Unseen Millet Discovered by Toovey’s

Two women resting after their labour – Jean François Millet

Toovey’s are delighted to offer an original crayon noir on laid paper by Jean-François Millet (1814-1875) in their forthcoming Fine Art auction on 27th November. The work was previously unseen and untraced for 74 years.

This work is a study for Millet’s The Faggot Gatherers in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland which can be seen online by clicking here. Acquired by Augustus Philip Brandt at some point in the late 19th/early 20th century, the present work has remained within the family until the present time.

In 1851, Millet left Paris for Barbizon with his family, drawn to the rural village on the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau. There, he was profoundly affected by the sight of local women who gathered bundles of sticks, or faggots, to sell as firewood—work that typically fell to the poorest members of society, often older women. As a child of a farming family, Millet felt a deep connection to these scenes of rural hardship, making the figure of the faggot gatherer a recurring motif in his body of work., Millet wrote to his friend and future biographer, Alfred Sensier, describing his first interactions with the local peasant labourers.

Jean François Millet (French 1814-1875), The Faggot Gatherers, crayon noir on laid paper

You are seated under the tree experiencing all the well-being, and the tranquillity that you can enjoy; then you catch sight, coming down a little footpath, of a poor figure laden with a faggot. The unexpected and always striking way in which this figure appears before you takes you back unwillingly to the unhappy condition of mankind, to the fatigue. It always gives an impression like that La Fontaine expresses in his fable of the woodcutter: ‘What pleasure has he had since he was born? Is there a poorer man on this round earth?’

This theme permeated many of Millet’s sketches and paintings from the period of around 1850 to 1855. The present work captures two women resting after their labour: the bare, shoeless feet of the younger woman signal her poverty, while the older woman’s bent posture and claw-like hands
suggest years of gruelling toil. Millet’s dedication to Realism shines through, reflecting his moral sensitivity to the suffering and despair he witnessed in the peasant community. The drawing exemplifies unflinching realism, observed directly from life, yet Millet elevates the scene to an allegory on the passage of time, in which the young figure looks down at the elder as if confronted with her own inevitable fate.

Differences between the present work and the oil on panel at the National Galleries of Scotland include the placement of the faggot bundle, and the hand positions of the figures. The wood in the background, likely the Bas Breau area of the forest of Fontainebleau, is more imposing in the final work, the shadows of which form a chiaroscuro foundation for the figures to be lit from a single light source emanating off canvas.

Details from Loan Exhibition Catalogue

In 1950 the present work was exhibited alongside the oil version in ‘A Loan Exhibition of the School of 1830 in France’ organised by Wildenstein & Co. as catalogue number 54, where it was leant by ‘a Private Collector, London’, Augustus Philip Brandt (1871-1952).

Augustus Philip Brandt, the eldest of four brothers, was born in London on April 15, 1871, to Augustus Ferdinand Brandt of Hamburg and Elizabeth von Oesterreich of St. Petersburg. In 1895, he became a partner in his family’s merchant banking firm, Wm. Brandt’s Sons & Company, originally founded by his ancestor Emmanuel Brandt in 1805 and transformed into a banking business by his father in 1859. Augustus took on the responsibility for the bank’s American interests. The firm itself was multifaceted, encompassing banking, timber, commodities, and insurance.

During a trip to Egypt, Augustus met and fell in love with Jean Champion Garmany of Savannah, Georgia. They wed in May 1898 and had two daughters: Jean, born in 1900, and Gwendolen, born in 1904. Augustus, reserved and private, was a striking contrast to his sociable wife, who hosted grand gatherings at their home, Castle Hill, Bletchingley.

Jean-François Millet’s signature

At Castle Hill, Augustus enjoyed seclusion in his small studio, a workshop he crafted from part of the stables, where he engaged in woodworking and cabinet making. The garden was another haven for him, where he would spend hours taking in the sweeping views over the Weald. Whenever possible, he set out on walking expeditions in the Bavarian Alps, often accompanied by his daughter Gwen. Augustus collected artworks by European artists, and in 1927 he commissioned Philip de László to paint members of his family, including himself. Augustus died at Bletchingley in 1952.

Toovey’s would like to thank Aidan Weston-Lewis, Joe Tursellino, Professor Frances Fowle, Hannah Brockhurst, and Tim Williams for their assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.

Remembrance, Courage, Sacrifice and Hope

The Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall

Families, communities and nations are shaped and bound together by their common stories. Stories of both joys and sorrows.

There are moments in the procession of the our long island history which in their re-telling have become the stuff of legend and which define the character of our island people. They have inspired our writers, artists and leaders. King Alfred hiding from the Viking hoards in the marshes of Athelney in Somerset emerging to defeat their armies. The rescuing of almost all of the British Expeditionary Force, some 338,000 men, from the beaches of Dunkirk by a flotilla of more than 800 civilian pleasure craft in the May of 1940. This year we have marked the 80th Anniversary of D-day and the stories of courage and sacrifice in the cause of freedom, justice and the defence of our shared values, our way of life have been told by a dwindling band of men and women who took part in these momentous events. As I watched the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall I was struck by power of their first hand witness to the events they had lived through. It was as though their memories were ours too. As this remarkable generation fades these stories may well become the stuff of legend. But there is a risk that when history becomes legend there is a danger that we may forget the lessons of our past – that freedom, justice and hope, our way of life and shared values, democracy, are all hard won and must be defended strongly in times of peace as well as conflict.

Richard Shenton, Brigadier Willie Shackell and Des Knight at the Royal British Legion Act of Remembrance at St Mary’s, Storrington

Hope is an important corner stone of a Christian life, in fact a good life however we are inspired whether our hearts be sacred or secular. But today 24/7 news, social media and fake-news unceasingly breaks into our lives with a catalogue of tragedy, war, fear, climate change and suffering. In the face of this our sense of hope, our agency, is diminished and evil is emboldened persuading us that we are powerless to effect change. I think it was my mother who once said to me “You can’t change the world but you can change your corner of it.” This profoundly hopeful statement has much to commend it. Each of us, if we turn our attention from the digital media for a moment, will bear witness to extraordinary hope filled acts of human kindness and generosity all around us, especially in response to suffering and need.

A Revival of English Country House Taste

A pair of George III Chippendale period giltwood pier mirrors from the collection of the late Michael Rawlins of Wakefords, Easebourne

I much prefer a rich, textural English Country House interior over the austerity of minimalism. English Country House Taste is layered and eclectic always reflecting the taste and interests of a family and often the patchwork quilt of a family’s stories and interests over generations. It is unpretentious, layered and evolving.

My Grandparents home made a great impression on me. They had lived through the Second World War and they created a gathering interior. Their home was generous but not grand, rich, eclectic and beautifully conceived. Although quite open in design it was made up of a series of spaces to gather and enjoy the company of friends and family. Two sofas enfolded the fireplace with flanking armchairs and a Regency single-pedestal Pembroke table, the draw always smelt of pipe tobacco and 2B pencils. Chinese porcelain vases served as table lamps with crisp pleated shades, the walls filled with paintings and a bookcase because outward facing lively minds mattered. In the dining room a George V oak gateleg dining table reflected the light from the garden on its richly bees-waxed top surrounded by Georgian chairs. And to the side a chrome and red lacquer drinks trolley held a decanter of Madeira with an assortment of favourite glasses. These two areas were defined by a mahogany bureau which sat confidently against a wall between them.

A rich composition of furniture, paintings and objects in the English Country House taste

The late Michael Rawlins’s interiors were more formal and the collections reflected a glamorous taste. Michael built his home Wakefords at Easebourne when he moved from River. It beautifully demonstrates how English antique paintings, objects and furniture compliment the interior of a home from any period. The windows were framed by chintz curtains and the sofas and armchairs, which framed the fireplace in the drawing room, were upholstered in bright colours reflecting the influence of Colefax and Fowler and the interior designer John Fowler on a post-war generation. The furniture from Michael’s collection has just gone under the hammer at Toovey’s. The George III Chippendale period giltwood pier mirrors realised £3700. They formed part of a layered composition of paintings, furniture lights and objects typical of English Country House taste. There is a revival of intertest in the comfortable and timeless taste of the English country house. And today the quality of antique furniture, its beauty and exceptional value is beginning to attract the attention of decorators and collectors once again.

Rubies Are Amongst The World’s Most Valued Gem Stones

A late Victorian ruby and diamond set necklace in the garland style

Rubies are over 500 million years old and amongst the world’s most valued gemstones.

Amongst the star lots entered in Toovey’s October Fine Jewellery auction was a late 19th century gold backed, silver set, ruby and diamond necklace in the garland style. As the 19th century drew to a close Victorian tastes were reinterpreted in lighter more delicate styles influenced by France’s Belle Époque which spanned from the late 19th century up until the start of the Great War in 1914. It was characterised by optimism, regional peace, economic prosperity, scientific and technological advances and an era where the arts flourished influencing the tastes of other nations including our own. Jewellery from the period combines opulence with graceful lines set with a variety of gems, often in the garland style which influenced the production of almost all jewellery houses in the late 19th century and early years of the 20th century. Louis Cartier was considered the master of the garland style. In the early years of the 20th century Cartier opened his shop in London. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries England’s wealth was at its height and demand for fine jewellery had never been higher. In the second half of the 19th century the jewellery industry flourished in England.

A late Victorian ruby and diamond set necklace in the garland style

These influences and the fashion for the garland style is clearly recognisable in the acanthus leaf scroll and floral garlands of this exceptional necklace. The fluidity of design embraces both the classical and rococo and the necklace sold for £13,000.

The quality of a ruby is determined by its colour, cut, and clarity, and size which is measured in carats. All these things have to be considered when arriving at a value. The brightest and most valuable shade of red, called blood-red or pigeon blood, commands a large premium over other rubies of similar quality. After colour follows clarity, the clearer the stone the more valuable it is likely to be. The rubies in the platinum, ruby and diamond set bracelet were particularly fine. Although unmarked the jewel came with  an associated Cartier box and made £18,000 at Toovey’s.

A platinum, ruby and diamond set bracelet

Jewellery so often reflects points of love in our lives and is a celebration of that important human purpose to be creative and make beauty in the world.

Toovey’s jewellery specialist Sarah Harwood, a diamond graduate and Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, is always pleased to share her expertise in jewellery and fine gems whether you need a valuation or are interested in selling or acquiring jewellery.

The Ron Elam Collection of Local Yesterdays

The Late Ron Elam

The Ron Elam Collection of postcards is to go under the gavel at Toovey’s Sussex rooms on Wednesday 13th November 2024.

A photographic postcard of Moore’s “Presto” Motor Works in Croydon
A photographic postcard of Spooners Laundry vehicles off Wandsworth Common

“It’s by far the best collection of London postcards I have seen to date” said specialist postcard auctioneer and valuer Nick Toovey, who continued “it’s like a pictorial A-Z of central and south London. It not only offers a breadth of different views but also some quality postcards that will be hard to find again”.

A photographic postcard titled ‘The Ha’penny Bumper, St James’s Rd, Old Kent Rd’
A photographic postcard of a train in a street in Deptford

This remarkable collection was amassed by Wandsworth-based local historian Ron Elam. For several decades (from the early 1980s until 2012) he had a stall every Saturday on Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common trading as Local Yesterdays. There, passers-by could browse his postcard collection. Ron sold framed photographic prints which were created from the original postcards.

A photographic postcard titled ‘Balham Station’
A photographic postcard titled ‘Entrance to Chelsea Football Ground’

Local Wandsworth resident, Caroline, remembers “Ron was on his stall whatever the weather. I remember him once being there when it was snowing! I would often stop, have a chat and look at the postcards. I enjoyed imagining how the area would have looked in times gone by.”

A photographic postcard titled ‘Petrol Pumps at Work, Head Quarters L.F.B.’
A photographic postcard of the demolition of the North Tower at the Crystal Palace

These snapshots of an era in time make topographical postcards so appealing for the collector. The window into the past shows how life was different in the city over 100 years ago. Trams and horses and carts join charabancs and buses in the hustle and bustle of the capital. Scenes that have changed dramatically are very apparent throughout the collection, but are contrasted by views that reassuringly don’t differ very much despite the passing of time and advancements in technology.

A photographic postcard of the junction of Harrow Road and Hazel Road, Kensal Green
A photographic postcard titled ‘New Cross Gate’

The collection spans over 100 albums and is generally organised by area, which is how the collection will be offered at the specialist auction. The strength of the collection lies in the Boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth, but covers all other parts of London and even other parts of the UK.

A photographic postcard titled ‘Alleyan Road, Dulwich’
A photographic titled ‘Lyndhurst Road in War Time’

“It has been fantastic having the opportunity to catalogue the collection and see so many different views of London in the past. I can’t wait to wield my gavel and see what they make on the 13th” said Nick.

The catalogue will be online at www.tooveys.com from Saturday 2nd November.

A photographic postcard of Titus Ward & Co shopfront in Battersea
A photographic postcard titled ‘Clapham Junction’