Beyond the Estimate: Modern Art Sale Results


June 2026

Following the success of our first Modern Art sale, the second edition proved that the appetite for modern British, international, studio and contemporary works is as strong as ever. Held at Duggleby Stephenson, the auction brought together painting, printmaking, sculpture and glass across a dynamic and wide-ranging catalogue, and buyers responded with real enthusiasm. 

Four groups of lots in particular stood out, from a glass painting that shattered its estimate to a set of Mandela lithographs carrying the weight of history, from a Lowry sketch to a remarkable group of works whose provenance alone made them something special. Read on to discover what they achieved.

A Discovery Behind the Glass
The result that turned the most heads came from an unexpected corner of the catalogue. An Ivan Večenaj glass painting, 'Eclipse of the Sun', signed, titled and dated 1961, carried an estimate of £300-500. It sold for £5,600. Večenaj, the celebrated Croatian naïve artist, produced some of his most distinctive work in glass, and this richly conceived composition found bidders who clearly understood its rarity and quality. Results like this are a reminder of why it pays to look carefully at every lot.

Provenance That Told Its Own Story
Few things focus a collector's attention quite like provenance, and the group of works by Sri Lankan modernist Ivan Peries carried some of the most compelling in the sale. A founding member of the '43 Group, the pioneering modern art movement established in Colombo in the mid-20th century, Peries is represented in the collections of the V&A, and the works offered here came directly from the artist's wife, Veronica Peries, acquired by a vendor who knew the family personally.

Standing Man, a watercolour on paper signed with initials and dated '82, sold for £2,600. Seated Man, a companion work of similar scale and date, sold for £2,400. Figure Sitting in a Landscape, a watercolour dated '68, sold for £2,300. Together the three works demonstrated the strength of the market for serious modern works with exceptional provenance and a story worth telling.

Lowry: The Enduring Appeal of a Northern Vision
L.S. Lowry needs little introduction and the two lots offered here performed with real confidence. A pencil sketch, 'A Country Road', signed with initials and dated 3rd April 1961, and carrying a distinguished auction provenance through Sotheby's and two Bonhams sales, sold for £4,700. A limited edition print in colours, 'Market Scene in a Northern Town', from the edition of 750 and published by Patrick Seale Prints in 1973, sold for £2,200. Lowry continues to attract both established collectors and new buyers, and these results reflected that broad and enduring appeal.

Mandela: Art With a Conscience
The works of Nelson Mandela occupy a unique place in the art market, carrying both artistic merit and profound historical significance. A set of six lithographs from the 'My Robben Island' series, signed and numbered EP 5/10 from an edition of 500 and published by the Belgravia Gallery in 2002, sold for £4,800. A further set of three lithographs, 'The Guard Tower', signed and numbered 263/350 and published by Touch of Mandela in Cape Town in 2003, sold for £2,500. Together they underlined the continued strength of the market for signed Mandela editions, particularly where original boxes and strong numbering are present.

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