Cornish Art from a Cornish Home

Press Release

This month’s art auction at Plymouth Auction Rooms will feature a collection of paintings from an estate of a lady in Saltash who had spent many years collecting paintings by artists connected with Cornwall.  The haul of some fifty artworks contains contemporary and traditional scenes by popular artists including Fred Yates, Alexander McKenzie, Hugh Ridge, John Piper, Joe Marsh, Henry Martin, Eleanor Hughes, and also Robert Lenkiewicz.

From the collection, a rare 1954 painting by Alexander Mackenzie (1923-2002) titled ‘Bosulval’ shows Cornish cottages near Lands’ End. Alexander Mackenzie was a British abstract artist and member of the St.Ives School. He was Head of Fine Art at Plymouth College of Art in the 1960s to ’80s. He was influenced by Ben Nicholson and knew Barbara Hepworth and other major St Ives artists. The painting is expected to sell for over £1,000.

Poldark fans may like ‘Cliffs At Botallack’ by Robert Morson Hughes (1873-1953) West Cornwall, 60cm x 81cm, Hughes studied under Stanhope Forbes at his school of Painting at Newlyn, Cornwall and exhibited at the Royal Academy.

A few hundred yards from the home is a painting by Fred Yates (one of nine in the sale) it shows a view of the Tamar and Brunel Bridges heading into Cornwall. It is expected to sell for over £2,000.

Of particular interest is an original work by Jack Pender (1918 to 1998), which was known by the lady as ‘Newlyn Fishermen’ 92cm x 70cm.  This original oil work shows Pender’s artistic skills in abstraction and realism combined. Pender was born in Mousehole, Cornwall and taught at Plymouth Art School, he also showed his work at the Newlyn and Penwith Society through the late 1940s.

The auction will be held on Wednesday 23^rd June at Plymouth Auction Rooms starting at 6 pm, and can be viewed online at plymouthauctions.co.uk.

View the Contemporary Art Catalogue.

View the Robert Lenkiewicz Art Catalogue.