-
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Girl Wringing out her Hair Patinated bronze, 1962 26cm in height Michael Ayrton was a British artist and writer, renowned as a painter, printmaker, sculptor and designer, and also as a critic, broadcaster and novelist. This sculpture, rendered in patinated bronze, is a portrayal of an unposed nude, one of Ayrton's favourite subjects. In his book "Drawings and Sculpture", Ayrton muses on his studies of bathers: 'I like to study the nude when he or she is untroubled by my observation, and bathers in general are the only nudes, or semi-nudes, who are not particularly interested in the onlooker.' Provenance: Acquired directly from the Artist by Nigel Balchin, a close friend of Ayrton's, thence by descent to the previous owner. Sotheby's, Lot 128, 11 July 2013. Literature: Michael Ayrton, Drawings and Sculpture, with a Forward by C. P. Snow, Cory, Adams & Mackay, London, 1962, illustrated pl.73 (another cast). If you'd ike to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
William Black Design for Sculpture (1966)
Watercolour 18 x 16 cm Signed and dated lower right. A design for a metal sculpture, on a blue- and grey-toned background. William Black was a St Ives artist who began his career as an architect. In the 1950s he came into money and ran away to St Ives to become a professional artist, studying under John Tunnard and associating with other artists like Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. Black rarely put up work for sale during his lifetime and is known for his architectural and deconstructivist sculptures which espoused the modernist spirit of the St Ives group in the 1960s. Condition: generally very good. If you are interested, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other Modern British Art. -
Vivian Bewick Montezumas Daughter, original vintage book cover
Wash and gouache 34 x 28 cm This work was originally a book cover design for the historical adventure novel 'Montezumas Daughter' by the Victorian writer Sir Henry Rider Haggard. The cover depicts two men, presumably including the protagonist Harry Thurston, engaged in a duel. As one of the subjects falls across the cover, his hand reaching helplessly outwards, Bewick alludes to the tragic themes explored in this intriguing novel exploring colonialism and the Spanish Inquisition. On the reverse of this cover, Bewick personally wrote the medium and his address at Buckhurst Hall, rendering it a unique addition to any collection. Vivian Bewick (1912–1999) was a British artist and educator, notable for his contributions to mid-20th-century art and his role as a tutor at the Buckhurst Hill Community Association (BHCA). He was also a descendant of Thomas Bewick, the renowned 19th-century engraver celebrated for his depictions of birds and animals. -
Moored Barges Watercolour 23 x 32 cm C.1900 This watercolour depicts two onlookers, perhaps a grandfather and granddaughter, watching over the moored barges in a canal. Although the location of this painting is unknown, the presence of horse-drawn barges and larger sailing vessels suggests that the setting may be situated at the confluence between a canal and the sea. The gentle terracotta tones of the roofs and footpath contribute a certain serenity to this otherwise industrial scene, as the artist successfully captures the aura of this early 20th century scene. Condition: Generally very good, mounted to board.If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.
-
Nancy Weir Huntly (1890-1963)
St John's College Bridge of Sighs Cambridge
Oil on canvas; framed. Signed 'Huntly' 50x61cm Born in India, in Nusserabad, she studied art at the Royal Academy Schools in Dusseldorf. She lived in Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire, with her daughter, Faith Sheppard, also a painter. She also painted under the name Nancy Sheppard. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Nancy Weir Huntly (1890-1963)
Trinity College Bridge Cambridge
Oil on canvas; framed in an antique-white-finished frame with gilt slip. Signed 'Huntly' 50x61cm Born in India, in Nusserabad, she studied art at the Royal Academy Schools in Dusseldorf. She lived in Welwyn Garden City, in Hertfordshire, with her daughter, Faith Sheppard, also a painter. She also painted under the name Nancy Sheppard. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
John Piper (1903 - 1992)
Newchurch, Romney Marsh (1947)
Watercolour 40 x 57 cm Provenance: Marlborough Galleries. Signed lower right. A characterful Piper view of Newchurch Church, Kent, with its leaning tower. Piper was rather enamoured by Romney Marsh's churches; the architectural historian Nicholas Pevsner commissioned him in 1947 to produce a book on the area for King Penguin Books. Piper stayed for a time there and the published book included water-colours, drawings, and musings on the Marsh. John Piper CH was an English painter, printmaker, and designer of stained-glass windows. His work often focused on the British landscape, especially churches and monuments, and included tapestry designs, book jackets, screen-prints, photography, fabrics and ceramics. Condition: very good. If you are interested, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Click here for other works by John Piper. -
Vivian Bewick Night must fall, original vintage book cover
Gouache 24 x 16 cm Signed to reverse This vibrant work was originally a book cover design for the play 'Night Must Fall' by Emlyn Williams. This psychological thriller follows the story of a charming yet mysterious young man named Dan, who takes a job as a caregiver for Mrs. Bramson, an irritable and wealthy elderly woman living in a secluded English countryside home. Despite his charisma, Dan harbours a dark secret, as he is revealed to be a murderer. This striking composition features Bewick's characteristically masterful use of silhouette to create an effect of suspense and tension, in-keeping with the themes of the play. The bright colours against dark gouache make this piece stand out and notably distinguish it as a beautiful work within Bewick's extensive oeuvre. Vivian Bewick (1912–1999) was a British artist and educator, notable for his contributions to mid-20th-century art and his role as a tutor at the Buckhurst Hill Community Association (BHCA). He was also a descendant of Thomas Bewick, the renowned 19th-century engraver celebrated for his depictions of birds and animals. -
Nora Davison (1881-1930)
Eton College (c.1920)
31 x 26 cm Watercolour Signed, lower left Nora Davison was a well-known figure around Eton, being responsible for many watercolours. An acclaimed painter of coastal scenes and landscapes she exhibited at inter alia, the Fine Art Society, Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, the New Gallery, Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists and Society of Woman Artists. Condition: Generally good - slight loss of colour, mounted to board. -
Norman Adams RA (1927-2005)
The Sound of Scarp and Vision of Bernadette (c.1980) (Double sided)
24 x 26 cm Watercolour Norman Adams RA, former professor of painting at the Royal Academy, felt strongly that, "art [without religion] would be a pretty empty vocation." Despite not going to church, nor identifying with any specific belief system, the artist's paintings of the natural world, often dramatic in nature, betray a strong spiritual intensity. On one side of this watercolour Adams has painted a monumental wave crash, captioned 'Southwest Wind - Very Rough Sea The Sea of Scarp.' On the other, is a softer, lilac abstraction entitled 'Vision of Bernadette', a reference to Saint Bernadette's famous visions of Mary at the Lourdes grotto. He studied at Harrow School of Art (1940-46) and then the Royal College of Art (1948-51). His first solo show was at Gimpel Fils in 1952, and his last at the Fine Art Society in 2004. His works included many murals and stage designs. There are many of his major works in the national collection, including the Tate, Leeds Museums, The Whitworth, the Royal College of Art, Bristol Museums, Leicester Museums, The Royal Academy and the Hepworth, Wakefield. -
Julian Trevelyan (1910-1988) Notre Dame
Etching and aquatint, stamped signature, numbered 42/50 35 x 48 cm Nephew of the historian G M Trevelyan, he was educated at Bedales and Trinity College, Cambridge, reading English. Moving to Paris and becoming an artist, studying engraving at Stanley William Hayter’s school he worked alongside artists such as Max Ernst, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso. Marrying the potter Ursula Darwin in 1934, in 1935 they moved to Hammersmith, buying Durham Wharf beside the River Thames which was Trevelyan’s studio – and home – for the rest of his life. His wartime service was – like so many artists – as a camofleur. A Royal Engineer from 1940-43, he served in North Africa and Palestine, forcing the German Afrika Korps to use resources against a dummy army whilst real tanks were disguised as more harmless equipment. In the desert nothing could be hidden, but it could be disguised. On one occasion however the German Luftwaffe flattened a real installation, leaving only a – dummy – railhead the camofleurs had built. The following day they returned and dropped a wooden bomb on the railhead making it clear they had seen through the disguise. Following the dissolution of his marriage in 1950 he married the painter Mary Fedden. Teaching at Chelsea School of Art Trevelyan eventually became head of the Etching Department and his pupils included David Hockney and Peter Ackroyd. This particular edition depicts a view of the rear of the Notre Dame de Paris. Three fishermen line the promenade and the Square de l'Ile de France protrudes into the Seine, this combined with the curved river bank gives almost a sense of three dimensionality to the etching, as is characteristic of Trevelyan's playful manipulations of perspective. -
Angela Stones (1914 - 1995)
Old London Bridge Fantasia (1968)
Oil on board 56 x 43 cm Signed lower left. A fantasia inspired by Old London Bridge on the Thames. The grey dome of St Paul's peeps over the bridge; bright lights burn in the background, throwing yellows and red reflections onto the water. Moored boats bob gently in the foreground. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893-1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters, and her son, Christopher Assheton-Stones (1947-1999), was arguably the foremost pastel artist of his time. Provenance: the family of the artist. Condition: very good. If you’d like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
A. E. Halliwell (1905-1987) Pansies
Gouache 30 x 47 cm c.1930 Label to reverse 'Baynard Press', Signed lower right, further signed in pencil and dated 1929. Provenance: Family of the artist. A.E. Halliwell (1905–1986) was a British artist, illustrator, and designer best known for his vibrant poster designs created for British railway companies during the mid-20th century. Born in Southport, Halliwell developed a strong foundation in art and design early in life. He studied at the Southport School of Art from 1923 to 1926 before graduating to the Royal College of Art in London and subsequently practising as a professional designer from the 1930s. Following his studies, Halliwell married Doris Doyle in Strood Kent, and went on to have a significant teaching career himself, most notably as a lecturer at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (later part of Central Saint Martins), where he influenced a new generation of designers and illustrators. Halliwell is perhaps best remembered for his vibrant and engaging poster designs created for British railway companies during the 1930s. His work was characterised by a bright, graphic style that balanced charm with clarity, often depicting idealised scenes of British holiday destinations—from sunny seaside towns to tranquil countryside vistas. Beyond posters, his artistic output included book illustration, commercial design, and stage costume sketches, showcasing his versatility across mediums. His posters continue to remain enduring symbols of a golden age of British travel and design and are displayed in major collections including the London Transport Museum and the V & A. Condition: Generally very good, faint discolouration and a central fold.If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.
