Matthew Steeples picks his highlights at the LAPADA 2019 art and antiques fair in Mayfair’s Berkeley Square on its penultimate day
Today is the penultimate day of a somewhat different to previous LAPADA art and antiques fairs in London’s Berkeley Square in that I noted a dominance of smaller stands with ‘more’ affordable items than in times past.
Perhaps a sign of the times with Brexit uncertainty, there were still a number of ‘significant’ items on offer and amongst them a ‘star’ was undoubtedly a French musical automaton by Jean Phalibois (1835 – 1900). This whimsical Gothic creation features amongst other things two moving steam trains, a water wheel and a hot air balloon and dates to circa 1880. It is offered by Butchoff of Kensington and housed within a swept gilt rectangular frame.
MacConnal-Mason of St James’s stand features two historically important political sculptures. The first, of Margaret Thatcher by Antony Dufort, was cast in 2007 and priced at £65,000 ($80,600, €73,200 or درهم296,100). It comes from the collection of the late Sir Edward du Cann, Conservative Party chairman from 1965 to 1967, whilst the second is of Sir Winston Churchill. Priced at the staggering sum of £200,000 ($248,100, €225,300 or درهم911,200), this bronze by Ivor Roberts-Jones (1916 – 1996) on a concrete base was conceived in 1971 and last sold at auction in September 2018 for £78,000 ($96,800, €87,900 or درهم355,400). I somehow doubt sculptures of Boris Johnson will be achieving such sums in years to come.
To book tickets to the fair, click here.
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