Artwork collection formerly owned by Sir Noël Coward heads to auction

Sir Noël Coward was best known as an actor and playwright capable of combining “chic and cheek”. Now with the sale of a collection of 75 paintings formerly owned by this flamboyant wit, his skills as a painter will also be revealed.

Noel Coward
“View from Firefly Hill, Jamaica” by Sir Noël Coward. Estimate: £10,000 to £15,000.
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Noel Coward
“Shipping” by David Niven. Estimate: £800 to £1,200. Gifted to Sir Noël Coward by the actor.
Noel Coward
“Fishing Village, Cornwall” by Christopher Wood. Estimate: £70,000 to £100,000.

Offered as part of Christie’s South Kensington’s Modern British and Irish Art Sale on the 19th March, the Sir Noël Coward (1899 – 1973) collection features works by revered British artists including Christopher Wood, John Nash, Edward Seago and Derek Hill. The works, which have never been seen together before in public, number gifts from friends such as Elizabeth Taylor, David Niven and Ivor Novello but most interestingly, it also includes a group of paintings by himself.

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A Room (Without) A Loo – £210 per week for Onslow Gardens, South Kensington, London, SW7 flat (with no loo) – Flat in Onslow Gardens, South Kensington available to rent for the same cost as a week on the Joe Wicks diet through chi-chi estate agents Knight Frank; there is, of course, a catch: There’s no loo.
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Flat in Onslow Gardens, South Kensington available to rent for the same cost as a week on the Joe Wicks diet through chi-chi estate agents Knight Frank; there is, of course, a catch In 1928, Sir Noël Coward wrote and sang: “A room with a view, Who’s fooling who?” and estate agents Knight Frank could […]

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Noel Coward
Sir Noël Coward

Coward took up painting at a young age and enjoyed the activity at his homes in Jamaica and Switzerland. He liked to paint “vibrant scenes of people at work and play, and picturesque coastal scenes” and experimented with both oils and watercolours.

Of the paintings by Coward, Will Porter of Christie’s commented:

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“His paintings are great fun … they reflect his sense of humour. There are some very witty works and some slightly risqué pieces”.

Estimates for works form the collection range from £300 up to £100,000.

All images courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2015.

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