Cornish art to go under the hammer in Penzance
4:16pm Thursday 11th October 2012 in News
A rich collection of Cornish art is to go under the hammer on November 1. David Lay will be selling 20 pictures that belonged to John Davies, a dentist from Surrey who retired to St Agnes.
The most valuable in the collection are by Tony Giles, a renowned Cornish artist and much loved character that also lived in St Agnes.
The most valuable paintings are by Giles and one in particular is likely to sell for around £2000, while the whole collection is expected to fetch in the region of £15,000.
Auctioneer David Lay believes that Davies’ collection is an important representation of Cornish art.
“John Davies has collected a valuable variety of Cornish art through the last three centuries. Tony Giles is viewed as a powerful painter but his work is also considered under-rated, so our forthcoming sale gives an excellent opportunity to see the work at first hand. His work was especially dear to John, so it will be good to see it passing into another art lover’s care.”
While John Davies began collecting art during his time in Surrey, his tastes changed noticeably when he moved to Cornwall in 1990. Whereas previously Victorian decorative watercolours depicting farmyard scenes had filled his walls, his move to St Agnes saw a shift in preference to art inspired by his new county. Through exhibitions and auctions, Davies developed an interest in 19th and 20th century Cornish artists such as John Park, Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes and Garstin Cox. Being good friends with Tony Giles, his enthusiasm grew for more contemporary artists working in Cornwall, too, such as Jack Pender, Rose Hilton, Daphne McClure and Jeremy le Grice.
The collection can be viewed on Saturday 27th October and Wednesday 31st. The art sale will start at 10am on Thursday 1st November at the Penzance Auction House and it includes a further 500 lots of important art.
