Over £200,000 Expected for Works by Sir Alfred Munnings at Sloane Street Auctions on March 28

DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, March 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Four works by Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959), one of the finest painters of horses England has produced, come to Sloane Street Auctions’ Spring Fine Art Auction in London on March 28 with hopes of over £200,000 between them.

They include the work that Munnings argued gave him his mastery of horse painting.

With an estimate of £60,000-80,000 is Cheltenham Paddock with Cleve Hill 1947, a fine plein air oil sketch showing an iconic racing view. Capturing Munnings’ innate ability to describe a moment in fluid brushstrokes, while never wasting paint, it underpins his reputation not just the greatest equine painter of the 20th century but also one of the finest British impressionists. This 16 x 19in work showcases both, with the tightly painted central horse surrounded by the wonderfully sketched race contingent.

Also on offer will be The Gypsy Girl, a c.1920 oil on bevelled panel consigned by a descendant of Maurice Codner R.P, a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, to whom Munnings gave the work.

Munnings was captivated by the colour and nomadic life of the gypsies and befriended many of the families. He professes in his An Artist’s Life, of 1950, that “more glamour and excitement were packed into those six weeks than a painter could well contend with. I still have visions of brown faces, black hair, earrings, black hats and black skirts; of lithe figures of women and children, of men with lurcher dogs and horses of all kinds. I still recall the never-ceasing din around their fires as the sun went down, with blue smoke curling amongst the trees. I think of crowded days of work – too swiftly gone.”

The 12 x 16in work recaptures the whirling excitement of the gypsy camp with its impressionistic style and bold colours, centred on the rear view of a gypsy girl. The estimate is £50,000-80,000.

Study of the Parthenon frieze is a trompe l’oeil pen and wash on paper view of a panel of the Marbles frieze, signed and inscribed upper left, ‘Norwich School of Art / A J Munnings’.

It is the work that Munnings believed gave him mastery of horse painting.

He recalls in his An Artist’s Life of 1950, “My next task was the never-to-be-forgotten horse’s head from the Parthenon; and all through the hours of work at lithography from nine till seven I lived only to go on with that splendid horse’s head in sepia from seven to nine! The hours spent on it each evening slipped away too fast, but they were not wasted, for I learned all I know of a horse’s head from that cast. Alas! my memory often fails. Sculptors have copied it, used it, repeated it all the world over. It is alive and belongs to an age of horses and great sculpture.”

The 20 x 25in work is expected to make £20,000-40,000.

Finally, another gift to Codner, Sunset through Trees, completes the Munnings highlights.

A 10 x 14 oil on panel, it is an atmospheric work informed by his impressionistic style and has a guide of £8,000-12,000.

“We have an extraordinarily eclectic catalogue of first class works by some of the best known artists names of the past two centuries, from the French Impressionist Henry Moret and the 19th century Romantic painter of fabulous scenes, John Martin, to a very unusual and attractive piece by Scottish Colourist George Leslie Hunter, and two of the nude studio portraits from the Light and Dark series by the wonderful Ken Howard,” said Sloane Street Auctions’ owner Daniel Hunt.

“These sort of works would have been a natural fit for Christie’s South Kensington in its day, but now that has gone, we find that consignors tend to come to us, so we are delighted to play our part in keeping this tradition of higher end works coming to London beyond the confines of Bond Street and St James. It is also a happy coincidence that our auctioneer, Hugh Edmeades, was Christie’s South Kensington’s former chairman.”

Live online bidding is available via Sloane Street Auctions’ website at www.sloanestreetauctions.com

For further information contact info@lucasfieldmedia.com Tel 07968 952850

Images courtesy of Sloane Street Auctions

About Sloane Street Auctions

Sloane Street Auctions was founded by Mr Daniel Hunt after spending over 30 years as a high-profile gallery owner and dealer, based at his galleries in Lower Sloane Street, London. Daniel Hunt’s intimate knowledge of the upper tiers of the art and antique sectors throughout millennia, from BC to 2022, provides Sloane Street Auctions with unprecedented access to private collections worldwide and the best of access to specific expertise.

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Julia Macquisten
Lucas Field Media
info@lucasfieldmedia.com