Nicholas – Page 12 – Toovey’s Blog

Fund-raising for Pallant House Gallery

Pallant House Gallery Chichester — Pallant House Gallery, Chichester

Toovey’s are holding a fund-raising valuations afternoon for Fine Art and Oriental Antiques on Monday 12th May 2014 at Pallant House Gallery, 9 North Pallant, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1TJ.

Toovey’s specialists will be at the gallery between 1pm and 5pm to offer free valuations of your paintings, sculptures and Asian and Islamic ceramics and works of art. A third of the seller’s commission for any items valued at the event and subsequently sold through auction at Toovey’s will be donated to the gallery.

Rupert Toovey comments: “The jewel-like collections of art at Pallant House Gallery affirm our county’s central place in the history of 20th Century Modern British. The vision of its directors, Simon Martin and Marc Steene, have established a reputation for exhibitions which are the subject of national acclaim. They have also pioneered the remarkable ‘Outside In’ program, which provides a platform for artists who find it difficult to access the art world, either because of mental health issues, disability, health and social circumstance or because their work does not conform to what is normally considered as art.”

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Hill & Millard Campaign Furniture at Toovey’s Auction

Lot 2001 Victorian campaign secretaire chest — Lot 2001 at Toovey's, a Victorian campaign secretaire chest

Two hundred and ninety Lots of Antique and Period Furniture will be offered at Toovey’s auction on Friday 25th April. Starting the sale is Lot 2001, a Victorian burr walnut and mahogany campaign secrétaire chest with recessed brass handles and mounts. This wonderful quality item bears the inset maker’s label marked ‘Hill & Millard, 7 Duncannon St. London. Patentees’ and is fitted with two short and four long drawers, the secrétaire drawer with leather writing surface, hidden compartments and letter rack, raised on later fitted squat feet. Height approx 104cm, width approx 100cm.

Hill & Millard were recorded in London commercial directories from the mid-19th Century as ‘military outfitters and trunk makers,’ describing themselves in advertisements as ‘Manufacturers of Portable Military Furniture.’ The firm are regarded by many as one of the best manufacturers of campaign furniture in this period.

“Campaign furniture was produced at a time when military personnel were required to provide their own furniture for tours of duty,” says Toovey’s furniture expert, Will Rowsell, who continues “the furniture needed to be robust for travel, and compact to fit within small cabins, tents, or if they were lucky, a billet. It is quite unusual to find an example with the luxurious burr walnut drawer fronts, perhaps indicating this was once the property of a wealthy military gentleman of high rank – we will never know for certain, and we can only speculate as to what action this lovely piece of furniture might have seen.”

Because of its compact size and clean lines, campaign furniture fits within the modern home. This secrétaire chest carries a pre-sale estimate of £2000-3000 reflecting its quality. It will be offered for sale at 10am on Friday 25th April at Toovey’s Spring Gardens rooms.

Toovey’s Cafe

Apple Crumble Tarts and Carrot Cake at Tooveys Cafe — Apple Crumble Tarts and Carrot Cake

Homemade Sausage Rolls at Toovey's Cafe — Homemade Sausage Rolls

Gluten free chocolate cake at Tooveys Cafe — Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

Those visiting Toovey’s for our pre-sale viewing and auctions in February and March will have noticed that our in-house café is undergoing change.

Toovey’s are pleased to welcome Will Murgatroyd to the café. Will previously ran and owned The Meadow in Hove having worked in kitchens across Sussex and in London. Will is keen to develop an exciting new menu for visitors, reflecting the traditions of the café. Rupert Toovey often jokes that people only come for the food in the café, nothing to do with the antiques and fine art!

Will quips ‘Rupert virtually put it in my contract that “Ma Toovey’s famous rock cakes” and the “lemon drizzle cake” remained on the menu as they reminded him of his time at university,’ he continues, ‘Eccles cakes will also remain as they remind Alan Toovey of his late mother who made the best Eccles cakes around!’ Alongside these firm family and customer favourites this month are delicious home-made egg custard tarts and a gloriously fudgy gluten-free flourless chocolate cake; both of which the team at Toovey’s would heartily recommend. A home-made apple crumble tart was revealed today that also looks incredible.

The Toovey’s café continues to serve a breakfast menu all day, offering a toasted tea cake or the customer favourite of a bacon and egg sandwich.

The café is still very much in a transitional phase and Will is looking forward to introducing new items to the menu every month on a rotational basis, often looking at the seasons for inspiration. Those wanting a light lunch are offered a variety of sandwiches and rolls, including this month a traditional egg mayonnaise and cress sandwich or a goat’s cheese, roasted pepper and rocket roll. Also on offer are roasted shallot, brie and rosemary tarts and a meaty home-made sausage roll. The seasonal options in March are a spring pea and watercress soup with ricotta, and a seasonal vegetable and cous cous salad.

We appreciate that some favourites are not currently available, but Will hopes that they will make an appearance on a more rotational basis in the future. We are also aware people sometimes can be a little hesitant towards change, but hope that once you have tried some of the delicious offerings in the café all will be forgiven and forgotten!

Please note: the café is only open when we are open for viewing and on our sale days.

Eduardo Paolozzi Sculptures & Prints for sale at Toovey’s

Lot 54 Eduardo Paolozzi at Toovey's — Lot 54: Eduardo Paolozzi 'Newton after William Blake' plaster relief

Sir Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) was a British sculptor, printmaker, filmaker and writer. He is regarded as one of the most inventive British artists to come to prominence after the Second World War with his legacy ranging from pop art to monumental public works.

0008 Eduardo Paolozzi at Toovey's — Lot 8: '72 Aeschylus & Socrates, see App 4 #123…' by Eduardo Paolozzi

He attended St Martin’s School of Art in 1944, continuing his studies in sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art where, despite his teacher’s disapproval, he discovered the work of Pablo Picasso. This influence is plain to see in his sculptures and cubist-derived collages. On a trip to France he was exposed to surrealism, which gave him the foundations for all future work. It was also while in Paris, Paolozzi produced rudimentary collages from the adverts contained within American glossy magazines that echoed Dada photomontage. These early examples of pop art were the focus of a recent exhibition at Pallant House Gallery, featured by Rupert Toovey in his article ‘“Collaging Culture” at Pallant House Gallery‘.

His large public sculptures were numerous, in Britain they included the mosaic decoration in Tottenham Court Road underground station, a bronze figure of Isaac Newton for the entrance of the British Library, an abstract monument for Euston Square in London and a large sculpture for the Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh. Eduardo Paolozzi was made a CBE in 1968, an RA in 1979 and a knight in 1989. The Tate Gallery had a retrospective exhibition of Paolozzi’s work in 1971.

Throughout Paolozzi’s career the human form, language and a fascination of industrial engineering remained as sources of inspiration. These influences can all be seen in a single owner collection of works by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi to be offered at Toovey’s on 26th March 2014. The collection of plaster and bronze sculptures and prints by Paolozzi was discovered by Rupert Toovey in an attic in Newhaven. In his recent article Rupert states:

“This exciting collection provides a valuable insight into the work of Sir Eduardo Paolozzi. There are iconic examples and more modest pieces expressing the joy and humour in his view of the world, often with a surrealist influence. Paolozzi’s work is layered, textural and thought-provoking, delighting the eye and the mind.”

The single owner collection will be offered for sale as part of the Selected Fine Art Auction (Lots 1-68) on Wednesday 26th March 2014. Viewing for the auction commences on Saturday 22nd March between 9.30am and 12 noon. Click here to view the collection online.