Robyn Denny (1930-2014) Portrait Series (5)

Screenprint 80 x 58 cm Signed to the bottom right and blind stamped Numbered 23/30 ​‘No painting should reveal all it has to say as a kind of instant impact. Abstract painting, that is painting that is not about subject matter, if it is any good should be as diverse, and complex, and strange and unaccountable and unnameable as an experience, as any painting of any consequence has been in the past. ‘ - Robyn Denny, ISIS art journal interview, 1964 Denny, a prominent British abstract artist, was known for his minimalist and geometric style. In Portraits Series A, he employed vibrant colours and structured forms, reflecting his interest in the visual language of urban environments and modernity. These works exemplify his approach during the early 1970s, a period when he was gaining significant recognition, culminating in a solo retrospective at the Tate Gallery in 1973. Denny led an illustrious career over more than 50 years. Born in Surrey, England, he studied at the Royal College of Art, where he became a leading figure in the rise of postwar abstraction in Britain. Emerging in the 1950s and 60s, Denny’s work moved away from traditional painterly gestures, embracing a sleek, modern aesthetic influenced by urban environments, advertising, and contemporary architecture. His paintings often featured large-scale, hard-edged forms, creating a dynamic interplay between structure and depth. He was also deeply involved in printmaking, producing influential series like Portraits Series A (1973). Denny gained international recognition, representing Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1966, and his work was celebrated in a major retrospective at Tate Gallery in 1973. Over the decades, his art evolved, but he remained committed to exploring the relationship between form, color, and movement. Today, his work is held in prestigious collections, including Tate Britain and the Victoria & Albert Museum, securing his legacy as one of the most important British abstract painters of his time. Who knows... you might have even seen his public art work of coloured lines in Embankment tube station. Condition: Generally very good, tiny edge tear to left hand side.

If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.

Robyn Denny (1930-2014) Portrait Series (2)

Screenprint 80 x 58 cm Signed to the bottom right and blind stamped Numbered 23/30 ​‘No painting should reveal all it has to say as a kind of instant impact. Abstract painting, that is painting that is not about subject matter, if it is any good should be as diverse, and complex, and strange and unaccountable and unnameable as an experience, as any painting of any consequence has been in the past. ‘ - Robyn Denny, ISIS art journal interview, 1964 Denny, a prominent British abstract artist, was known for his minimalist and geometric style. In Portraits Series A, he employed vibrant colours and structured forms, reflecting his interest in the visual language of urban environments and modernity. These works exemplify his approach during the early 1970s, a period when he was gaining significant recognition, culminating in a solo retrospective at the Tate Gallery in 1973. Denny led an illustrious career over more than 50 years. Born in Surrey, England, he studied at the Royal College of Art, where he became a leading figure in the rise of postwar abstraction in Britain. Emerging in the 1950s and 60s, Denny’s work moved away from traditional painterly gestures, embracing a sleek, modern aesthetic influenced by urban environments, advertising, and contemporary architecture. His paintings often featured large-scale, hard-edged forms, creating a dynamic interplay between structure and depth. He was also deeply involved in printmaking, producing influential series like Portraits Series A (1973). Denny gained international recognition, representing Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1966, and his work was celebrated in a major retrospective at Tate Gallery in 1973. Over the decades, his art evolved, but he remained committed to exploring the relationship between form, colour, and movement. Today, his work is held in prestigious collections, including Tate Britain and the Victoria & Albert Museum, securing his legacy as one of the most important British abstract painters of his time. Who knows... you might have even seen his public art work of coloured lines in Embankment tube station. Condition: Generally very good.

If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.

Penelope Ellis (1935-2016) Up with the Rooster

Woodblock print 15 x 11 cm Provenance: From the artist's estate sale. ​Penelope Mary Ellis (1935–2016) was a British artist celebrated for her conceptual abstract works in the 1960s. Born in Hampstead, London, she was the eldest daughter of artists and educators Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. Ellis attended the High School in Bath before enrolling at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1953 to 1956, focusing on sculpture. She was awarded a British Institute in Paris Scholarship for the 1956–1957 academic year, allowing her to further her art studies in France. Upon returning to England, Ellis taught art at Badminton School until her retirement in 1997. Ellis was known for her pioneering conceptual abstract oil paintings in the 1960s, noted for being ahead of their time. Additionally, she created sculptures, ceramics, jewellery, and models, showcasing her versatility and commitment to professional craftsmanship. This woodblock print depicts a rooster strutting across the farmyard. Its lines and shapes are irregular, suggesting either a deliberate folk-art influence or the natural texture of the woodblock carving process. Furthermore, Ellis makes use of the technique of 'negative space', creating contrasts between, for example, the bricks of the farm buildings and the rooster's body. This composition was likely produced in Ellis's early artistic career, before she shifted to more abstract conceptual work. In any case, it is a beautiful and evocative piece, capturing a rustic, almost timeless moment with striking simplicity. Condition: Generally very good.

If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.

Walter Hoyle (1922 - 2000) Untitled Abstract

Linocut 10 x 68 cm Signed and inscribed A/P in pencil. This linocut by Walter Hoyle is a striking abstract composition that blends geometric precision with rhythmic energy. Using a limited but bold palette of purples, oranges, browns, and whites, Hoyle divides the image into distinct panels, each filled with dynamic shapes—from radiating circles and curving grids to architectural lines and layered forms. The piece flows like a visual symphony, with each section contributing to a sense of movement and harmony. Textured line work and careful composition reflect Hoyle’s modernist sensibilities, showcasing his talent for balancing structure with expressive design. Hoyle trained at Beckenham School of Art and the Royal College of Art. At the latter he was strongly influenced by Edward Bawden, one of Britain’s greatest linocut printers. Bawden had been commissioned by the 1951 Festival of Britain to produce a mural for the South Bank, and chose Hoyle to assist on account of his great talent. Hoyle later moved to Great Bardfield in Essex, becoming a part of the Great Bardfield group of artists; diverse in style, they created figurative work, in stark contrast to the abstract art of the St Ives artists at the opposite end of the country. Hoyle taught at St Martin’s School of Art from 1951-60, the Central School of Arts and Crafts from 1960-64, and the Cambridge School of Art from 1964-1985, during which time he launched Cambridge Print Editions. His work is held in the collections of the Tate Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The British Museum, Kettle’s Yard and the Fry Art Gallery. Condition: Generally very good; a few handling marks and a little spotting to the margins.

If you would like to know more, please email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.