Auctioneer's Choice

April 2025's Welsh Sale has to be one of the best I have curated. The sale is stuffed full of great examples from our favourite Welsh artists. There are exhibition quality paintings from Sir Kyffin Williams, Ernest Zobole, John Elwyn, Claudia Williams, Gwilym Prichard, George Chapman, Shani Rhys James and many more. 

There are also some lovely historic items including a rare and fine painting by Penry Williams (1802-1885) painted in the 1840s possibly whilst traveling to Rome, the colours are as so fresh and alive, it was a thrill to see unravel the painting when it came from a collection in Oxfordshire.

I also love the little historic painting of John Roberts at his harp, I have no idea who painted it, but it is charming and educational! I'd not heard of John Roberts the Romani Royal Welsh Harpist until now. 

The other historic item I absolutely love and wish I had a space for at home is the Welsh oak bread and cheese cupboard. We have sold many of these over the years but I have never seen or heard of a narrow version as this one is. At only 66cms wide it is surely one of the rarest Welsh cupboards we have offered in 30 or so years. 

I am going to say though that my favourite painting makes the choice. Lot 272 is an oil on canvas by Charles Burton (b.1929), the scene is an unusual one of a group converging outside a terraced house which we learn from the title is a Doctor's Surgery. The scene is cold and wintry as is the palette that this exceptionally clever (and underrated) artist has used. The narrative is interesting - is there an outbreak of something in the community which has influenced the artist or is it just the cold and the hardness of life contributing to the sickness of people in the community. I like a painting which asks the viewers questions as 'Surgery Hour' does. Compositionally it is very interesting too, geometric in nature with sloping parallel walls against angular houses and the tall stark trees - it reminds me stylistically of the work of brothers Paul and John Nash, the great First World War artists with their hauntingly empty scenes. Surgery Hour is a super painting and ought to do well as Charles Burton is starting to receive the recognition he rightly deserves.

The scene is cold and wintry as is the palette that this exceptionally clever (and underrated) artist has used. The narrative is interesting - is there an outbreak of something in the community which has influenced the artist, or is it just the cold and the hardness of life contributing to the ill-health of people in the humble community? I like a painting which asks the viewers questions as 'Surgery Hour' does. Compositionally it is very interesting too, geometric in nature with sloping parallel walls against angular houses and the tall stark trees - it reminds me stylistically of the work of Paul and John Nash, the great First World War artist brothers, with their hauntingly empty scenes. Surgery Hour is a super painting and ought to do well as Charles Burton is starting to receive the recognition he rightly deserves.

Lot 21 - I absolutely love this car mascot! This time the iconic ‘Ddraig Goch’ (Red Dragon) is modelled in stunning solid silver standing proudly with one claw raised. Thought to be former property of Lord Newborough, of Glynllifon, near Caernarfon and was apparently used on special occasions. I can just picture this unusual mascot adorning a classic car of the period ‘flying’ through the country lanes of Gwynedd and turning heads along the streets of the royal town of Caernarfon as it passes the medieval fortress of Caernarfon Castle.

Estimated at £700-1000, I am predicting a fiery battle between bidders come auction day and would love to see this mascot being used again as intended on special occasions.

We are delighted to have such a variety of works by Ernest Zobole in the sale this time, and one that struck me as particularly endearing is lot 170 ‘Landscape in the Night No.1’. A very restful painting in deep green and blue tones depicting a south Wales valley cemetery under a starry, moonlit sky. 

The Welsh Sale on April 13th has a plethora of quality art that should provide me with a stand out lot. My Auctioneer’s Choice for this auction however is Lot 19, the traditional Welsh bread and cheese cupboard.

What an interesting piece of Welsh vernacular furniture! It has the normal attributes of a traditional ‘Cwpwrdd Bara Caws’, oak front with the open grill for ventilation and pine sides, but this one is so narrow! It must have been tailor made as a one off for a particular alcove.

I really think this would be a great and rare addition to any collection of Welsh furnishings.        

When asked to choose my favourite painting in the current Welsh Sale I explained that it was one of those ‘too close to call’ situations!

I have always been an admirer of John Elwyn’s colourful rolling Dyfed landscapes of which there are some wonderful examples in the current sale but my favourite John Elwyn in this sale is quite different. Lot 76 is an oil on canvas entitled “Interior”. A family scene, and even though the vase of flowers dominates the foreground almost obscuring the lady in the armchair, there is so much going on, almost like a scene from a Noel Coward stage play…and to crown it all there’s a John Elwyn landscape as a backdrop as well!

My other choice is by George Chapman, an artist I’ve always admired. I’ve chosen the simply titled “Church and Mine”. This without doubt is an exhibition quality and most impressive oil on canvas…with the most impeccable provenance.

I’m not going to attempt to give the background to the painting as Robert Meyrick has written such an informative piece which can be read here.

Dating back to 1957 I think the painting gives such an honest representation of South Wales valleys life during that period; unlike John Ford’s 1941 version of How Green Was My Valley with its snow-capped peaks of the Rhondda!

The gravestones in the foreground of the painting acting as a reminder of the hardships and dangers that were faced on a daily basis by the miners.  As Gwilym R. Tilsley wrote in his 1950 National Eisteddfod chair winning poem Y Glowr…“Arwr glew erwau’r glo” The collier really was a true hero.

If I was really pressed to just choose one painting…it would be the latter!

What are your favourite lots from this April's Welsh Sale? View the full catalogue here.