Colour in the winter: Five works estimated at under £500 from the Branfield collection of Cornish art

20 February 2024 The art collection amassed by John Branfield and his late wife Pep represents one of the most significant groups of Cornish art to have come to the market in recent memory.

This porcelain plate by Patrick Heron (1920-1999) comes from an edition of 500 produced by Wedgwood in collaboration with The National Art Collections Fund. Titled Garden Plate, it is from a series of 6 plates produced by the likes of by Peter Blake, John Piper and Bruce McLean. With a printed signature to verso and coming in its original presentation box, it is estimated at £200-300. View the catalogue entry for this Patrick Heron plate.

More than 190 lots from the collection will be offered at auction house Lay’s on February 29.

Focused primarily on Cornish art, it includes paintings by Newlyn School artists such as Stanhope Forbes and Thomas Cooper Gotch, as well as St Ives painters including John Anthony Park, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Terry Frost and Bryan Wynter.

The Branfields bought both from dealers and at auction. “Madam”, said the auctioneer on one occasion, “you are bidding against your husband”.

Branfield, now well into his 90s, often lent works from the collection to public galleries but is now selling his large group of works following the death of his wife (known as ‘Pep’) last year.

Although plenty of high-value works by major names are on offer at the auction, there is also something for everyone as a number of works are estimated at more affordable levels. Here’s a selection of five lots pitched at under £1000 that caught our eye.

1. Martin Lanyon collage

Martin Lanyon (b.1954) is a St Ives artist and the son of the well known Cornish artist Peter Lanyon. This mixed media collage from 1992 titled Trencrom measures 8 x 11.5 (22 x 29 cm) and is estimated at £200-400 at the Lay’s auction. View the catalogue entry for this Martin Lanyon collage.

2. Peter Blagg rockscapes

Two views of rocks on Cornish beaches by Peter Blagg (1937) are offered at Lay’s sale of the Branfield collection with an estimate of £40-60. One is a mixed media composition titled Godrevy which is signed and dated Blagg ’95, while the other is a print titled Fallen Rocks, Trevellas Coombe Beach. View the catalogue entry for these Peter Blagg pictures.

3. Peter Davies’ view of The Island

The Island in St Ives is grassy peninsula that juts out from the mainland. It was once a promontory fort and is now a popular point for spotting migratory birds. This depiction of the location by the artist and critic Peter Davies (b1953), who has written extensively about St Ives art, is a small and signed oil on board from 1995. It is estimated at £80-120 at Lay’s sale of the Branfield collection. View the catalogue entry for this Peter Davies oil painting.

4. Philip Leach pitcher

As well as fine art, the Branfield collection included a large selection of pottery. Among the lots by Philip Leach (b.1947), the grandson of Bernard Leach and the son of Michael Leach, is this large and signed pitcher with sunflower sgraffito decoration. Dated 2009, it is estimated at £150-250. View the catalogue entry for this Philip Leach pitcher.