Sotheby’s London, March 2017: A sale dedicated to capturing the diversity and innovative spirit of British art in the twentieth century, Sotheby’s Made in Britain auction on 5 April will offer a snapshot into the zeitgeist of a generation of artists, printmakers, sculptors, designers, photographers and ceramicists. April’s edition will comprise just under 300 lots and with estimates starting at £400, the auction is the perfect opportunity for a new buyer’s first foray into collecting works by some of the most sought-after names in British art. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 31 March, and will be highlighted by three free gallery talks on Sunday 2 April – with photographer to the stars Terry O’Neill, Pop Art pioneer Patrick Hughes and author Gerard Hastings.

Highlights include…
The New Scene: Art In London in the Sixties:
In the wake of the destruction of the Second World War, London in the 1960s witnessed an exciting explosion of visual culture – the breeding ground for a new generation of artists fresh out of art school and keen to make their mark. In this visual revolution, anything and everything was possible. These artists took on the new free-flowing ideas and attitudes of the decade to transcend every medium and break free from the traditional ties of artistic distinction – making art that they believed needed to be looked at.

By Royal Appointment:
Photographer Chris Levine seeks to illuminate the power inherent in stillness and, although his subjects are among the most photographed people in the world, he has a knack for capturing them at rest as if in the calm of a storm. This portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is considered Levine’s most iconic shot, and is a definitive example of the pulsating, meditative energy of the artist’s style. During the photoshoot, the Queen was required to sit still for 8 seconds at a time, and between the passes she closed her eyes to rest. Levine was struck by the beauty of her meditative state and snapped the shutter, resulting in this powerful and strikingly modern image. Acquired directly from the artist, this unique pigment print will be appearing at auction for the first time.

Quintessentially British Works:
One of the top lots of the auction is a beautifully intimate sculpture by Dame Elisabeth Frink, expressing one of the essential themes in her work - the “horseness” of horses[1]. Having ridden from a young age at her home in Suffolk, horses were Frink’s lifelong passion and the warmth, love and respect for her subject matter shines through in this work. Never before seen at auction, a further highlight is a fascinating portrait of Francis Bacon, John Russell and David Sylvester by Keith Vaughan drawn at lunch with artist Prunella Clough in March 1976.