Autumn Elegance: Fine Art, Decor, & Furnishings
Wed, Sep 13, 2023 11:00AM EDT
Lot 385
Ivon Hitchens Poppies Still Life Painting 1973-75
Estimate: $70,000 - $100,000
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $200 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $50,000 |
| $10,000,000 | $100,000 |
Ivon Hitchens (English, 1893-1979). Oil on canvas still life painting titled "Poppies on a White Ground" depicting flowers in a vase, 1973-75. Signed along the lower right. Painted in the artist's characteristic style with vibrant and bright colors. With a label from Waddington and Tooth Galleries along the verso. Included is an exhibition poster from the artist's Retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London which ran from March 21 to April 25, 1979.
Provenance: Roger Sherman, Esq.; Waddington and Tooth Galleries, Ltd., London; Private Minnesota Collection.
Lot Essay:
Ivon Hitchens was the son of landscape painter Alfred Hitchens. He studied at St. John's Wood School of Art and the Royal Academy in London during World War I. In 1922 he became the founding member of the Seven and Five Society and began exhibiting his work that same year. He subsequently became a part of the "London Group" in the 1930s. This group included Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Naum Gabo, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, and Leon Kossoff. His work during this period was often painted with natural earth-tones such as muted greens and browns.
In 1940 during World War II, his home and studio in Hampstead was destroyed during a bombing, forcing the artist to relocate. He and his wife Mollie settled in Sussex where they lived first out of a caravan which he then gradually supplemented with additional buildings. The six acres of woodland that they moved to became his home and muse for the next 40 years.
The muted tones that characterize his early works were replaced with a brighter palette. Landscapes became his forte, utilizing abbreviated fields of color perceived from a landscape instead of exact renderings. His work changed little after his move to the countryside and he remained consistent in his style until his death in August of 1979. The present work is an excellent example of his countryside paintings. His palette includes energetic reds to represent the poppies, bright blue for their vessel, and vibrant yellow and green as the background. The white ground allows the colors to pop forward, engaging the viewer.
His work was part of the 1956 Venice Biennale and his paintings are now in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Courtauld Institute in London. His work has been exhibited through the United Kingdom through the years including a 1979 Retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts to as recent as 2019.
Unframed; height: 17 1/4 in x width: 41 3/4 in. Framed; height: 27 in x width: 51 1/4 in.
The colors are bold and bright and the surface is stable. When inspected under UV light there does not appear to be any signs of restoration. Clean verso. Framed under a linen mat and glass; some light stains to the mat that does not appear to affect the artwork. Not inspected out of frame. Some wear to the frame.
Provenance: Roger Sherman, Esq.; Waddington and Tooth Galleries, Ltd., London; Private Minnesota Collection.
Lot Essay:
Ivon Hitchens was the son of landscape painter Alfred Hitchens. He studied at St. John's Wood School of Art and the Royal Academy in London during World War I. In 1922 he became the founding member of the Seven and Five Society and began exhibiting his work that same year. He subsequently became a part of the "London Group" in the 1930s. This group included Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Naum Gabo, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, and Leon Kossoff. His work during this period was often painted with natural earth-tones such as muted greens and browns.
In 1940 during World War II, his home and studio in Hampstead was destroyed during a bombing, forcing the artist to relocate. He and his wife Mollie settled in Sussex where they lived first out of a caravan which he then gradually supplemented with additional buildings. The six acres of woodland that they moved to became his home and muse for the next 40 years.
The muted tones that characterize his early works were replaced with a brighter palette. Landscapes became his forte, utilizing abbreviated fields of color perceived from a landscape instead of exact renderings. His work changed little after his move to the countryside and he remained consistent in his style until his death in August of 1979. The present work is an excellent example of his countryside paintings. His palette includes energetic reds to represent the poppies, bright blue for their vessel, and vibrant yellow and green as the background. The white ground allows the colors to pop forward, engaging the viewer.
His work was part of the 1956 Venice Biennale and his paintings are now in the collections of the Tate Gallery in London, the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Courtauld Institute in London. His work has been exhibited through the United Kingdom through the years including a 1979 Retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts to as recent as 2019.
Unframed; height: 17 1/4 in x width: 41 3/4 in. Framed; height: 27 in x width: 51 1/4 in.
Condition
Available payment options
Payment & Shipping PAYMENT Revere Auctions accepts wire transfers, checks (personal or business check in US dollars certified by a US bank, a cashier’s/banker’s check drawn on a US bank or US money order), cash (US currency not to exceed $10,000 in a single or multiple related payments). Visa, Discover, American Express or MasterCard may be used and are subject to a 3.0% convenience fee and are limited to purchases of $5,000.00 (total). Credit Card payments for jewelry and gold are NOT accepted. The purchaser’s obligation to pay immediately the full purchase price is absolute and unconditional and is not subject to any defenses, setoffs or counterclaims of any kind whatsoever. Revere Auctions is not obligated to release a lot to the purchaser until title to the lot has passed. The purchaser agrees to pay Revere Auctions handling charge of $30 for any check dishonored by the drawee. SHIPPING Revere Auctions does NOT offer in-house shipping. As a convenience to the Buyer, Revere Auctions will make a referral for packing and shipping. This is at the request, expense, and risk of the Buyer, and Revere Auctions assumes no responsibility for the items or the timing of delivery. Insurance for in transit items is the responsibility of the buyer. The buyer must reach out to a shipping company to arrange shipping. The buyer must fill out and return the Shipping Release Form to info@revereauctions.com in order for their items to be released. This is to ensure that the won item(s) are given to the proper shipping company and reach their final destination safely. This form can be found here: https://www.revereauctions.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ShippingRelease_Fillable2022.pdf Here is a list of our preferred shippers: UPS Store #2105 Contact: Ryan Wilson Email: store2105@theupsstore.com Phone: 651-642-5972 UPS Store #2158 Contact: Randy Email: store2158@theupsstore.com phone: 651-635-0636 UPS Store #5396 Contact: Seth Email: store5396@theupsstore.com Phone: 612-332-4117 Museum Services Inc For shipping estimate please complete the following link: http://museumservices.org/revere For our full list of shipping referrals and information please see our shipping information page with more details: https://www.revereauctions.com/shipping-information/
