Fine Art – Toovey’s Blog

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.

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.

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.

Works by the Important Aboriginal Artist Albert Namatjira sold at Toovey’s

Albert Namatjira – Australian Landscape with Ghost Gum Tree and Mountains (detail), early/mid-20th century watercolour, signed, © The artist’s estate/ Toovey’s. Sold for £26,000

Three works by the important Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira (1902-1959) have just sold for a total of £61,000 in Toovey’s specialist fine art auction.

Albert Namatjira was a pioneering Aboriginal Australian artist known for his distinctive watercolour landscapes that captured the beauty of the Australian outback. Born Elea Namatjira and raised in the Hermannsburg Lutheran Mission in the Northern Territory, he was educated in both Aboriginal and Western traditions. Namatjira discovered his talent for painting in his mid-30s after meeting the artist Rex Battarbee, who was touring Central Australia. Battarbee taught him the techniques of watercolour painting, and Namatjira quickly developed a unique style that combined Western techniques with his deep spiritual connection to the land. His works vividly portrayed the rugged and vibrant landscapes of Central Australia, especially the MacDonnell Ranges, using soft hues and detailed brushwork. His art gained widespread acclaim and by the 1940s Namatjira had become one of Australia’s most celebrated artists. He was the first Australian Aboriginal to achieve commercial success in the Western art world, holding numerous exhibitions across Australia. His fame also brought attention to the cultural and political issues faced by Aboriginal people at the time. Despite his success, Namatjira’s life was marked by the complexities of navigating two cultures. Although he was granted limited citizenship rights in 1957, he still faced significant legal and social discrimination. Namatjira’s legacy endures as a trailblazer in Australian art. His work not only opened doors for future Aboriginal artists but also helped to change perceptions of Aboriginal culture in Australia.

Albert Namatjira – Valley Landscape with Gum Trees, early/mid-20th century gouache on panel, signed recto, gallery label verso, © The artist’s estate/ Toovey’s. Sold for £19,000

The three paintings were consigned by a private collector based in Sussex. These works were inherited from his late father, Sir John Galvin, a self-made Australian multi-millionaire. Sir John, who amassed his wealth through ventures in media and mining, was born in Tasmania in 1908. He is recognized as one of the few Westerners to have interviewed Mao Zedong for an English-language newspaper he founded in Shanghai. A passionate patron of the arts, Sir John directly acquired two of these paintings from the artist and purchased the third from Artlovers’ Gallery in Artarmon, Sydney, New South Wales.

This important Aboriginal artist speaks of Australia’s history and Albert Namatjira’s work continues to be celebrated by collectors around the world.

Albert Namatjira – Australian Landscape with Trees and Mountains, early/mid-20th century watercolour, signed, © The artist’s estate/ Toovey’s. Sold for £16,000

Irish Artist Gerard Dillon’s Seminal Work High Cross Panel

Gerard Dillon – ‘High Cross Panel’, mixed media with oil, gouache and pastel on fifteen sheets of paper laid on board, circa 1949, 112.5cm x 159cm © The Artist’s Estate/Toovey’s

Gerard Dillon (1916-1971) started to paint in 1936. He worked predominately in Belfast, where he was born, as well as Dublin and Connemara. The work, titled ‘High Cross Panel’, is a large mixed media painting with oil, gouache and pastel comprised of fifteen sheets of paper laid on board. It dates from around 1949. The ‘High Cross Panel’ is inspired by Celtic relief sculptures that Dillon had sketched during his visits to Monasterboice and Mellifont Abbey with his friend and fellow artist Nano Reid. The picture’s series of vignettes depict scenes from the life of Christ and the Old Testament. Dillon grew up in the Roman Catholic Church but became disenchanted with it. Here Dillon incorporates Celtic Christian iconography as he seeks to position his work within the broader context of Ireland’s artistic and religious heritage.

This large seminal work was sold in Toovey’s recent specialist fine art auction for £27,000.

Gerard Dillon – ‘High Cross Panel’ (detail) © The Artist’s Estate/Toovey’s

The painting was first owned by P.J. Carroll & Co. Ltd who provided vital support for many leading Irish artists at a time when general interest in the visual arts was limited. The P.J. Carroll art collection was widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent collections of 20th century Irish art and was originally hung in their factory in Dublin Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth. A large portion of the P.J. Carroll collection is now to be found in the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin. High Cross Panel was lent by the Carroll collection to the Gerard Dillon Retrospective exhibition held at the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art (now the Hugh Lane Gallery) in 1973.

The piece was purchased from the P.J. Carroll collection after 1973 by Sir John Galvin, a self-made Australian multi-millionaire. Sir John, who amassed his wealth through ventures in media and mining, was born in Tasmania in 1908. A passionate patron of the arts, Sir John Galvin amassed an art collection that included significant works from his native Australia. He relocated to Ireland in 1959 and added numerous Irish works to the collection. Galvin was a generous a philanthropist in Ireland helping financially to construct St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. He also contributed to the arts and was a Trustee at the National Library of Ireland. The High Cross Panel remains one of Dillon’s most seminal works.

Historical Portraits Sold at Toovey’s

Henri-Pierre Danloux – Louis Antoine de Bourbon, duc d’Angoulême (1775-1844) and Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, duc’ d’Berrie (1778-1820), Sons of Charles X, King of France, a pair of oval oils on canvas laid onto panel, one signed and dated 1797, each 24cm x 18.5cm

A pair of remarkable portraits have just sold at Toovey’s for £15,000.

The portraits are by Henri-Pierre Danloux (1753-1809) who in 1792 moved to London escaping the French Revolution.

They depict Louis Antoine de Bourbon, duc d’Angoulême (1775-1844) and Charles Ferdinand d’Artois, duc’ d’Berrie (1778-1820), the sons of Charles X, King of France and provide a window into history. Charles and his eldest son, Louis Antoine would both eventually be forced to abdicate in favour of Louis Phillipe de Orléans.

Louis Antoine accompanied and advised his uncle, Louis XVIII. He was twice forced into exile in Britain, and twice he fought in the Napoleonic wars, the second time with Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo.

Danloux was influenced by fashionable English portrait painters like Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), John Hoppner (1758-1810) and George Romney (1734-1802). He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London which brought commissions from a number of British patrons.

Danloux would return to Paris in 1801 and continue to paint until his death in 1809.

Toovey’s picture specialist, Tim Williams with one of the Henri-Pierre Danloux portraits

Charles Philippe, Count d’Artois and later King Charles X of France, arrived in Scotland with his sons and established an émigré court at the Palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh. Danloux travelled from London to Scotland to paint the portraits of his fellow countrymen. His portrait of Louis Antoine was engraved by Philipp Audinet in 1799 (an example can be found at the National Portrait Gallery, London). Versions of both portraits by Danloux can also be found in the collection of the Palace of Versailles,. The portraits sold at Toovey’s were gifts from the sitters to Lord Adam Gordon (1726-1801) commander-in-chief of the forces of North Britain, and remained with the family. Lord Gordon had greeted d’Artois and his sons at the quayside on their arrival in Edinburgh where half of the city had turned out to witness the spectacle. Danloux also painted a portrait of Lord Gordon in 1799 which is now in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.

It is always special to discover works that are fresh to the market like these. Toovey’s next sale of fine paintings will be held on 17th May 2023 and entries are still being invited. If you would like advice on you paintings collection contact Tim Williams at Toovey’s.

Juan Manuel Blanes World Record at Toovey’s

Juan Manuel Blanes’s Gaucho on Horseback in a Uruguayan Prairie Landscape, oil on canvas, circa 1875-1878

A major work by Uruguay’s most important painter Juan Manuel Blanes of a Gaucho has just broken the world record at auction selling for £1.15 million at Toovey’s.

Rupert Toovey said “I have known the painting for many years but congratulations must go to our fine art consultant Tim Williams whose exceptional research and tenacity in contacting collectors across the world has made this remarkable result possible, and Nick Toovey who conducted the auction.”

Toovey’s fine art consultant Tim Williams with Juan Manuel Blanes’s important painting Gaucho on Horseback

Tim Williams commented “Juan Manuel Blanes [1830-1901] is renowned for painting grand history paintings and portraits, as well as scenes and events that shaped Uruguay’s national identity during the years of conflict that resulted in independence from Spain.”

He continues “The Uruguayan municipal gallery in Montevideo is named Museo del Bellas Artes Juan Manuel Blanes and houses the largest collection of the artist’s work.”

Tim’s research revealed the painting’s remarkable provenance. The first owner of the painting was the notable Spanish aristocrat Baldomero Hyacinth de Bertodano, 7th Marquis de Moral. He lived at Cowbridge House near Malmsbury in Wiltshire and the painting hung there until his death in 1921. The contents of Cowbridge House were auctioned to divide the estate between five family members. The painting was included in the sale. Described as ‘A fine Oil Painting, The Gaucho on the Pampas in Argentine about 52 by 46 ins’. Baldomero’s brother, Charles Edmund de Bertodano, a notable Railway engineer, purchased the painting from the auction and it remained with his family to the present day.

Thought originally to be an Argentinian landscape the painting sold by Toovey’s actually depicts a Uruguayan scene with a Gaucho on horseback pointing, as two horsemen gallop away on the horizon. The golden glow of Blanes’ palette and the way that he paints the effect of light playing on the prairie is remarkable.

Tim explains “Blanes’ Gaucho paintings celebrate the way of life of these independent, rugged horsemen whose lives embodied the South American ‘Wild West’ and national identity in a similar way to the cowboys of the United States. The open prairie beneath an expansive sky would have contrasted with the pressured urban lives of the cosmopolitan collectors who patronised Blanes’ work.”

Toovey’s Chairman, Rupert Toovey with the World Record Breaking Blanes Gaucho

Commenting on the result Rupert Toovey said “This is the first time that this important painting has appeared on the market in some 102 years. A hammer price of £1.15 million is a new world record and I am delighted that the painting has been acquired by a private Uruguayan collector.”

Watch the auction below: