It would be lovely to just talk about the weather again!

Stanley Roy Badmin – ‘Skating on a Winter Afternoon’, watercolour with touches of gouache © Toovey’s 2020

Last Wednesday I popped into McColl’s newsagents in Storrington as usual to collect my copy of the West Sussex Gazette. The ladies greeted me cheerfully “We’ve really been enjoying the snow, it’s so lovely to have something to talk about instead of Covid and Brexit.” I agreed, it would be lovely to just talk about the weather again.

As I drove to the salerooms at Washington the fields and Downs looked beautiful beneath their light dusting of snow.

The scene brought to mind two joyful winter landscapes by the Sussex watercolourist and print maker, Stanley Roy Badmin (1906-1989) which sold at Toovey’s for £1700 and £2400 respectively. Badmin moved to Bignor, Sussex in 1959 with his family and second wife Roasaline.

Born at Sydenham, Badmin trained at the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts between 1922 and 1924, and the Royal College of Art between 1924 and 1927 where he studied painting and design. He taught and worked as an etcher, illustrator and artist. In the 1930s he was elected to the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, and the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours. During the Second World War Badmin worked on Kenneth Clark’s Recording Britain project. After the war he contributed illustrations to The Shell Guide to Trees and Shrubs, and four volumes of the Shell Guides to the Counties of England.

Together with artists like John Piper and Graham Sutherland, Stanley Roy Badmin was part of a collective English re-thinking of the role of locality and place in relation to our identity from the 1930s onwards.

In both the watercolours illustrated there is beauty in Badmin’s detailed, accurate depiction of the trees and the anecdotal charm of the people.

Stanley Roy Badmin – ‘River Ouse looking E. from Odell’, watercolour with gouache © Toovey’s 2020

Although the first watercolour is a snow covered Yorkshire scene it reminds me of that piece of open country which ascends to the Downs to the west of Washington. Here our familiar flock of sheep is replaced by a small but happy gathering of dogs with their owners and children on toboggans.

In the playful landscape Skating on a Winter Afternoon the lyrical sweep of the frozen river emphasises the speed and movement of the skaters which is echoed in the rhythm of the trees. In the lower left hand corner a Mallard duck seems to quack in appreciation at the happy commotion of the gathering.

In line with government advice, and to keep our community safe, Toovey’s is gathering people to our Winter Season of sales online. Until the current lockdown is lifted we can no longer welcome people at the salerooms except for ‘click and collect’. But people are delighted to be able to email images for online valuations or book a home visit. I am still visiting people in their homes, in line with government guidance, to provide valuations.

Online is an incredible blessing in these times. I hope that you are able to stay safe. For now I look forward to gathering you online to Toovey’s Winter Season of sales which can be viewed at www.tooveys.com.

The Royal Pavilion as George IV Intended

The Orléans Chinese porcelain jars, circa 1710, with later English additions © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2019

As the New Year dawns we are returning to The Royal Pavilion, Brighton to once again experience ‘A Prince’s Treasure’, an exhibition of international importance which remains on show for much of 2021.

The exhibition showcases a spectacular loan of some 120 decorative works of art from Her Majesty The Queen; pieces that were originally commissioned by the Prince Regent for the Royal Pavilion. It provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for visitors to see these objects of unparalleled magnificence in their original setting. The Pavilion’s exotic, regal interiors come alive in the company of the pieces commissioned for them, and further our understanding of the future George IV’s influence and tastes as Britain became an economic superpower.

I am once again in the company of David Beevers, Keeper of the Royal Pavilion, who has overseen this remarkable collaboration between the Royal Collection Trust and the Royal Pavilion.

I am always delighted to return to the third of the Pavilion’s great state rooms, the Music Room. It was created to reflect George IV’s love of music. The magnificent decoration is not constrained in anyway. It is a masterpiece of one of the King’s chief decorators, Frederick Crace. Under Crace’s instructions Henry Lambert, together with 34 assistants, painted the canvas panels with Chinese scenes in gold against crimson grounds creating the impression of the room being like a huge chinoiserie box. I adore the carved, painted and silvered dragons which shimmer as they support the canvases and blue silk drapes. The chandeliers take the form of spreading lotus flowers adding life and perspective to John Nash’s domed and tented ceiling.

The Chinese porcelain pagodas, circa 1803, with English additions © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2019

Despite my familiarity with the room David Beevers remarks excitedly that I must look to the right as we enter it. I am unprepared and overwhelmed by the spectacle of the line of six enormous porcelain pagodas which make sense of and give voice to the scale of this room.

These imposing porcelain objects were acquired in 1803/1804 from China and the dealer Robert Fogg. Fogg supplied the English Spode porcelain bases as well as the gilded bronze bells, dolphins and dogs, and the dragon finials which were subcontracted to B.L. Vulliamy.

Flanking the marvellous fireplace are two of the magnificent Orléans jars. Over nine feet high they were used as oil lamps in the corners of the Music Room. George IV was particularly interested in objects associated with the French monarchy and three of the jars bear the arms of Phillipe, duc d’Orleans, Regent of France from 1715-1723. The bases are Spode and the gilded bronze fittings are again from B.L. Vulliamy.

Many of the decorative works of art have not been on public display for over 170 years and are on loan to the Royal Pavilion whilst essential building works in the East Wing of Buckingham Palace take place. They were removed to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria in 1847 when it was thought that the Royal Pavilion might be demolished. It is wonderful to see them temporarily re-united with their original setting.

‘A Prince’s Treasure’ is 2021’s must see exhibition in Sussex. To find out more and to book your tickets as soon as Tier 4 restrictions are lifted visit www.brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion.

2020 – A Year Defined by Courage, Duty and Service

Sir David Attenborough with exhibition curator and Turner’s House Trustee Andrew Loukes (foreground) © Turner’s House Trust/Anna Kunst

2020 marked the 75th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War. We reflected on the courage, duty and sacrifice of a generation united by their common story. They worked and fought for what Winston Churchill described as “…the victory of the cause of freedom in every land”.

In the face of a global pandemic the men and women of our NHS reminded us that these qualities are still at the heart of our nation.

Our shared experience of Covid-19 has renewed our common story. A story of joys and sorrows. I have been humbled by the resilience of people and generosity of spirit towards those in need. Communities rose to the evolving challenges. In the face of adversity and separation from loved ones there was a sense of genuine care for others.

There can be no doubt that the government’s intelligent, fast and evolving action to support businesses will have preserved the corner stones of Britain’s economy and a huge number of families’ livelihoods and homes.

Amongst the silent majority there seems to be an intentional renaissance, a real shift towards the importance of supporting local shops, businesses and community.

A nation is defined by its history, heritage and the arts. This year has brought huge challenges to this important aspect of our lives. And yet there have been triumphs too. Andrew Loukes has won much acclaim for the National Trust through his curatorial flair at Petworth over many years. He once again attracted national attention with his sell out exhibition Turner and the Thames, at Turner’s House in Twickenham. David Beevers launched A Prince’s Treasure, an exhibition of international importance which continues at The Royal Pavilion, Brighton. The positive economic impact of the arts and heritage on our economy is often misunderstood. I hope that the government will continue to look to find imaginative ways to support this important sector of our economy which speaks into the nation’s very identity.

At Toovey’s we celebrated our 25th Anniversary with a Valentine’s night fund raiser for Chestnut Tree House Hospice – one of the many important local charities which we support.

Rupert Toovey with trademark bowtie on appointment in the downland village of Amberley, West Sussex

For me there is a joy to accompanying people through their art, collectors’ items and antiques. I have continued to be invited into people’s homes to value their treasures for auction and probate in a Covid-safe way.

We have gathered people at our specialist auctions, at times in person by appointment and at other points online, keeping people safe and supporting the government as the demands of Covid-19 evolves. Prices at our auctions have continued to rise throughout 2020.

Toovey’s re-opens on the 4th January 2021 with an exciting calendar of winter specialist auctions. I feel optimistic about the coming year and look forward to welcoming you in person or online.

It remains for me to wish you and those you love a Happy New Year.

The Meaning of Christmas defined by a Mother’s Love for her Child

Manner of Francesco Salviata (1510-1563) – Madonna and Child, 18th century oil on canvas © Toovey’s 2020

The image of the Madonna and Child is timeless and its Christmas story still speaks to us across the millennia.

The depiction of the Madonna and Child you see here is an 18th century copy of the 16th century oil on panel by the Renaissance Mannerist Francesco Salviati (1510-1563) which hangs in the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence. Salviati (also known as Francesco de’ Rossi) was born and worked in Florence. His apprenticeship concluded under the remarkable Andrea del Sarto in 1529-1530. In 1531 he left for Rome where he was reunited with his former Florentine master Baccio Bandinelli. Together they worked on the frescoes depicting the Life of John the Baptist in the Palazzo Salviati for Cardinal Giovanni Salviati whose surname Francesco took on.

In the 16th century, as in earlier times, paintings, frescoes and carvings often contained complex iconography and were frequently used as teaching tools. In this depiction, the Christ Child embraces the Virgin Mary. His right hand is raised in a symbol of blessing as his mother supports him. Mary holds in her hands a veil symbolising their innocence and obedience to God’s will. To the right in the sky above them a winged angel holds a cross alluding to God’s plan for the redemption of humankind through the Crucifixion which is to come. The stylized landscape frames the Marian blue of her cloak. The expressions and gestures of this devoted mother and her child, combined with the delicacy of line and composition, create an effect which is extraordinarily naturalistic and tender.

The painter’s scene is filled with rhythm and beauty, allowing us at once to discern love and authority. Mary’s response to God’s calling and love is acceptance, obedience and service. Her example continues to inspire us.

As you read this I and millions of other Christians across the country will be preparing to celebrate that very first Christmas when God came among us as a baby in a manger. His parents were displaced and without their home.

People over the ages have often talked of value in terms of the material; by this standard, Mary and Joseph had little and yet they knew that they had been richly blessed. They shared the gift of their child with the world. This gift was so precious, so valuable that even the heavenly host of angels rejoiced and praised God. What was being celebrated was love.

Most of us have been expectantly preparing for Christmas as we anticipate the arrival of loved ones, or journey, like Mary and Joseph, to our ancestral homes (whether grand or modest). These shared moments will be particularly precious after the separation caused by Covid-19. Our processions towards Christmas day will be different and particular this year.

As we give and receive gifts this Christmas I hope that like Mary and Joseph we will be inspired to share what we have with the world through acts of generosity, kindness and concern for the needs of others, especially the displaced and the homeless. The message of Christmas is that true value is defined by love and service to others.

It remains for me to wish you and those you love a very happy and blessed Christmas. Keep safe.

Tinsel Rush and the Joy of a Christmas Tree

A chromolithographic Christmas Greetings Card, circa 1901, depicting the joys of a Christmas treeOne of the greatest joys of Christmas is being gathered with my family around our Christmas tree. She is already bedecked with baubles representing love and life. Hundreds of lights twinkle like stars in a night sky amongst what can only be described as a tinsel rush. Beneath the angel an array of Alessi baubles represent the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, accompanied by a donkey and an ox.

The fir tree, evergreen and verdant in the depth of winter has been used to decorate homes over millennia. In Christian times it came to symbolize everlasting life with God. The Christmas tree has also become a symbol for the bonds of friendship. Since 1947, in a special ceremony, Norway has donated a Christmas tree to say thank you for the help that our nation gave them during World War II.

By the 1860s most well to do homes would have had a decorated Christmas tree. Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert played a key role in popularising this tradition in Britain. In 1848 a drawing of the ‘Queen’s Christmas tree at Windsor Castle’ was published in The Illustrated London News with the Queen and her family gathered around it. The image was replicated in numerous publications. But it is thought that the Christmas tree, a German custom, was actually introduced by George IV’s wife Queen Charlotte, herself of German birth.

I was pleased to hear Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty’s reassurance that despite Covid-19 it is safe for Father Christmas to deliver presents with his reindeer this year. Though the best present will be the company of loved ones after so much separation, and the hope of the vaccines now being deployed.

A chromolithographic Christmas Greetings Card, circa 1901, depicting Father Christmas

Father Christmas and the joy of a Christmas tree are vividly portrayed in the Anglo-German chromolithograph greetings cards from Toovey’s paper collectable’s sale. Father Christmas is depicted in his famous red coat with white fur cuffs and collar carrying a sack full of presents. The boy pulls a sleigh laden with presents and carries a fine tree through the snow. Both cards date from the early 20th century.

The original Father Christmas was Saint Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century. He was famous for his gifts to the poor as an expression of Christian love. During the Middle Ages children were given gifts in his honour on the 6th December.

Our gifts, too, are expressions of love for one another, for those in need, and our local charities which have had such a difficult time this year.

This has been a year of challenge and blessing, joys and sorrows, a time for all of us to reflect on what is most important to us – family, friendship, community and the common good. I hope this Christmas will bring you hope and blessing.