Fine Newlyn and Modern British Paintings at Plymouth Auction Rooms

Three rare paintings consigned by one client are expected to be the headliners at next month’s Art Auction here at Plymouth Auction Rooms. Delivered to the Saleroom this week, the art works are part of a collection of antiques and collectables from a South Hams property.

Causing some real excitement, is a most charming painting titled ‘A Ring, A Ring of Roses’ (Lot 187).  The quality of the painting is clear to see, and auctioneer Paul Keen was was delighted to see the signature of the important Newlyn artist Harold Harvey (1874 – 1941).

Harold Harvey was born in Penzance and became one of the most gifted of the Newlyn School, spending his lifetime working in the area. He was a prolific artist and a central figure in the Newlyn colony. His mentor was Stanhope Forbes, and he regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy. This painting is probably from his more mature years as an artist, when he developed a distinctive and recognisable style of figurative painting. It measures at 36cm x 46xm, and has an auction estimate of £4,000 to £6,000.

Auctioneer Paul Keen comments “this is a rare and beautiful painting, which has not been seen on the market for a generation.”

Paintings by Fred Yates are in high demand and some exceptional prices have been achieved in the last year. A good painting titled ‘Mudlarks’ (Lot 185) was painted at Noss Mayo in 1987, nearby the family home, and in fact, their small sailboat can be seen in the painting. It is fully signed, and measures 41cm x 61cm. It is expected to sell for £2,000 to £3,000.

Alan Lowndes (1921 – 1978) was a British painter known primarily for his scenes of northern life, and like Lowry he was a painter of the working classes. Later in his lifetime in St Ives, he was a close friend of many of the St Ives School artists. His paintings rarely come onto the auction market and are highly collected. A good size oil titled ‘Mousehole Harbour’ (Lot 186) was painted in 1977 and was exhibited in 1986 at the Crane Kalman Gallery in London as part of his retrospective 1986 collection. This painting has been in the family since. It measures 41cm x 61cm, and is expected to attract national interest. It could easily sell for £5,000 to £10,000.

The auction will be held on Wednesday 16th March, and the catalogue can be viewed online here.

If you have similar artwork to sell, contact us via either Email or Call on 01752 254740.