Scottish Art at Sotheby's

This month Sotheby’s launched a dedicated Scottish art sale. ‘Highlights of Scottish Art’ features eighty works by Scottish artists from the 19th and 20th centuries, including photography.

The work of renowned Scottish colourist Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell is headlining the auction. His works for sale included this piece ‘The Cheval Glass’ from his much loved Reflections series. We love this series particularly as each work shows a subject in an elegant and stylish interior. Each subject stands before a mirror and their reflection completes the portrait.

This work, also by Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell is beautifully vibrant. It depicts Florian’s Cafe in Venice and was strongly influenced by French impressionist painters like Cezanne. Cadell’s loose brushstrokes and free handling of paint give this painting a wonderful sense of energy. A work like this could perfectly enliven an interior and look dashing in a room with a neutral colour scheme.

There were also some charming works for sale by Samuel John Peploe who experimented with manipulating colour and form. He loved using strong colours and even used gesso to prime his canvas so that his colours were as vibrant as he could get them. 

William Russell Flint is particularly known for his watercolours, so this work really stood out for us. He trained as a lithographer and was a prolific book illustrator. We loved the blue, green and grey tones of this watercolour, it would lovely in a classic interior of a similar colour scheme. This work has a romantic and wistful atmosphere that is beautify elegant, a sense of stillness pervades. A work with a subtle atmosphere and tone like this can perfectly blend into an interior, bringing a splash of colour and elegance without detracting from interior design and existing architectural details.

'Made in Britain' // Sotheby's

We had a difficult decision choosing just a few of our favourites, but take a look at some of our highlights and let us know what caught your eye!

Howard Hodgkin’s work always catches our eye for its expressive colouring. The work below, entitled Moonlight (1980) is a beautiful lithograph printed in colours with additional hand-colouring. Hodgkin is one of Britain’s most important printmakers and painters and his bold style is completely captivating. Since the 1970s expressive patterning has dominated his work, combining printmaking techniques, bold brushstrokes and bright daubs of paint to produce punchy abstract works that would instantly enliven a room.

There is a finely balanced tension that we find interesting in Victor Pasmore’s work; the balance of saturated colour and fine black strikes. We were drawn to this piece entitled Senza Titolo (1991) for its unified hue. A work like this can really inform a colour scheme if you are designing a new interior, or help to tie together an existing colour scheme. We are inspired by works of art and their expressive colours and often use them as starting points for a new project’s colour scheme.

There was also a fantastic selection of ceramics on sale. The four pouring vessels by Rupert Spira, below left, are beautifully elegant in their shape and blue glaze. We were also drawn to the ceramic pieces on sale by Lucie Rie. The footed bowl, below centre, has a beautiful matt blue glaze and bronzed rim. On sale were also ceramics from one of Britain’s most respected and influential potters, Bernard Leach. The fluted bowl, below right, is made from porcelain with a celadon glaze. Its size, form and neutral glaze give it a sense of timeless elegance that would sit beautifully in either a modern or classic home.

We were also struck by the painting on sale by Mary Fedden. Fedden’s work is characterised by her use of bold, often contrasting, expressive colours. The vivid colours in the painted still life, below, left, with reds, purples and greens would really bright a vibrant splash of colour to a neutral room. We often enjoy pairing vibrant works of art with interiors that have muted colour schemes, and tie it in with details like cushions that work with the colours.

With the Tate’s major retrospective on this month, we were also looking out for works by Barbara Hepworth. The lithograph printed in black and yellow, below left, is beautifully harmonious and would perfectly compliment an interior with a muted and subtle colour scheme. The screen print, below right, by Ben Nicholson has been printed on woven silk. The delicate quality of the material blends beautifully with his subtle and sensitive colour scheme. Whether your interior is modern or classic, works of art that are elegant and subtle like this piece can really add charm to your home.

Made In Britain at Sotheby's

March’s Made in Britain auction at Sotheby’s was a rather glamorous affair. Alongside artworks from renowned British artists from David Hockney to Tracey Emin, celebrity hangout The Ivy auctioned off its previous contents for charity. The Ivy is currently undergoing a complete contemporary makeover by Martin Brudnizki Design so its classic furnishings needed to find new homes. The items up for auction ranged from its iconic front doors, doormats and stained-glass windows to cloakroom tips trays, cocktail shakers and napkins.

Here are a few of our favourite pieces from the auction ...

Joe Tilson’s painting Dionysus, The Ivy and The Vine was commissioned for the restaurant in 1990. Having been a founding figure of British Pop art in the early 1960s, Tilson’s time in Italy and Greece in the 1970s-80s dramatically changed his style. He began focusing more on Classicism, taking inspiration from ancient mythology to develop his signature style. The bright colours of this painting hark back to his Pop style, while the work’s subject matter is based on Dionysus the Greek god of wine and festivity.

This unique intaglio print by Howard Hodgkin is stunningly rich in colour. It was based on a thick forest canopy and the artist worked over the intaglio print to achieve a richly layered effect.

Future System’s pair of champagne buckets on stands and designed to appear like oversize champagne glasses. Intriguingly, their otherworldly form was instructed by the optimum angle of the bottle lying in ice.

Some pieces from London based glass artist Anthony Stern were also up for auction. Stern was commissioned to make a collection of glasses for the restaurant. These coloured glasses were intended to echo the restaurant’s diamond shaped window panes.