DESIGNER ANOUSKA HEMPEL’S PRIVATE COLLECTION
SELLS FOR FOUR TIMES ITS ESTIMATE AT AUCTION
Sale sets a new record for the artist Harrington Mann
Dreweatts was chosen to sell the private collection of the contents of the family home of world-renowned interior and garden designer Anouska Hempel. Shaw House, located in Wiltshire, showcases Hempel’s theatrical flair and mix of contemporary style with historical nuances, clever design, and phenomenal taste. The sale titled: Anouska Hempel: Designer At Large, which took place on Tuesday (August 15th), achieved a total of £653,000 which was over four times is pre-sale estimate of £150,000.
Today I am sharing major luxury design eye candy- images of Shaw House and gardens, as well as some of the top items on the block from the recent auction.
The collection was housed in Hempel’s former home, Shaw House in Wiltshire, a beautiful Grade II listed building which, while being a family home, showcased Hempel’s unique theatrical flair for combining contemporary style with historical nuances, clever design and the epitome of luxury in it’s interiors. Ms Hempel made her mark in design when she opened London’s first 5 star boutique hotel Blakes, in South Kensington in 1978, followed by The Hempel in London’s Bayswater. She was presented the prestigious Andrew Martin Lifetime Achievement Award by HRH Princess Michael of Kent in 2022 for ‘her elusive, impossible to define but instantly recognizable design.
Throughout the house she showcased her familiar and unique design techniques that brought her world-wide acclaim. These included architectural effects such as a play on perspective, dramatic colours emulating various periods and styles, as well as textural fabrics and effective groupings of furniture, set within clever lighting designs that captured the rich colour palette she used to infuse comfort and style into the house.
The sale included furniture, paintings and other works pertaining to the Hempel design ethos, spanning contemporary to antiquity. One particular work that caused huge excitement was Portrait of a Lady with a Riding Crop by the British artist Harrington Mann (1864-1937), which achieved a world record for the artist. The highly-sought after work hung in the ante room at Shaw House and was thought to feature one of the artist’s daughters, Cathleen Mann. The work instigated a bidding frenzy and finally sold to a UK buyer for £85,200 (against a pre-sale estimate of £5,000-£8,000).
Among other works in high demand was a carved marble portrait head of Polideuce, thought to be Roman, (circa 170-177), which sold for £43,950 against an estimate of £3,000-£5,000.
Showing the diversity of this stylish collection was a 20th century Jacquard chevron coated canvas travelling trunk, with leather and brass trim, which sold for £12,600 against an estimate of £3,000-£5,000. (you can see the trunks in the study photo above)
Two decorative Indian hardwood, mother of pearl and bone inlaid chest of drawers featuring marble tops were by Anouska Hempel herself and sold for £8,820 against an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.
There was a lot of interest in an elegant mid 19th century Anglo-Indian ebony sofa, which eventually sold for £6,048 against an estimate of £1,500-£2,500.
The sale also included a group of 22 botanical prints after the famous German apothecary and botanist Basilius Besler (1561-1629), from the book titled: Hortus Eystettensis. The book was compiled by Besler at the request of the Bishop-Prince Johann Konrad von Gemmingen (1561−1612), who in 1611 asked him to curate his episcopal garden at Eichstätt (at his palace in Bavaria), as it was filled with plants from around the world. With his extensive knowledge, Besler oversaw theservices of engravers, artists, colourists and printers to create the book, which wasfinished in 1612, just after the Bishop’s death. The group sold for £10,080 against an estimate of £2,000-£3,000.
Commenting on such a good result, Joe Robinson, Dreweatts Head of House Sales & Collections said: “Anouska Hempel, a doyen of English interior design, has an iconic aesthetic characterized by bold pattern, fascinating objects and an innate sensibility for atmosphere. It is unsurprising that her sale captured the imagination of a truly global audience comprising of her loyal following and bidders who wanted to recreate something of her vision and drama within their own homes.
About Dreweatts
Dreweatts auctioneers was established in 1759 and is one of the foremost auction houses in the UK. It comprises 22 specialist departments ranging from Fine Art (Old Master Paintings, British & European Pictures, Modern & Contemporary art), Jewellery and Watches, Silver, Wine, Books and Manuscripts, British & European Ceramics & Glass, Decorative Arts & Modern Design, Ephemera, Furniture, House Sales & Collections, Clocks, Barometers and Scientific Instruments, Asian Ceramics and Works of Art and Live Steam and Model Engineering. It holds regular specialist sales from a highly-qualified expert team, totalling more than 70 sales per year including curated Interiors sales, single owner collections and house sales.
Dreweatts is a member of the Gurr Johns group of international art advisory businesses. Its’ main saleroom is Donnington Priory in Newbury, Berkshire. It has a London showroom on Pall Mall, St James’s and caters to a global clientele.
As well as auctions, the company offers valuation services for private individuals, lawyers, executors, family offices and fiduciary agents to provide the necessary advice to assist with probate and estate management and market valuations, for possible sale. Dreweatts valuation services include free online auction valuations, virtual valuations, home visits and valuation days at our salerooms, where clients can receive advice on buying and selling from Dreweatts market-leading specialists.
Website: www.dreweatts.com
photo credit: The interiors images are courtesy of Inigo and the images of the objects themselves are courtesy of Dreweatts.
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