In my previous post on the art of Ronald Searle at auction, I discussed the results of a New York sale where three of the four lots failed to sell. One week later on June 29th, just across the pond in the U. K. at Christie's South Kensington, 28 of 29 Searle lots sold, many for exceedingly high prices. The sale was remarkable for having a number of lots that were very desirable St. Trinian's drawings from the 1940's and 1950's, a trove which, we are told, "has only recently come to light." Wherever they may have been mislaid, Searle added his modern signature to the many drawings that were still unsigned, a process Christie's describes as having them "seen and authenticated." It appears the contemporary signatures, which differ significantly from Searle's more upright and unembellished 1950's signatures, did not discourage the buyers in the slightest. I suspect, given the attention lavished on them by the artist before the sale, that these drawings may have been with Mr. Searle or a family member all along.
The naughty girls of St. Trinian's account for much of Searle's fame in England to this day. They were merely mentioned in just one published cartoon prior to Searle's going off to the Second World War, but they became a cultural phenomenon after his return home. For most of the intervening years he had been held by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. Not surprisingly perhaps, themes of violence, cruelty, abuse, and confinement abound in these cartoons ostensibly about wayward schoolgirls. The cartoons have more to do with Searle's own wartime experiences than with any schoolgirl's, however ill-behaved. The astonishing thing is, Searle's cartoons struck a nerve. The black humor that sprang from his awful captivity resonated deeply with the British public. Ronald Searle became a household name and his schoolgirls from the magazines were collected in books and eventually went on to the movies. The drawings, or most of them, went into private collections. Searle could scarcely keep up with the demand.
Almost any cartoonist encountering such stunning success could be expected to keep at it for the rest of his life, milking every possible comic situation and every possible dollar--excuse me, pound--out of it. But Searle chose another path for himself. To the disappointment of his fans, Ronald Searle killed off the school and its inhabitants in grand 1950's style with a nuclear explosion in Souls in Torment (1953). This ensured that the public would never get enough of St. Trinian's, but he, Searle, 33 years old, had had enough.
In general, the sale prices here were quite strong, particularly for the St. Trinian's lots. 'Back to School,' Lot 662, above, sold for an astonishing £25,000, or about $40,000. This is some 14 times its high estimate and, as far as I can tell, a sales record for the artist. What happened? It's hard to say from my vantage point far from the salesroom, but I think a few factors came into play generating a lot of excitement. For one thing, Searle enjoyed a lot of well-deserved publicity for his 90th birthday in 2010, including a rare televised interview and several exhibitions. Furthermore, two new St. Trinian's movies have been released in recent years, foisting the wicked schoolgirls once again into the British public's attention. Finally, there may have been some pent-up demand on the part of collectors for a good St. Trinian's drawing, coupled with the fear that, once this sale ends, there may be no more on the horizon for a good while. 'Back to School' is a truly classic St. Trinian's drawing full of energy, mischief, and mayhem. What more could anyone want?
Here finally are all the Searle lots from the sale, mostly original St. Trinian's drawings from the 1950's, along with the vital statistics:
Lot 651:
The naughty girls of St. Trinian's account for much of Searle's fame in England to this day. They were merely mentioned in just one published cartoon prior to Searle's going off to the Second World War, but they became a cultural phenomenon after his return home. For most of the intervening years he had been held by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. Not surprisingly perhaps, themes of violence, cruelty, abuse, and confinement abound in these cartoons ostensibly about wayward schoolgirls. The cartoons have more to do with Searle's own wartime experiences than with any schoolgirl's, however ill-behaved. The astonishing thing is, Searle's cartoons struck a nerve. The black humor that sprang from his awful captivity resonated deeply with the British public. Ronald Searle became a household name and his schoolgirls from the magazines were collected in books and eventually went on to the movies. The drawings, or most of them, went into private collections. Searle could scarcely keep up with the demand.
Almost any cartoonist encountering such stunning success could be expected to keep at it for the rest of his life, milking every possible comic situation and every possible dollar--excuse me, pound--out of it. But Searle chose another path for himself. To the disappointment of his fans, Ronald Searle killed off the school and its inhabitants in grand 1950's style with a nuclear explosion in Souls in Torment (1953). This ensured that the public would never get enough of St. Trinian's, but he, Searle, 33 years old, had had enough.
'Back to School'
In general, the sale prices here were quite strong, particularly for the St. Trinian's lots. 'Back to School,' Lot 662, above, sold for an astonishing £25,000, or about $40,000. This is some 14 times its high estimate and, as far as I can tell, a sales record for the artist. What happened? It's hard to say from my vantage point far from the salesroom, but I think a few factors came into play generating a lot of excitement. For one thing, Searle enjoyed a lot of well-deserved publicity for his 90th birthday in 2010, including a rare televised interview and several exhibitions. Furthermore, two new St. Trinian's movies have been released in recent years, foisting the wicked schoolgirls once again into the British public's attention. Finally, there may have been some pent-up demand on the part of collectors for a good St. Trinian's drawing, coupled with the fear that, once this sale ends, there may be no more on the horizon for a good while. 'Back to School' is a truly classic St. Trinian's drawing full of energy, mischief, and mayhem. What more could anyone want?
Here finally are all the Searle lots from the sale, mostly original St. Trinian's drawings from the 1950's, along with the vital statistics:
Lot 651:
Rough design for the poster for 'The Belles of St. Trinian's', 1954, the first St. Trinian's film
Price Realized
- £2,500($3,990)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- £1,000 - £1,500
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
Sale Information
Sale 1243 Lot 651
Christie's Interiors
29 June 2011
Christie's London, South Kensington
Christie's Interiors
29 June 2011
Christie's London, South Kensington
Lot Description
Ronald William Fordham Searle (b.1920)
Rough design for the poster for 'The Belles of St. Trinian's', 1954, the first St. Trinian's film
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left) and inscribed 'Rough design for the poster of the/first St. Trinian's film, 1954.' (lower centre) and variously inscribed throughout
mixed media, unframed
11 5/8 x 13½ in. (29.5 x 34.3 cm.)
November 12, 2011 Update: This rough poster design is now being offered for sale at £7500.00 by Chris Beetles of London in his show THE ILLUSTRATORS 2011 - THE BRITISH ART OF ILLUSTRATION 1837-2011, 19 November 2011 - 7 January 2012. That's a dealer markup of an even 200% over the auction sale price.
February 18, 2012 Update: Sold.
Pre-Lot Text
ST. TRINIAN'S (LOTS 651-662, 681-692 and 711)
This collection of St. Trinian's drawings from the 1940s and 1950s has only recently come to light, and has been seen and authenticated by Ronald Searle.
Lot 652:
Lot 652:
 |
'Down with School Inspectors!' |
Price Realized
- £3,000
- ($4,797)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- £800 - £1,200
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
'Down with School Inspectors!'
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left), dated '1952' (lower right) and inscribed 'Down with School Inspectors!' (lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 1/8 x 10 3/8 in. (15.6 x 26.4 cm.)
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left), dated '1952' (lower right) and inscribed 'Down with School Inspectors!' (lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 1/8 x 10 3/8 in. (15.6 x 26.4 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1952, p. 118.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 110.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 110.
Lot 653:
 |
| 'Debagging old flannel pants'
Image revised May 12, 2012
|
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- £1,000 - £1,500
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left) and inscribed 'Debagging Old Flannel pants/The Terror of St. Trinian's (p 29), 1952' (lower left)
pen and black ink and black wash, unframed
6 1/2 x 9 in. (16.5 x 22.9 cm.)
pen and black ink and black wash, unframed
6 1/2 x 9 in. (16.5 x 22.9 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1952, p. 29.
November 12, 2011 Update: 'Debagging old flannel pants' is now being offered for sale at £8500.00 by Chris Beetles of London in his show THE ILLUSTRATORS 2011 - THE BRITISH ART OF ILLUSTRATION 1837-2011, 19 November 2011 - 7 January 2012. That's a dealer markup of 79% over the auction sale price.
May 12, 2012 Update: This drawing is included by London art dealer Chris Beetles in his exhibition Ronald Searle Remembered, May 22 - June 9, 2012. As item no. 50, it is already listed as sold.
Lot 654:
Price Realized
- £2,375
- ($3,798)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,117 - $1,596)
£700 - £1,000
pencil and pen and brown ink with scratching out, unframed
10¼ x 15 3/8 in. (26 x 39 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, pp. 50-51.
Lot 655:
Price Realized
- £1,875
- ($2,998)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
- signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left)pen and black ink, unframed
£600 - £800
3¾ x 5 1/8 in. (9.5 x 13 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 44.
Lot 656:
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
signed and inscribed 'Ronald Searle/'What fire in the East Wing?''(lower left) and dated '1952' (lower right)
pen and black ink, unframed
7¼ x 10 in. (18.5 x 25.4 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1952, p. 91.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 115.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 115.
Lot 657:
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
signed and inscribed 'Ronald Searle/Goal!' (lower left)
pen and black ink heightened with white, unframed
5 3/8 x 11 3/8 in. (13.7 x 28.9 cm.)
pen and black ink heightened with white, unframed
5 3/8 x 11 3/8 in. (13.7 x 28.9 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 110.
Lot Notes
This drawing was designed for a greetings card for Valentine's of Dundee.
Lot 658:
'Don't be greedy, Cynthia - give your sister some.'Lot 658:
Price Realized
- £13,750
- ($21,986)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
- signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower right) and inscribed '"Don't be greedy, Cynthia - give your sister some."' (lower centre)
£1,000 - £1,500
pen and black ink, unframed
8¼ x 9 5/8 in. (21 x 24.5 cm.)
8¼ x 9 5/8 in. (21 x 24.5 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, c.1950.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 46.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007, p. 29.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 46.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007, p. 29.
Lot 659:
'To arms!'
Price Realized
- £4,000
- ($6,396)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
signed and inscribed 'To Arms! Ronald Searle' (lower left) and further signed with initials and dated '1949' (lower right)
pen and black ink and black wash, unframed
8 5/8 x 14 in. (22 x 35.6 cm.)
pen and black ink and black wash, unframed
8 5/8 x 14 in. (22 x 35.6 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, September 1949.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 34.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 34.
Lot 660:
Price Realized
- £2,500
- ($3,998)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
signed and inscribed 'Ronald Searle/'Anyone for karate?'' (lower left)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 3/8 x 9 3/8 in. (16.3 x 23.8 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 3/8 x 9 3/8 in. (16.3 x 23.8 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1959, p. 48.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 66.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 66.
Lot 661:
'Old Girl's Dinner'
Price Realized
- £8,125
- ($12,992)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left) and inscribed 'Angela p125 Old Girl's dinner' (lower left)
pen and black ink, unframed
7¼ x 10½ in. (18.5 x 26.7 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
7¼ x 10½ in. (18.5 x 26.7 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1952, p.125.
Lot 662:
|
'Back to school' |
Price Realized
- £25,000
- ($39,975)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,915 - $2,873)
£1,200 - £1,800
signed and dated 'Ronald Searle' (lower right) and inscribed 'ST TRINIAN'S/BACK TO SCHOOL' (upper left)
pen and brown ink, unframed
9 x 12 5/8 in. (22.9 x 32.1 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, September 1949.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 31.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 31.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007.
Lot 681:
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left)
pencil, pen and black ink and black wash, heightened with white, unframed
12¾ x 9½ in. (32.4 x 24.2 cm.)
Lot 682:
'Preparing to be a beautiful lady?'
St. Trinian's goes carolling: 'Help me turn her - she's thawing.'
'Farewell, the East Wing'
Price Realized
- £2,500
- ($3,998)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left), inscribed '"PREPARING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL LADY?"' (lower centre) and further inscribed 'St. Trinian's No. 8/Hurrah for St. Trinian's (Page 56)/1948' (lower left)
pencil and pen and brown ink, unframed
10 5/8 x 6 7/8 in. (27 x 17.5 cm.)
pencil and pen and brown ink, unframed
10 5/8 x 6 7/8 in. (27 x 17.5 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, March 1947.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948, p. 56.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948, p. 56.
Lot 683:
Price Realized
- £3,500
- ($5,597)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,117 - $1,596)
£700 - £1,000
signed and dated 'Ronald Searle/1949' (lower right), inscribed 'Help me turn her - she's thawing.' (lower centre) and further inscribed 'Lillput [sic.] St.Trinian's goes carolling. 6' (upper left)
pen and black ink, unframed
10 x 7 7/8 in. (25.4 x 20 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
10 x 7 7/8 in. (25.4 x 20 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, December 1949.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 57.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 57.
Lot 684:
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
signed 'Ronald Searle' and inscribed 'Farewell the East Wing [Two of the firemen present could scarcely hide their disgust...]' (lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
13½ x 9½ in. (34.3 x 24.1 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
13½ x 9½ in. (34.3 x 24.1 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The Terror of St. Trinian's, London, 1952, p. 99.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 118.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 118.
Lot 685:
St. Trinian's goes carolling: 'Boy oh Boy - that's warming'
'Girls, girls! - A little less noise, please.'
'Same old stuff...'
Lot 689:
The tuba: St. Trinian's, Ashtray design for Nymolle, Copenhagen
'Well - you said your love knew no bounds'
'Middle East negotiations'
Lot 709:
($1,277 - $1,915)
'Such forcible charm'
Walk on
'10'
Price Realized
- £3,500
- ($5,597)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
signed and dated 'Ronald Searle/1949' (lower right) and inscribed '"Boy oh Boy - that's warming"' (lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
7 3/8 x 5½ in. (18.8 x 14 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
7 3/8 x 5½ in. (18.8 x 14 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, December 1949.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 58.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 58.
November 12, 2011 Update: 'Boy oh Boy - that's warming' is now being offered for sale at £6500.00 by Chris Beetles of London in his show THE ILLUSTRATORS 2011 - THE BRITISH ART OF ILLUSTRATION 1837-2011, 19 November 2011 - 7 January 2012. That's a dealer markup of 86% over the auction sale price, for those of you keeping score at home.
May 12, 2012 Update: This drawing does not appear in the retrospective exhibition Ronald Searle Remembered, May 22 - June 9, 2012 at the Chris Beetles Gallery in London. I therefore assume it has been sold.
Lot 686:
Price Realized
- £7,500
- ($11,993)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left) and inscribed '"GIRLS, GIRLS! - A LITTLE LESS NOISE, PLEASE"' (lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
9 3/8 x 6¾ in. (23.8 x 17.2 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
9 3/8 x 6¾ in. (23.8 x 17.2 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, October 1946.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948.
Lot 687:
Price Realized
- £4,000
- ($6,396)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,117 - $1,596)
£700 - £1,000
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower centre) and inscribed 'Same old stuff...' (on the mount, lower centre)
pen and black ink, unframed
6½ x 4 1/8 in. (16.5 x 10.5 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
6½ x 4 1/8 in. (16.5 x 10.5 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, 1946.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007.
Lot 688:
'Hell - my best scotch!'
Price Realized
- £4,750
- ($7,595)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
signed and dated 'Ronald Searle/1949' (lower right) and inscribed 'Hell - my best scotch!' (on the mount, lower centre) and further inscribed 'Slaughterhouse page 35 Hell! My best scotch' (on the mount, lower left)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 5/8 x 5½ in. (16.8 x 14 cm.)
pen and black ink, unframed
6 5/8 x 5½ in. (16.8 x 14 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, London, September 1949.
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 68.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007.
The violin: St. Trinian's, Ashtray design for Nymolle, Copenhagen
Price Realized
£2,000
- ($3,198)
- Price includes buyer's premium
- Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
Lot 690:
Price Realized
- £1,250
- ($1,999)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left) and inscribed 'St. Trinian's: Ashtrya design for Nymolle/Copenhagen/c.1955' (lower right)
pencil, pen and black ink and bodycolour, unframed 11½ x 10¼ in. (29.2 x 26 cm.) November 12, 2011 Update: The tuba: St. Trinian's, Ashtray design for Nymolle, Copenhagen was offered for sale by Chris Beetles of London in his show THE ILLUSTRATORS 2011 - THE BRITISH ART OF ILLUSTRATION 1837-2011, 19 November 2011 - 7 January 2012. It is now listed as sold.
Lot 691:
'Cave!'
Price Realized
- £5,250
- ($8,395)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
Jan 1947' (upper left) and further inscribed 'Hurrah page 57 1948' (upper right)
pencil and pen and brown ink heightened with white, unframed
10 5/8 x 7½ in. (27 x 19 cm.)
pencil and pen and brown ink heightened with white, unframed
10 5/8 x 7½ in. (27 x 19 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, January 1947.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948, p. 57.
Ronald Searle, Hurrah for St. Trinian's, London, 1948, p. 57.
Lot 692:
'Well - you said your love knew no bounds' Price Realized
- £5,250
- ($8,395)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
signed 'Ronald Searle' (upper right) and inscribed '"Well - you said you loved me..."/'Well - you said your love know no bounds'' (lower right)
pen and black ink, unframed
8¾ x 6 1/8 in. (22.3 x 15.5 cm.)
Literature
Lilliput, September 1949.
Ronald Searle, Back to the Slaughterhouse, London, 1951, p. 32.
Ronald Searle, St. Trinian's: The entire appalling business, New York, 2007, p. 82.
Lot 708:
Price Realized
- £1,250
- ($1,999)
- Price includes buyer's premium
- Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
- £600 - £800
signed and inscribed 'Ronald Searle/Middle East negotiations' (lower left)
pencil and pen and black ink, unframed
15 x 19 in. (38.1 x 48.3 cm.)
Literature
Journal Le Monde, Paris.
Lot 709:
Nineteen caricatures of officers from HQ 18th Division (one illustrated)
UnsoldEstimate
£800 - £1,200($1,277 - $1,915)
Set of 19: pencil and pen and black ink, loose in a folio
|
| 22,9 x 17,8 cm 9 x 7 in |
Lot: 711
Price Realized
- £2,125
- ($3,398)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($958 - $1,277)
£600 - £800
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower left), dated '1959' (lower right) and inscribed 'Such forcible charm' (upper left)
pen and black ink, unframed
5 3/8 x 6 in. (13.7 x 15.3 cm.)
Literature
Ronald Searle, The St. Trinian's Story, London, 1959, p. 72.
Lot: 712:
Price Realized
- £1,000
- ($1,599)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,596 - $2,394)
£1,000 - £1,500
pen and black ink, unframed
11 x 7 5/8 in. (28.6 x 19.4 cm.)
11 x 7 5/8 in. (28.6 x 19.4 cm.)
Saleroom Notice
Please note that this lot should be subject to Artist's Resale Right
Lot 713:
Price Realized
- £1,625
- ($2,598)
- Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate
- ($1,277 - $1,915)
£800 - £1,200
signed 'Ronald Searle' (lower right)
pen and black ink and watercolour heightened with white, unframed
8 x 10 3/8 in. (22.3 x 26.4 cm.)
Saleroom Notice
Please note that this lot should be subject to Artist's Resale Right.
Note: My previous post on Four Drawings by Ronald Searle at Auction can be found here.
Want more? Check out the Ronald Searle Tribute blog at http://ronaldsearle.blogspot.com/. Matt Jones has spent years adding troves of astonishing material. I am not guilty of hyperbole when I say this is the greatest online repository of Searle artistry in the universe! There are four sections about St. Trinian's alone!
56
May 26, 2012 Update: This drawing 10% was published in TV Guide. It is reproduced in The Art of TV Guide (2007) by Jerry Alten. If anyone has the date of original publication or a scan of the magazine page, please let me know.
Note: My previous post on Four Drawings by Ronald Searle at Auction can be found here.
Want more? Check out the Ronald Searle Tribute blog at http://ronaldsearle.blogspot.com/. Matt Jones has spent years adding troves of astonishing material. I am not guilty of hyperbole when I say this is the greatest online repository of Searle artistry in the universe! There are four sections about St. Trinian's alone!
56
Excellent post-wouldn't surprise me if Searle had these stashed away all these years! Uli inspected the drawings first hand and said they were all of quite small dimensions and on thin paper. With this in mind the high prices they fetched is even more surprising-presumably snapped up by Mr Forbes?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Matt. I suspect most of the buyers were English, but we won't know for sure until someone goes public.
ReplyDeleteThanks ever so much for popping these up. It's fascinating to see just how much dealers slap on top of the purchase price - but can they really get that much when these auctions are open to everybody? I'm lucky enough to have a Searle original featuring the artist alongside his creation and although I have read some old articles mentioning how early in his career the St Trinians girls were finished off, I can't quite believe that he didn't keep drawing them in some capacity. Does anyone know how many cartoons of the gals he actually penned or was no record ever kept?
ReplyDeleteTricky questions today, Professor!
ReplyDeleteIn general, it's not unusual for dealers to buy at auction, sometimes for a client and sometimes for resale to the general public. Dealers have significant overhead costs, including leasing gallery space, hiring qualified staff, producing color catalogues, maintaining unsold inventories, advertising and publicity, maintaining a website, traveling to art fairs, and hosting opening receptions. On top of all this, they need to make a profit.
If only dealers are bidding at auction, then the winning bid is essentially a wholesale price. If the general public is bidding then the dealer is in some sense paying retail. Either way, the dealer has to add a considerable markup. To do this successfully, the dealer must really know the market. I think it's safe to say there has been a surprising willingness among collectors to pay the increasing costs of owning an original Searle. It helps if the dealer can maintain a prosperous client list. We know, for example, that Chris Beetles's clients have included Jeffrey Archer, John Cleese, and Robert Forbes, any of whom might be willing to pay dealer prices in exchange for the dealer's knowledge and expertise in acquiring the works. That there is currently a global economic downturn probably doesn't make life any easier for dealers.
So how many St. Trinian's drawings are there? I seem to recall that there are only a couple of hundred published drawings, but I don't remember my source for this. Searle did make some preliminary drawings of the girls and some alternate versions, as well as souvenirs for friends and fans. He later occasionally returned to the girls for book cover art, and for what appears to be an abandoned book project with both St. Trinian's and St. Custard's. Overall, I'm quite sure there's no written record of how many St. Trinian's girls are out there.
An abandoned book project? Tragic! As much as I love the St Trinians gals (to be honest, almost totally because of the film versions), when it comes to printed paper, I've aways had a softer spot for the chaps at St Custards - probably because my own school was surprisingly similar. I'm surprised at how few St Trinians drawings are in existence but I wonder how many unknown and lost works are going to surface now that Searle has died? I was going to pop a snap of mine up on Facebook but I've since been warned that they claim to own the rights of any image uploaded there.
ReplyDeleteI do of course understand the whole business about dealer profit margins but as someone who has attended auctions since his 'teens, I've never understood why people seem to prefer to pay that mark-up. Perhaps it's because I've never been lucky enough to inhabit a world in which money is no object? It obviously sets aside all the hard work/good fortune in tracking down a piece but for me that's always been the thrill of it.
I certainly agree with your sentiments, Professor, about the thrill of the hunt for artistic treasures. I think we have to work even harder at the game when funds are limited, as they always seem to be. But watch out if I ever win the lottery...
ReplyDeleteIf I can help you out by posting your image on this blog, just let me know. I'd be delighted to help bring another Searle drawing to the attention of the world. Alternatively, Matt Jones has a post entitled "Private Collections" on his Ronald Searle Tribute blog and I'm sure he'd be thrilled to add to it.
Thanks for that Doc! I had no idea there was a 'Private Collections' page - it could probably do with a little bit of promotion on his front page. Then who knows how many other unseen works might then be tempted from the shadows? Anyway, I shall follow your kind suggestion and see if it's wanted - particularly as it's where most of the fans obviously go to seek out all things Ronald related...
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Prof. I'm glad you've met with success!
ReplyDeleteSearle's termination of the St Trins character was undermined in later years by his mortgage! Even as early as the fifties he was providing artwork for the film adaptations (which he later professed to loath)- poster/promotional art and even interstitial animated sections.
ReplyDeleteLeaving his first wife Kaye Webb and their children and moving to Paris to be with Monica probably incurred great financial strain. As did their move to Tourtour in the south and of course Monica's lengthy medical treatment. No wonder St Trins has been reprinted so many times in various collections- Penguin, Golden Oldies etc.
I seem to recall Searle stating there were around 60 original drawings of St Trins - for Lilliput mag -not sure if that figure includes the drawings for Timothy Shy's book.
In recent years 'new' drawings featuring the St Trins girls have surfaced at auctions at Christies but from the shaky linework I would say they were recent sketches dashed off by Ronald to pay the bills. Uli Meyer actually landed a very good catch at auction- an unsigned drawing featuring the girls and their teachers which we were initially at a loss to identify. Ronald of course was able to tell us it was the cover artwork for the original edition of The Female Approach-he even signed for it Uli on one of our visits!
It's remarkable all the fuss that's been made over these sixty-odd original drawings from Lilliput. Few cartoonists ever meet with that kind of success, and fewer still can just walk away from it.
DeleteAs I stated above in the comments section, I suspect that some of the drawings from Christie's including both St. Trinian's and St. Custard's students might have been for an abandoned book project. It's also possible that Searle was just trying to give his fans what they want.
Matt, you have fascinating insights here into Searle's St. Trinian's drawings, which kept appearing on the market more than five decades after the demise of the school. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here.