Summer Welsh Sale (Part I): Auctioneers' Choices

Lot 241 - Brenda Chamberlain oil - 'Ty'r Mynydd Hills, Bangor'

Generations of creators have drawn inspiration from the untamed landscapes and innate spirituality of the Welsh wilderness. The rock and roll band Led Zeppelin offers a legendary case in point; in the early 1970s, the band retreated to a remote cottage not far from my home to compose their most mystical works. The raw environment and ancient folklore of Mid Wales breathed life into tracks like 'Stairway to Heaven'. 

However, they were merely following an ancient path. Decades before Robert Plant and Jimmy Page discovered these hills, the wonder of wild Wales was already anchoring the life and legacy of artist, poet, and writer Brenda Chamberlain (1912–1971).

For Chamberlain, isolated landscapes weren't just pretty backdrops to paint; they were a sanctuary and the ultimate fuel for her creative mind. She didn't paint calm, postcard-perfect scenes. Instead, she treated nature as a wild, living force that shaped her life and mirrored her own turbulent inner world.

This intense blend of nature, timelessness, and mysticism is beautifully captured in her 1937 oil painting, Ty’r Mynydd Hills, Bangor.

Instead of a sweeping landscape, Chamberlain focuses almost entirely on a single tree. This central, glowing white tree completely commands the canvas. The tree feels like a writhing, muscular creature with its bare, stark branches twisting toward the heavy blue sky like bolts of lightning.

The sweeping lines of the hillside and the rolling, patterned undergrowth give the ground a rhythmic, heartbeat-like pulse. Chamberlain completely throws out traditional realism here, choosing instead to show nature as a breathing, active organism. Even the sky feels alive, mixing deep cosmic blues with earthy undertones. It perfectly captures the heavy, atmospheric intensity she would later immerse herself in during her fifteen years living on the remote island of Ynys Enlli. 

A deeply spiritual, almost haunting energy radiates from this artwork. Placed dead-centre on the horizon, the luminous tree serves as an axis between two realms—tethering the weight of the physical earth to the infinite mystery of the sky. Its bare white wood stands resilient, a symbol of survival and profound transformation. Chamberlain’s obsession with life cycles and bodies merging back into the earth is on full display here; the skeletal white branches masterfully blur the boundaries of life, death, and rebirth to create a physical stairway to heaven.

Ultimately, this spiritual masterpiece feels alive. It is a painting that compels you to wander out into the Welsh wilderness, prompting you to quiet down and listen for those bustles in the hedgerow!

Lot 277 - Attributed to Cornelis Janssens Van Ceulen oil - portrait of Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke

One of the many privileges of an auctioneer is being welcomed into a home to assess and advise people on their family heirlooms. It is a thrill knowing that the next wonderful item is waiting to be discovered through the next doorway or along the next corridor.

This very feeling washed over me earlier this year during a visit to a beautiful coastal property in Ceredigion. Upon entering the living room I was confronted by an imposing portrait of Philip Herbert, the 4th Earl of Pembroke (1582-1650). Attributed to Cornelius Janssens Van Ceulen (1593-1661), the portrait not only is expertly executed, but holds great historical interest to collectors of portraits of known sitters from this period.

The current owner acquired the painting from a country house auction held in Llechryd (near Cardigan) in the early 1980s, and I am not surprised to see it is attracting international pre-sale interest. I am excited to see it come under the gavel but already thinking of the new discovery waiting around the next corner.

Lot 3 - Graham Sutherland etching - thatched cottage

For me, the standout print in the sale is Graham Sutherland’s etching Number Forty-Nine. Depicting a dilapidated cottage, believed to be at Clapham near Arundel in West Sussex, the work reveals the influence of both Rembrandt and Whistler. Yet it also demonstrates Sutherland’s emerging romantic sensibility.

The gnarled tree and crumbling building, with roof timbers exposed like skeletal bones, serve as powerful metaphors for ageing and mortality. In contrast, the welcoming village visible in the distance introduces a note of hope and vitality, symbolising life set against the inevitability of decay. The result is a deeply atmospheric and thought-provoking composition.

Lot 280 - Arthur Karl Maderson mixed media - 'Aberystwyth Early Evening'

I have to confess, I’m a bit of a fan when it comes to the work of Arthur Maderson.

I’m drawn to his play of light and use of colour, applied in thick impasto, in what can only be described as a modern Impressionist style. Whether it’s a river landscape in Normandy or a busy figurative scene at the Tallow horse Fair, Ireland…his works are produced at scale and are confident and full of colour.

From his time spent in Wales, landscapes do appear from time to time but I feel that this particular painting being a view of Aberystwyth’s North beach from Constitution Hill is quite a rarity.

Maderson’s work is highly collectable as it sits comfortably within the contemporary interior and this painting is no exception.

Lot 90 - Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe OBE RA watercolour of Teals

My choice for this auction is lot 90, an absolutely stunning watercolour of a pair of Teal amongst reeds by Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, one of my favourite artists.

His works are highly regarded for their accuracy and detail, acquired through exhaustive research and study of his subject.

In 1947 he moved to a house overlooking the Cefni estuary in the small Ynys Môn village of Malltraeth. Well known to me as a beautiful and wild sanctuary for nature. And a major inspiration for his iconic ornithological and nature studies.

The Welsh Sale (Part I) takes place on 25th July at our Cardiff saleroom. Featuring premium Welsh art including works by Kyffin Williams, Gwen John, Ceri Richards, Donald McIntyre and more.

Which lot would you choose? Browse the full catalogue online here and discover your favourite.