Two post-war oil paintings that emerged at Gloucestershire saleroom Dominic Winter (20% buyer’s premium) this summer were arguably more impressionistic in approach. Both works had been in the collection of the late Peter Ward-Jackson (1915- 2015), a curator at the V&A, and had been consigned by his wife along with a group of Old Master drawings (reported in Art Market, ATG no 2457).
Both works also had labels on the verso for Galerie Simon of Paris and London’s Leicester Galleries – they had been exhibited at the latter in January 1952 where Jackson had acquired them.
First up was Le Soir from 1951. A 22 x 23in (56 x 58cm) signed oil on canvas, it was pitched at £2000-3000 and was knocked down at £4800. Next came Montagne en hiver, also from 1951, a 21 x 2ft 2in (54 x 65cm) signed oil on canvas that made £4600 against the same estimate.
With competition coming from France, Switzerland and Italy, both lots went to a private buyer bidding from Turin.
Although much higher sums for the artist have been recorded for his key Surrealist works from the 1920s and 30s, Nathan Winter of Dominic Winter said he thought they were good prices for Masson’s later works.
