LONDON.- This one-of-a-kind auction focuses on the rediscovery of 20th century artists, many of whom exhibited in leading West End galleries in their day, their works featuring in museums and art galleries around the world. All now deceased, with many having suffered undeserved obscurity since, their inclusion in From the Studio: Works from Fifteen Artists’ Estates puts the spotlight firmly back on them, to reveal a range of extraordinarily talented men and women. Most of the artists were admired, promoted and written about by eminent 20th century art critics. Several were Jewish émigrés, forced from their homelands to find their way anew in Britain and elsewhere. Many were close friends with other leading contemporary artists, sharing studios and ideas; some taught, several at the Royal College of Art. Throughout, their efforts both individually and together chart the myriad movements and counter movements that define the dynamic 20th century modernist landscape, ranging from Impressionism to Abstraction.

The sale includes artists who fled persecution from the Nazis, such as Marie-Louise von Motesicsky (1906-1996) who settled in Britain and brought fresh ideas and artistic influences – in her case - German Expressionism to work and her adoptive country. However, her art was prized in Europe long before she received her due recognition in the UK. There is at present much interest in her work - her biography and catalogue raisonée were published in 2007 and 2009 respectively, and two concurrent exhibitions of her paintings are now open to the public at Burgh House, Hampstead and Amersham Museum, Buckinghamshire. Twenty eight of her figurative and still life works are for sale in this auction.

Hans Gassebner (1902-1966) another artist fleeing Nazi oppression remained particularly well known in Germany where he exhibited after the war. Following his death, the Fähre Gallery in Bad Saulgau, acquired most of his estate going onto have two commemorative exhibitions. His pictures in this sale are from his travels in countries such as Yugoslavia and Spain.

Hans Feibusch (1898-1998) also an émigré artist from Germany had a successful entrée into the London art scene; exhibiting at the Lefevre Gallery and becoming a member of the London Group. He enjoyed a flourishing career painting murals in bomb damaged churches around Britain, preparatory studies for which are in the auction. Edmond Xavier Kapp (1890 – 1978), a highly versatile artist and poet with a constant thirst for innovation became firm friends with Picasso. Virginia Woolf said of him ‘Oh to be silent! Oh to be a painter! Oh (in short) to be Mr Kapp.’ His works include portraits, still lifes and abstract work including ‘String Quartet’ suggesting his interest in synaesthesia. Hedwig Pillitz (1896-1987), like Kapp was based in North London, and the daughter of parents who had emigrated from Hungary. She painted striking portraits of actors, musicians and writers, a number of which feature in the auction.

Artists such as Leslie Marr (1922-2021), perhaps in reaction to the Second World War, were keen to escape the constrictions of conventional teaching and revelled in a new freedom influenced in his case by David Bomberg’s approach to discovering ‘the spirit of the mass’ which spawned the Borough Group. His landscapes of Devon, Northumberland and Scotland are highly charged and are for sale in the auction.

Others had no interest in joining any artistic scene, and lived secluded lives. Leo Davy (1924-1979) said his maxim was ‘to paint as only I can paint’. He was hostile to showing his work and sometimes turned down prospective purchasers for his deeply personal works despite living on very little. The Gimpel & Fils gallery saw his extraordinary talent in 1950 and he showed alongside the preeminent artists of the day including William Gear, Victor Pasmore, Prunella Clough, Alan Davie and Patrick Heron. A group of his vibrant fragmented paintings are included in the auction.

James Hull 1921-1990) established himself as a leading abstract painter of the post-War years and also showed regularly with Gimpel & Fils. Joyful floating blocks of colour in gouache are among his works in the auction. Another abstract artist Trevor Bell (1930-2017) enjoyed considerable commercial success. In 1970, Patrick Heron said ‘one of the most important painters working anywhere today is Trevor Bell…’ While he lived in America exhibitions of his work were mounted in many prominent museums and the Tate Gallery holds a number of works by him in their permanent collection. Some of Bell’s powerful works from the ‘60s and ‘70s are included in this auction.

Michael Upton (1938-2002) was an original and highly inventive artist who won scholarships and grants for his precocious talent. His work in the auction includes typically small scale paintings in a muted pallet; The Times art critic, John Russell Taylor described them as ‘Tiny, intimist interiors and exteriors exquisitely coloured like some latter day Vuillard.’ Latterly he focused on performance, pop and urban art.

Bernard Myers (1925-2007) was also versatile artist who explored a wide range of subject matter including landscapes, still-lifes and abstraction – examples of which are in the sale. He also had superlative gifts as a teacher, appreciated for his considerable range of mind and intellect. He taught at Camberwell, Hammersmith and Ealing Art Schools and then the Royal College of Art for two decades, where he was made a Fellow.

Lionel Bulmer (1919-1992) was a( teacher at Kingston School of Art and latterly settled in Suffolk. His work from this rural coastal idyll includes one or two pointillist paintings reflecting the influence of Neo-Impressionist Georges Seurat. The critic Ian Collins noted of Bulmer’s work ‘the season appears to be one of permanent summer.’ This is apparent in a number of his works in the auction. Hugh Cronyn (1905-1996) was a firm friend of the critic, humourist and politican A P Herbert and his wife Gwen and through him met many other artists such as Mark Gertler, Leon Underwood and John Piper. Also based Suffolk but spending winter in Hammersmith, the sale includes a view of The Thames painted while he was based in his studio constructed by Julian Trevelyan.

Rose Hilton (1931 – 2009) received a scholarship to the Royal College of Art and graduated with a first class degree. She married Roger Hilton and put aside her career, returning to painting after his death. Her works are influenced by Bonnard’s brilliantly lit interiors and her figures glow from the canvas, as seen in the sale.

Finally, Maurice Cockrill’s (1936-2013) expressive figurative painting in the sale focusses on allegorical, historical and mythological subject matter. Cockrill taught in Liverpool and moved to London in the 80s, taking over Bridget Riley’s studio in Clerkenwell, where Paula Rego was a neighbour and friend. He was represented by Bernard Jacobson and in 1995 he was the subject of a retrospective at the Walker Gallery, Liverpool.