Colourful blossom lifts spirits in May but a giant floral artwork in Hansons’ Derbyshire saleroom makes every day feel like spring, writes Charles Hanson
Violas and pansies abound in the watercolour, which measures 189cm x 99cm. To make it even more eye-catching, the painting has been mounted in a lightbox. It’s like switching on sunshine.
The private commission was painted by Derbyshire artist Deborah Allitt in 2003 and it is delightful. It is being offered in Hansons’ June 1 Decorative Arts sale with an estimate of £2,000-£2,500 (lot 56).
I’m always thrilled to see home-grown talent shine bright in our Derbyshire saleroom. Deborah has lived in Derbyshire for most of her life, and now lives near Derby. In the 1980s she studied Fine Art at Middlesex University and then the West of England Art School where she specialised in painting. In 2005 she completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Fine Art at Derby University. Her work brightens permanent collections across the UK and can be seen in Royal Derby Hospital.
She’s inspired by her love of beautiful landscapes. Her website (deballitt.co.uk) states: “My work is a response to the light, colours and textures we experience in the natural world, translated into painting. I want the paintings to represent real places, and at the same time to be sensational experiences in themselves! Paint colour, lots of texture and the energy of the finished painting are as important as the pictorial element.”
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JUNE 1 DECORATIVE ARTS AUCTION CATALOGUE
She achieves that with the statement piece set for auction. It illustrates the eclectic nature of Hansons’ Decorative Arts sales, which are led by valuer Barry Jones. His sales are exquisitely diverse bringing together sculpture, ceramics, furniture, textiles, a myriad of Art Deco items and much more.
Another striking June 1 lot is a large signed Murano glass sculpture in an abstract, multi-coloured swirl design, £800-£1,200 (lot 216). Glassware is an important section and lot 172 also draws the eye, a Ditchfield vase in the form of a floral spray, £150-£200.
Meanwhile, ceramics bring together items by the likes of Dame Lucie Rie, Clarice Cliff and Moorcroft, while furniture celebrates the work of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson and iconic design from the 1960s and 70s.
The popularity of furniture from those decades means an early 1970s three-piece suite in an orange bouclé fabric enters our June 1 sale with an estimate of £800-£1,000. Teak sideboards, tables and chairs are also popular. Alternatively, some bidders may prefer to wind back the clock further and snap up lot 19, two Art Deco 1930s table lamps with lady figure detail and large globe shades, £150-£200. If you yearn for the unusual Hansons’ Decorative Arts sales are great hunting grounds.
People are often surprised by the value of 20th century items that may have adorned their parents’ or grandparents’ homes. Furniture, paintings, lighting and ceramics from the 1950s, 60s and 70s are in vogue.
Hansons’ April Decorative Arts sale saw everything from glassware to a teak table hit the right spot with bidders. However, the two top-selling lots were vibrant oil paintings by Fred Yates. One named Penlee Park (lot 200) achieved £4,200 while another, Pont, (lot 201) hammered at £4,000.
Lancashire-born Yates (1922-2008) was inspired by L S Lowry. Like him, Yates set out to depict the lives of ordinary people. However, Yates’s paintings combined sharp observations of people with strong, impressionist colours and expressive brushwork. His paintings are in many private and public collections including Brighton and Hove Art Gallery, Liverpool University and Russell Coates Gallery Bournemouth.
Furniture came to the fore in lot 246. A pair of Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson Oak Monk’s chairs made £2,100, racing past their £1,500 guide. Meanwhile teak’s popularity saw lot 234, a Danish teak ‘Model SH 180’ desk, designed by Svend Madsen for Sigurd Hansen Møbelfabrik, achieve £540.
Ceramics play a major part in Decorative Arts sales and lot 37, a striking Burmantofts double gourd faience dragon vase, achieved £1,300. In similar view, lot 40 a Burmantofts blue faience dragon bottle-shaped vase roared to £420.
Burmantofts Pottery was named after the Burmantofts district of Leeds. The business began in 1859 when fire clay was discovered in a coal mine owned by William Wilcock and John Lassey.
Other lots to woo bidders included a 1933 Ruskin high-fired baluster vase in shades of red/grey, £400 (lot 33); a large Troika brown-glaze ‘circle’ vase by Benny Sirota, £360 (lot 97) and a Lalique Champs Elysees crystal bowl in leaf design, £850 (lot 73).
To view the June 1 Decorative Arts catalogue visit www.hansonslive.co.uk or www.the-saleroom.com.
Auction entries invited
Entries are invited until June 15 for the July Decorative Arts sale. To book a free valuation, or to discuss a potential consignment, please email Barry Jones: [email protected] or call 01283 733988.
