PAUL HENRY, R.H.A. (1876-1958) – The Fairy Thorn (1925). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd. 2026
The Fairy Thorn by Paul Henry, Landline Crimson by Sean Scully, The Clown of Ocean by Jack B Yeats and Table with Still Life, No. 2 by William Scott will come under the hammer at Christie’s Modern British and Irish art evening sale in London on October 21. They are among the 39 lots on offer. Art by Yeats, Gerard Dillon, Roderic O’Conor and William Scott will feature in the day sale on October 22.
The Fairy Thorn was first exhibited in New York in 1929 as part of the landmark Contemporary Irish Art: First American Exhibition. There it was acquired by Mr and Mrs John J. Raskob and has been in the same collection since. Rather than depicting the hawthorn in its spring bloom, its branches filled with feathery leaves and delicate white flowers, Henry portrays the bare branches of winter, emphasising the dramatic, dynamic bent of the tree, the result of years spent bracing itself against the buffeting winds and strong gales along the Atlantic coast. The estimate is £100,000-£150,000. There is a similar estimate on The Clown of Ocean by Yeats.
The Cottage Window by Gerard Dillon at the day sale on October 23 has been in the same collection since 1950 and is estimated at £70,000-£100,000.
GERARD DILLON, R.H.A (1916-1971) – The Cottage Window, painted c1950.