NEWBURY.- Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions announced their Interiors sale which will take place on 16th November (10 am) at Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire. The auction will include the property of The Viscount Norwich and Lady Diana Cooper (nee Manners). In the lead up to the sale, John Julius, 2nd Viscount Norwich (b. 1929), historian, travel writer and TV personality will be giving a short talk on some of the highlights in the collection on Sunday 13th November (1pm). Dreweatts & Bloomsbury Auctions has worked closely with Omnia Art Ltd., the London art agents, to make the sale of this property possible. Alan Cowie, Director of Omnia Art Ltd, says,

“I am thrilled to be involved in this very personal sale which celebrates the end of an era in Little Venice, as well as the society life of two generations of a wonderfully fascinating family.”

John Julius Norwich, son of the statesman and diplomat Alfred Duff Cooper (1st Viscount) and the Lady Diana Cooper, resigned from H.M. Foreign Service in 1964 to become a writer. As well as being a respected writer and lecturer, John Julius is also known for being chairman of the popular BBC panel game My Word and for presenting the Evening Concert on Classic FM. A charming study for a portrait of John Julius, by John Ward CBE (1917-2007) features in the sale (Lot 158, Est: £100-200). Elsewhere is a beautiful pencil drawing of John Julius as a baby by his grandmother, Violet Manners, Duchess of Rutland (1856-1937) the British artist and noblewoman (‘Diana’s Baby’ Lot 3, Est: £300-500).

Further highlights include a bust length mask of Lady Diana Manners in bronze with dark green and brown patination (pictured) by Sir William Reid Dick, KCVO, RA (1879-1961), the Scottish sculptor who was known for his innovative style in his monument sculptures and the simplicity in his portraits. The piece, standing at 57.5cm high is dated 1921 and is estimated at £1,500-2,500 (Lot 82). Lady Diana Cooper’s mother, Violet, Duchess of Rutland, was a friend of Reid Dick and helped him secure many aristocratic commissions. A portrait of Lady Diana Manners in pen and watercolour by Ambrose McEvoy (1878-1927) is another sale highlight. This piece was previously exhibited both at the Royal Academy Winter Exhibition in 1928 and at the National Gallery’s British Painting Since Whistler in 1940 (Lot 78, Est: £3,000-5,000).

Stunning photographs of John Julius’ mother, Lady Diana Cooper (1892 – 1986) the actress and hugely glamourous socialite serve as further stand out pieces in the sale this November. Lady Cooper had a longstanding, creative relationship with leading fashion photographer Cecil Beaton and several striking black and white photographic portraits of Lady Cooper taken by Beaton throughout her life will be on offer, all with attractive estimates of £300-£500 (Lot 77, 83 and 84).

In addition to the property of the Viscount Norwich and Lady Diana Cooper in the sale this November, other sale highlights include a stunning George III mahogany reading table, circa 1780 (Lot 45, Est: £700-900) and a George IV giltwood and painted overmantel mirror, topped with an Egyptian sphinx circa 1825 (Lot 7, Est: £2,000-3,000). Some magnificent bronzes are key pieces in the sale. Of note is Diana Wounded by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal, KCVO, RA (1863-1931) who was an Australian sculptor, most famous for designing the coinage and stamps bearing the likeness of George V. This striking piece is signed and dated 1905 standing at 41cm high on a green veined marble plinth (Lot 116, Est: £8,000-12,000). A pair of patinated bronze models of the French dramatist Jean-Baptiste Racine and poet Jean de la Fontaine, in full 18th century dress and decorated with piles of books and fruiting grapevines by French sculptor Jean-Marie Pigalle (1792 - 1857), are expected to reach £8,000-12,000 (Lot 31).