Auctions and sketches

I wanted to highlight an auction coming up in a Cambridge auctioneers. "The Mugglestone Collection" is being auctioned off - after a successful sale in September more is now available for the auction - being handled by TheSaleRoom.com for Monday 23 October 2023 (17:00).

The reason I'm mentioning it is that "The Mugglestone Collection including Snaffles and Sporting Art - Timed Online" contains two nice Sheppard pieces. You can read more about the collection on Cheffins website.

Lot #235

This gorgeously delicate watercolour of Fallow Deer, is a new one to me. Its provenance is given as the Keyser Gallery and the estimate is £200-£300.

§ Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958)
Fallow Bucks
signed lower right
watercolour
34.5 x 53cm; framed 54 x 71cm

Lot #234

The second watercolour is of two polar bears in a wonderful chilly sky. It's described as 

§ Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958)
Polar bears
signed lower left
watercolour
38 x 56cm; framed 60 x 78cm

with an estimate of £150-£300. Interestingly Cheffins, the auctioneers have tried selling this in the past in April 2021. 

And as we are discussing deer here are a few studies and sketches that Raymond Sheppard drew. I'm always amazed at how much work he did in addition to the published work I usually share.

Raymond Sheppard: Deer studies

Three studies (SkD36 Deer standing & outline) showing the rear of a deer standing, a seated deer and finally a beautiful study in light falling on a standing deer.

Raymond Sheppard: Deer studies

Sheppard was not scared of observing and recording from different angles and using different media. Note the subtle use of outlining in colour plus the shading for 'bulking' the form. (SkD29 Deer standing studies)

Raymond Sheppard: Deer studies

The shape of a deer's head is worthy of study alone and below we have three studies in outline in blue pen. Amazing artistry!

Raymond Sheppard and the Q-Ships

Some of the Sheppard artwork on sale

This is just a quick note to say that Paul Liss has another sale of original Raymond Sheppard artwork. Here's the link to his website so you can also sign up for a newsletter - then you don't need me to tell you it's on! 19 of the 27 Sheppards that are for sale are reduced in price.

And my favourite, if anyone wants to buy me a late Christmas present, is the group of 6 pen and ink drawings from a story in Lilliput magazine. Allow me to tell you more...

Cover of Lilliput September 1957

The September 1957 issue of Lilliput has the 'reconstructed' story by John Prebble called "Q-ships were expendable".  In the First World War the Atlantic passage via southern Ireland was a dangerous one for British vessels as German U-Boats lay mines and attacked all shipping. The problem was depth charges were crude at this time and the only chance of stopping a U-Boat was to ram it or fire at it when surfaced. Wikipedia explains:

The problem was how to lure the U-boat to the surface. A solution to this was the creation of the Q-ship, one of the most closely guarded secrets of the war. Their codename referred to the vessels' home port, Queenstown, in Ireland.These became known by the Germans as a U-Boot-Falle ("U-boat trap"). A Q-ship would appear to be an easy target, but in fact carried hidden armaments. A typical Q-ship might resemble a tramp steamer sailing alone in an area where a U-boat was reported to be operating. By seeming to be a suitable target for the U-boat's deck gun, a Q-ship might encourage the U-boat captain to make a surface attack rather than use one of his limited number of torpedoes. The Q-ships' cargoes were light wood (balsa or cork) or wooden casks, so that even if torpedoed they would remain afloat, encouraging the U-boat to surface to sink them with a deck gun. There might also be pretence of "abandoning ship" with some crew dressed as civilian mariners taking to a boat. Once the U-boat was vulnerable, the Q-ship's panels would drop to reveal the deck guns, which would immediately open fire.

  

Lilliput Sept 1957, p.20

 Prebble's story concentrates on the name most associated with Q-Ships - Gordon Campbell who was awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery. As he admitted himself Campbell's decoy ships were not his idea but as old as the Navy. But Campbell was the one who added theatrical trimmings to the 'panic party' that evacuated the smitten ship

The 'panic party' p.22 - Original art

 He insisted a stuffed parrot in a cage was carried by one member of the crew and that one dressed as a woman. He also had people squabbling as they left the ship in order to delay the evacuation and exasperate the U-Boat captain into moving closer and surfacing, only to be surprised by guns firing at his boat!

p.24 - Original art

Gun crew laying motionless p. 25 - Original art

Periscope up p. 26 - Original art

 On the original art, with 6 illustrations on one board, one can see that instructions were given to the art department to shrink these to one and 3/8 inches and to illustrate what that looked like here's the final page - on which an advert appears which takes up half a page!

Lilliput Sept 1957 p. 28 as published

Crew of the U-Boat trying to escape from the flooded vessel
p.28 - Original art

Christine Sheppard shared the board below which has the other two illustrations that were published in Lilliput at 3 and 1/4 inches.

p.23 shows the Q-Ship being hit
p.27 shows the conning tower being fired on

Lastly, the reason I like the 6 image board is because there's one image that was not published

Unpublished - Firing at the U-Boat - Original art

Gordon Campbell wrote a book which was reprinted many times called "My Mystery Ships" and is easy to find on Abebooks

Many thanks to Paul Liss for his kindness in allowing me to use the original art images and of course Christine Sheppard.

AUCTION: Black Beauty in Girl comic

Raymond Sheppard illustrated a little seen strip in Girl comic, a companion for....girls, to the famous Eagle comic begun by Rev Marcus Morris and Frank Hampson, the creator of "Dan Dare".

Heritage Auctions, in the United States, has an original artwork by Sheppard from this strip.

"Black Beauty" by Raymond Sheppard
Girl Volume 1:8, 21 Dec 1951

The series ran from the first issue of Girl on 2 November 1951 (Volume 1: 1) until 29 February 1952 (Volume 1: 18). It was published on the centrespread of the comic (down the left hand column) along with John Ryan's "Lettice Leef" among other features. Ryan, of course was the creator of "Captain Pugwash". As can be seen this is episode 8 of the story by Anna Sewell.

This gives me the opportunity to show you all the pictures I have of this series. If anyone wants to share any other parts, I'd be enormously grateful

Part of the original centrespread for Girl Volume 1:1

Girl 23 Nov 1951 Volume 1:4

Original art from an eBay picture of issue 7

Issue 7 artwork

Unknown episode

The auction ends on Sunday 27 August and I'll record here how much it sells for

Black Beauty Girl Volume 1: 8
WHERE?: Heritage Sunday Internet Comics Auction #121735
LOT #: 14103 
SELLER:Heritage
STARTING BID:$
ENDING PRICE:$131.45 (inc. Buyer's Premium) = £101.66
No of bids: 3

END DATE: 27 August 2017

Raymond Sheppard Auctions

Just a quick article on the auctions running at the moment

The first is an unusual drawing of a feeding lioness which is on auction at Bellmans in Billinghurst. Lot #1551 has an estimate of £150-£250 and has a description:

"Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958), Lioness, pen ink and wash, signed, inscribed on mount, unframed, 17cm x 22.5cm., DDS"

The whole auction is running on 2 August 2017 at 11:00 (BST)  but the "watercolours and prints" section starts at 2pm. Full details are available on The Saleroom and Bellmans

Raymond Sheppard - Lioness feeding

The inscription below on the card frame says:

"To G. S. Whittet esq.

With all best wishes 

for Christmas and the new year

from

Raymond Sheppard"

It appears that G.S. Whittet was the Editor of the prestigious Studio magazine. Sheppard produced an article for the magazine and wrote three books for their book imprint, more on them another day,

George Sorley Whittet (1913- ?)  authored various articles for the magazine but also various books

• Art Centres of the World. London: Michael Joseph, 1967
  Basil Alkazzi: recent paintings 1984, 1985, 1986.New York: Schiller-Wapner Galleries 1987
• Bouquet: A Galaxy of Flower Painting London: Studio Publications 1949
• Eduard Wiiralt.Stockholm, Eesti Raamat, [1948]
• John Armstrong. (Preface by Whittet) London: Lords Gallery, 1963.
  
• Lovers in Art London: Studio Vista, 1972
• Mystic Dreamscapes: The Art of Basil Alkazzi Brooklyn, Conn.: Museum NECCA, New England Center for Contemporary Art, c1988.
• Noêmia Guerra, Paris: Galerie Jacques Massol (Préface par Georges S. Whittet), 1966.
• Vincent and William Apap: sculpture and painting (Grabowski Gallery (London))
  Malta: Progress Press, 1962.

• "Horses in art" in Horses, horses, horses, horses.London: Paul Hamlyn [1962]
• "The ship in art" in Ships by Robina Farbrother. London: Paul Hamlyn, [1963]

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Date: 02 Aug 2017 11:00 BST
Estimate: £150-£250
Where: Bellmans
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The second auction is from Burstow & Hewett (in Battle) and available via The Saleroom. It's a nice watercolour of Michael and Christine, Sheppard's children, posing on the floor of "the front room" together with a black and white sketch of young Michael reaching the door handle

Raymond Sheppard - Michael and Christine
plus Michael reaching for the door handle

Lot #326 is described:

Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958), watercolour, Michael and Christine in the front room, circa 1950, 10'' x 14'', framed.

---------------------------------------
Date: 02 Aug 2017 14:00 BST
Estimate: £200-£300
Where: Burstow & Hewett
---------------------------------------

Four items by Raymond Sheppard

And lastly a collection of 4 items in one lot (#219) Again this is at Burstow and Hewett and The SaleRoom  have a group of four drawings including two of the family and two of animals

Its brief description states:

Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958), 4 pencil and crayon drawings, studies of children and animals, mounted, (4).

We can see an interesting 'blue' picture which is  a very young Christine Sheppard and the coloured wash is of the family gathered around Iris, their Mum. But also their are sketches of an otter(?) and two seals (?) as well as what looks to me to be studies of a ferret.

---------------------------------------
Date: 02 Aug 2017 14:00 BST
Estimate: £100-£150
Where: Burstow & Hewett
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Raymond Sheppard Auctions

I thought, as two very interesting pieces have come up for auction, I'd add a few pieces that are currently on sale. Although I do carefully list anything that comes up for auction for Frank Bellamy (on my other blog) but I haven't done the same for Sheppard as there are frequent appearances of many types of his artwork. I may add them as and when they turn up from now on...let's see.

View from Aldbury

Title: Pencil on Paper 'View Near Aldbury 1956'' by Raymond Sheppard
Buy It Now: £175.00  or Make Offer
Seller: handicraft-antiques
Date first shown on sale:24 Oct 2014  - previously sold for £194 May 2014 on eBay

Michael in rocking chair with cat's cradle

Title: Pen and Ink and Watercolour by Raymond Sheppard [Michael and the cat's cradle] 
Buy It Now: £295.00  or Make Offer
Seller: handicraft-antiques
Date first shown on sale:24 Oct 2014  - previously sold for £194 May 2014 on eBay

Tiger walks into icy, snowy river

Title: RARE RAYMOND SHEPPARD 1913-1958 TIGER WATER COLOUR PAINTING ORIGINAL [Tiger in snow walks into icy water]
Auction: £1,500 or Buy it now: £2,500
Seller: wishingonarainbow2  
Date of auction: Oct 2014

Raccoon watches hole in ground

Title: RARE RAYMOND SHEPPARD 1913-1958 RACCOON WATER COLOUR PAINTING [Raccoon watches hole in ground]
Auction: £1,000 or Buy it now: £1,500
Seller: wishingonarainbow2 
Date of auction: Oct 2014

The two colour pieces above (Tiger and Raccoon) appear to me to be for publication rather than the usual sketches, but I have no idea where! [UPDATE: The tiger appeared in Everybody's 29 October 1955 and the raccoon appeared in Everybody's magazine (17 March 1956)]

The three colour pieces below all come from M. D. Hillyard (Mary Dorothea Maitland Hillyard) books published by Blackie and Son in the 1930s and 1940s about a family and their travels, predominantly in a caravan. I'll blog more on these books in due course

From Hillyard's Our Camping Holiday

Title: Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958) Watercolour on board, 'Fairground'. [Boy screams with joy on carousel horse
Auction:  Estimate: £150-£200 - Realised £170
Seller: Hannam's Auctioneers
Date of auction: 3 Nov 2016 (Lot 874)

Size: 1' x 1' 4.5"

From Hillyard's Our House on Wheels

Title: Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958) Watercolour on board, 'Caravan'. [Car drags caravan uphill]
Auction:  Estimate: £150-£200 - Realised £180
Seller: Hannam's Auctioneers
Date of auction: 3 Nov 2016 (Lot 875)
Size: 1' x 1' 4.5"

From Hillyard's Our Caravan

Title: Raymond Sheppard (1913-1958) Watercolour on board, 'Snowy Walk'. [Family of five walk through the snow (Caravan in background)]
Auction:  Estimate: £150-£200 - Realised £180
Seller: Hannam's Auctioneers
Date of auction: 3 Nov 2016 (Lot 876)
Size: 1' x 1' 4.5"