A rt has always played an important role in human civilization – whether to inspire, to escape or to engage – and now more than ever we look to art to make sense of the world around us. At the heart of art sits the concept of collecting, and Eclectic | London looks at what it means to be a collector in the modern world. Gone are the confines of period, geographical region and material, and instead this sale celebrates the narratives that link together art works created hundreds of years and thousands of miles apart. With estimates starting from as little as £500, and with many works offered without reserve, Eclectic | London offers something for every collector, at every price level!
Eclectic | London celebrates works created across the globe, drawing exciting visual narratives and drawing parallels between artists and makers that are often thousands of miles apart. And whilst travel now may pose difficult below are a selection of works from the sale that will allow you to tour the world from the comfort of your sofa!
Sir Peter Blake, R.A.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater, 1963
Estimate £15,000–25,000
Painted during one of the many visits Pop artist Peter Blake made to visit his close friend David Hockney in Los Angeles, this work comes from the collection of legendary music producer Bryan Morrison and depicts the artist on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Andy Warhol
Jack Nicklaus (F. & S. IIIC.13b), circa 1977
Estimate £15,000–20,000
Nothing says New York quite like the legend that is Andy Warhol who in the 1960s set up his factory, creating iconic images of celebrities, sports stars and royalty of the day – including this 1970s print of American golfer Jack Nicklaus.
Diego Rivera
Nude with Long Hair (Dolores Olmedo)
Estimate £4,000–6,000
Printed in Mexico City, Rivera's lithograph celebrates local philanthropist Dolores Olmedo, a dear friend who formed the greatest private collection of his work, now housed at the eponymous Museo Dolores Olmedo.
Louis le Brocquy, R.H.A.
Study Towards an Image of Delacroix, 1982
Estimate £5,000–8,000
Here Le Brocquy’s distinctive approach - building up the portraits via subtle strokes against a white background - seeks to capture the essence of artist Eugene Delacroix.
Terry O’Neill
Paul McCartney at Ringo Star’s Wedding, 1981
Estimate £2,000–3,000
British photographer Terry O’Neill shot to fame in the 1960s and ‘70s capturing the explosion of celebrity culture all across the world. Renowned for his photographs of actors, musicians and fashion super stars, this shot was taken as Paul McCartney played the piano at Ringo Star’s wedding – a true moment of British Pop history!
János Vaszary
Sailors in Portorož, Slovenia, circa 1930
Estimate £15,000–20,000
Whether sketching a group of sailors in a moment of rest on the promenade, or a boat sailing off towards a faraway island, paintings such as the present work by Vaszary convey the joy, the freedom and the carefree state of mind of the Mediterranean way of life!
Giovanni Domenico Lombardi
The Fortune Teller
Estimate £6,000–8,000
The Fortune Teller was a subject much favoured by Lombardi, an artist from Lucca in Tuscany. The theatricality and comic potential of the scene was much employed by artists throughout Italy in the seventeenth century, mostly notably Caravaggio and his followers.
Ibou Diouf
Les poetesses, 1980
Estimate £3,000–5,000
Regarded as a progenitor of Modern Art in West Africa, Ibou Diouf belonged to the prestigious Dakar School which defined the artistic vision of post-colonial and independent Senegal. The artist works with a vibrant palette which translates to his canvases. Les poetesses exemplifies the vigor of the newly found nation and carries on the tradition of storytelling prevalent in African art.
Peter Beard
Giraffes in Mirage on the Taru Desert, Kenya, June 1960
Estimate £30,000–40,000
This year marked the passing of renowned wildlife photographer Peter Beard, who rose to fame during the 1960s and ‘70s, working from Hog Ranch, a stunning 45-acre property in Kenya that the photographer purchased after falling in love with Africa and its wildlife.
Mohammad Ali Talpur
Machine Drawings (Diptych), 2006
Estimate £2,000–3,000
Best known for his minimalist drawings Mohammad Ali Talpur is one of the most celebrated contemporary Pakistani artists. Born in Hyderabad, Pakistan, Talpur did his Bachelor’s in Fine Art from the National College of Arts, Lahore, where he now teaches.
An inscribed pale celadon jade ‘Luohan’ Boulder Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period
Estimate £50,000–70,000
With its powerful three-dimensional rendering of Vanavasin, one of the sixteen luohan, seated amongst a grotto, this large boulder not served not only as a symbolic religious imagery, but also excelled as a work of art in its own right.
The Outlaw (1943)
1950 First Australian Release Poster
Estimate £1,200–1,800
Produced and directed by Howard Hughes, The Outlaw starred Jack Buetel, Thomas Mitchell and Jane Russell. It tells the story of Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid, and was Russell's breakthrough role, turning her into an instant global sex symbol.
Art and nature have always gone hand in hand. From the earliest beginnings of the visual arts it has been the natural world that has inspired artists and makers to create. A constant source of inspiration the world over, artists have looked to the subject, creating some of their most inspiring works – and Eclectic | London features an exciting array of works that offer a window to the world.
The female nude remains a central theme within the field of art history both in the Western world and beyond. Since well before the earliest depictions of Eve, artists and makers have used the female nude to discuss ideas of beauty, gender and class.
Across the world we are obsessed with entertainment – whether through our television screens, cinemas or theatres. And throughout the ages art and entertainment have gone hand in hand, with movie stars becoming muses and artists become set and costume designers. Here we take a look at a few of these connections.
Ernst Barlach
Vergnügtes Einbein (The Carefree Peg-Leg), 1934/8
Estimate £12,000–18,000
French School, 18th Century
The Toilet of Venus
Estimate £2,000–3,000
Salvador Dalí
Pluie du printemps, projet pour un tissu imprimé de la collection Stimulus pour Schiffer Prints Division de Mil-Art Company, 1949
Estimate £50,000–70,000
Louis le Brocquy, R.H.A.
Study Towards an Image of Delacroix, 1982
Estimate £5,000–8,000
Jasper Johns
Untitled (ULAE 206), 1980
Estimate £15,000–20,000
Gillian Ayres, R.A.
Untitled, 1967
Estimate £3,000–5,000
Miquel Barceló
1/2 Grand Melon, 2014
Estimate £80,000–120,000
Albert Watson
Kate Moss in Torn Veil, Marrakech, 1993
Estimate £7,000–10,000
Diego Rivera
Nude with Long Hair (Dolores Olmedo), 1930
Estimate £4,000–6,000
Joan Miró
Equinoxe (D. 428), 1967
Estimate £38,000–42,000
Henri Ottmann
Nu au masque
Estimate £7,000–10,000
Sir Alfred Gilbert R.A.
Offering to Hymen
Estimate £2,000–3,000
Henri Matisse
Le Grand Bois (Duthuit 317), 1906
Estimate £15,000–20,000
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