portrait of Alan and Barbara Rawsthorne (1967) reflects the distinctive figurative language she developed in the post-war period. Rawsthorne occupied an influential position within European cultural circles and was closely associated with artists including Alberto Giacometti and André Derain.
William Summerfield
Head of Modern British & 20th Century Art
“Roseberys has long championed the rediscovery of overlooked artists and the strength of this sale reflects the breadth of collecting within the Modern British field. Alongside historically significant works from private collections, we are seeing growing interest in artists who have historically been underrepresented in the market, particularly female painters of the twentieth century. At the same time, the sale brings forward exciting contemporary voices, creating a dialogue between established figures and artists shaping the future of the market.”
Lot 303: Graham Knutell, Irish 1954-2023 - Looking for company
Another notable group in the sale comes from a Private Collection from Motcombs Restaurant, the well-known Belgravia restaurant whose walls were long adorned with works by contemporary artists. Situated close to the galleries of Mayfair and the auction houses of St James’s, Motcombs formed part of the social landscape of the London art market, attracting artists, collectors and dealers over several decades.
Lot 506: Michael Armitage, Kenyan/British b.1984 - Giraffe
The auction concludes with strong contemporary highlights in Part II, led by two early paintings by Michael Armitage, including the monumental Giraffe (estimate £30,000 - £35,000). Painted while the artist was studying at the Slade School of Fine Art, the work anticipates the distinctive visual language that has since brought Armitage international acclaim. Now represented by David Zwirner and White Cube, Armitage has exhibited widely, with works held in major museum collections including Tate, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Pompidou and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lot 542: Oluwole Omofemi, Nigerian b.1988 - Seduction, 2021
Also featured is Seduction (2021) by Oluwole Omofemi (estimate £10,000 - £15,000). Known for his striking portraits exploring identity and power, Omofemi rose to international prominence after being commissioned to paint Queen Elizabeth II for the cover of Tatler’s Platinum Jubilee issue in 2022.
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Modern British & 20th Century Art: Part I 25 March, 10am Browse Catalogue |
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Modern British & 20th Century Art: Part II 25 March, 2pm Browse Catalogue |
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