WEST SUSSEX.- He took the London art scene by storm in the 1970s with several sell-out shows at Cork Street's Redfern Gallery, but Delafield Cook's name was put firmly on the British art map when Elton John bought almost his entire show.

Together with fellow Australian artists such as Sidney Nolan, Brett Whitely and Arthur Boyd, he has commanded some of the highest prices for contemporary art in Australia and in this country ever since. Delafield Cook's career, spanning more than 60 years, was recognised in the Queen's New Year's honours list of 2013 when he was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

Known for his monumental canvases which pay tribute to both the beauty and ruggedness of Australia's landscapes and hailed as one of Australia’s finest artists and a favourite of many well know names, William Delafield Cook’s work is owned by Kerry Packer, Rupert Murdoch and Lord McAlpine, to name a few.

Born in 1936, he was always destined to be an artist. His grandfather, also with the same name, was part of the Victorian Heidelberg School of Painters. As a boy Delafield Cook was a formidable draughtsman, observing his world through telescopes, binoculars and cameras, always focusing and framing what he saw.

It was during the 1950’s and his national service that commanding officers recognised his talents and were constantly asking him to paint watercolours, pulling him away from his duties. He came over to live in London shortly after, along with many other well known antipodeons, such as Clive James, Germaine Greer and Barry Humphries.

During the swinging ‘60’s, he started exhibiting alongside David Hockney, Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud at the Young Contemporaries shows. However, his heart never left his native land, so he spent his time moving between his homes in London and Sydney.

He used his camera as his sketchbook, documenting scenes which he would later paint. His paintings were large and stark, mainly landscapes, depicting the vast wilderness of his native land.

He died in 2015, after a short illness, but his collections are still held all over Australia, Europe and the UK.

‘Cabbages’ will be auctioned at John Nicholson’s Auctioneers in West Sussex on April 9th.