Tag Archives: Brian Sewell

A gift from Brian Sewell

Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée Maternal Affection, 1773 Oil on copper 43.5 x 34.5 cm A gift from the Estate of Brian Sewell, 2016 © The National Gallery, London

Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée
Maternal Affection, 1773
Oil on copper
43.5 x 34.5 cm
A gift from the Estate of Brian Sewell, 2016
© The National Gallery, London

In a June 2012 interview in The Daily Telegraph the art critic Brian Sewell recalled that “As a child, there was not a major museum or art gallery in London I didn’t know, and the National Gallery was my favourite.” Indeed these were weekly visits and so it will not come as a surprise that he left a painting to the Gallery.

The painting Maternal Affection is by the French artist Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée (1724-1805) and is the only example of his work in a national collection.  There are eleven other examples of his oeuvre at Stourhead and the Bowes Museum. The style of this painting reflects Lagrenée’s admiration for 17th century Bolognese artists, especially Guido Reni.

 

The Gallery’s Curator of Post-1800 Paintings and acting Curator of 18th century French Painting, Christopher Riopelle sums the gift up saying: “The painting is a beautifully preserved oil on copper of exquisite refinement which allows the National Gallery for the first time to show the work of an artist who was hugely admired by the most discriminating connoisseurs and collectors of contemporary French art, both French and foreign, in the final decades of the 18th century.”

 

It hangs in Room 33 alongside the Gallery’s other 18th century French pictures.

 

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk

Brian Sewell

Brian Sewell: Critic & Collector, Christie’s London King Street, 27 September 2016

Matthias Stomer (Amersfoort c. 1600-after 1652 ?Sicily or northern Italy) Blowing Hot, Blowing Cold oil on canvas 46 ¾ x 54 in. (118.8 x 137.1 cm.) Estimate: £400,000-600,000 CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Matthias Stomer (Amersfoort c. 1600-after 1652 ?Sicily or northern Italy)
Blowing Hot, Blowing Cold
oil on canvas
46 ¾ x 54 in. (118.8 x 137.1 cm.)
Estimate: £400,000-600,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

It can really come as no surprise that the taste and connoisseurship of the legendary art critic, author and award-winning journalist, Brian Sewell (1931-2015) should be commemorated in this special sale at Christie’s next week.  The two hundred and forty-eight lots range from Old Master paintings and drawings to 19th and 20th century British Art and reflect many years of collecting.  Estimates range from £600 to £600,000 and I feel sure that some estimates will be well exceeded.

John Craxton, R.A. (London 1922-2009) Lucian Freud signed 'Craxton' (lower left), dated '26.10.46.' (lower right), inscribed 'Lucian' (upper right) and inscribed again and dated again 'Lucian Freud/poros 1946' (on the backboard) pencil 22 x 17 in. (55.8 x 43.2 cm.) Estimate: £50,000 – 80,000 CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2016

John Craxton, R.A. (London 1922-2009)
Lucian Freud
signed ‘Craxton’ (lower left), dated ‘26.10.46.’ (lower right), inscribed ‘Lucian’ (upper right) and inscribed again and dated again ‘Lucian Freud/poros 1946’ (on the backboard)
pencil
22 x 17 in. (55.8 x 43.2 cm.)
Estimate: £50,000 – 80,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Following his studies in Art History at the Courtauld Institute he went on to work at Christie’s in the picture department between 1958 and 1967.  His colleague Noël Annesley (Honorary Chairman, Christie’s UK) recalled: “Brian was a young man of 27 when he joined Christie’s. As his assistant, I got to admire him and to like him enormously. He evolved from a rather shy, cerebral art historian turned auction house expert into one of the most famous and widely read British art critics of our time. Brian was a man whose opinions were sought not just on art but on a wide variety of topics, reflecting the exceptional range of his interests. He could be relied upon to provide witty and often devastating judgements. A wonderful instructor, serious but humorous too, he set a standard for us all.”

 

The current UK Chairman Orlando Rock said: “Brian Sewell was, undoubtedly, one of Christie’s most colourful and learned former colleagues. What always motivated him was his love of great art and its power to move and inspire, combined with his characteristic and acerbic wit.”

Eliot Hodgkin (1905-1987) Twelve Pheasant Eggs signed, inscribed and dated 'Twelve Pheasant Eggs/by Eliot Hodgkin/2 VII 59' (lower right) tempera on board 10½ x 16 in. (26.5 x 40.8 cm.) Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000 CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Eliot Hodgkin (1905-1987)
Twelve Pheasant Eggs
signed, inscribed and dated ‘Twelve Pheasant Eggs/by Eliot Hodgkin/2 VII 59’ (lower right)
tempera on board
10½ x 16 in. (26.5 x 40.8 cm.)
Estimate: £20,000 – 30,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

I was fortunate to meet him on many occasions through colleagues and always found him to be a very approachable man who had a great sense of what is right and was not afraid to speak out when things were not.  Our world is in need of such voices today but sadly they appear to be becoming fewer.

Daniele Ricciarelli, called Daniele da Volterra (Volterra 1509-1566) Dido reclining, asleep black chalk, watermark crossbow in a circle (Briquet 749, Lucca, 1548), unframed 13 x 18 1/8 in. (33.2 x 45.9 cm.) Estimate: £100,000 - 150,000 CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2016

Daniele Ricciarelli, called Daniele da Volterra (Volterra 1509-1566)
Dido reclining, asleep
black chalk, watermark crossbow in a circle (Briquet 749, Lucca, 1548), unframed
13 x 18 1/8 in. (33.2 x 45.9 cm.)
Estimate: £100,000 – 150,000
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2016

 

http://www.christies.com

Richard Harrison – a show dedicated to the memory of Brian Sewell

Richard Harrison – This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Brian Sewell 1931-2015, Albemarle Gallery, 49 Albemarle Street, London W1, until 9th April 2016

Pinnacles oil on linen 180 x 150 cm (71 x 59 in)

Pinnacles
oil on linen 180 x 150 cm (71 x 59 in)

In June 2015 Brian Sewell, despite being seriously ill, visited the artist’s studio to see his work and wrote a commentary on it and I share the final paragraph of that with you here.

We should see Harrison as a visionary prophet, young and formidable in mind, a painter of undiminished turbulent enquiry with all the advantages of practice, education, maturity and broad experience. Many may agree with this feeling for his work while disagreeing with my deeper interpretation. So be it. By all means see him only as a painter. Live with the marks and colours of his brush. Slowly become aware of words forming in your mind. Some of these words will be mine.

Brian Sewell

 

I certainly would not disagree with him;

The Sun’s Warm Glow oil on linen 183 x 152.5 cm (72 x 60 in)

The Sun’s Warm Glow
oil on linen 183 x 152.5 cm (72 x 60 in)

 

http://www.albemarlegallery.com