The auction titled: Anouska Hempel: Designer At Large will take place online at Dreweatts on August 15th, 2023. It will include furniture, paintings and other works pertaining to the Hempel design ethos spanning contemporary to antiquity.
Commenting on the sale, Joe Robinson, Dreweatts Head of House Sales & Collections said: “Anouska Hempel, a doyen of English interior design, has an iconic aesthetic characterised by bold pattern, fascinating objects and an innate sensibility for atmosphere within an interior. Dreweatts are proud to be offering this collection which stands as a record of her impeccable eye and offers buyers an opportunity to capture works that are ‘AH approved’ ”.
Among the highlights from this iconic style include a carved marble portrait head of Polideuce, possibly Roman, circa 170-177, estimated to fetch £3,000-5,000. A walnut and Italian marble topped centre table is estimated at £1,000-£1,500.
A French printed ten-fold screen from the second half of the nineteenth century carries an estimate of £400-£600 and a pair of contemporary kilim upholstered chairs are estimated to fetch £700-£1,000.
Artworks
Among the artworks is a 17th century oil painting titled Portrait of a Young Girl with a Lamb (English School), which has an estimate of £3,000-£5,000 and another oil portrait titled Portrait of a Boy and Girl is by the Royal Academy trained British portrait artist George Spencer Watson (1869-1934) which carries an estimate of £8,000-£12,000.
An etching with drypoint and aquatint titled Can-Can is by the French artist Louis Icart (188-1950), celebrated for his charming etchings, sketches and paintings, which helped him stake his claim in the history books of the 20th century. He also produced prints from the etchings and both are highly sought-after.
The popularity of his work reached its height in the Art Deco period and Icart become an emblem of the epoch. It is estimated to fetch £5,000-£7,000.
Shaw House itself was sold last year for around £3.5m. It is described as “a magnificent Grade II-listed manor built in the early 18th century and designed in the classical style. It is set within six acres of beautifully curated grounds just east of Bradford-on-Avon and the historic city of Bath. Accommodation exceeds 9,500 sq ft with nine bedrooms and a beautiful ground floor level that interacts wonderfully with the surrounding terraces and sections of private garden.” The current house was built in 1711 by wool merchant Thomas Smith, replacing a 13th-century manor house that stood in its place.
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UPDATE – AUGUST 17, 2023. Dreweatts is delighted to report the successful sale of the private collection of the contents of the family home of world-renowned interior and garden designer Anouska Hempel. The sale titled: Anouska Hempel: Designer At Large, which took place on Tuesday (August 15th), achieved a total of £653,000 which was over four times its pre-sale estimate of £150,000.
One particular work that caused huge excitement was Portrait of a Lady with a Riding Crop by the British artist Harrington Mann (1864-1937), which achieved a world record for the artist. The highly-sought after work hung in the anteroom at Shaw House and was thought to feature one of the artist’s daughters, Cathleen Mann. The work instigated a bidding frenzy and finally sold to a UK buyer for £85,200 (against a pre-sale estimate of £5,000-£8,000).
