Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Fin de Saison signed 'Hillier.' (lower right); titled and partially dated 'FIN DE SAISON/193-' (on the stretcher) oil on canvas 60.4 x 81.1 cm. (23 3/4 x 31 7/8 in.) Painted in 1939
λ TRISTRAM HILLIER (BRITISH 1905-1983) WYKE CHAMPFLOWER, 1950Oil on canvasSigned with monogram and dated 50 (on the milestone, lower right) 59.5 x 79cm (23¼ x 31 in.)Provenance:Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd., London Exhibited:London, Arthur Tooth and Sons Ltd., Recent Paintings by Tristram Hillier and Geoffrey Tribble, October- November 1950, cat.no.13 Bradford, Cartwright Memorial Hall, 1952 (according to label verso, details untraced)London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 1953, cat.no.471A drawing related to this composition is held by the Artist's estate. Tooth's erroneously record the date of the work as 1949, possibly suggesting an early 1950 completion date.We are very grateful to the Estate of Tristram Hillier for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
λ TRISTRAM HILLIER (BRITISH 1905-1983) THE ESTUARY, 1952Oil on canvasSigned and dated '52 (lower right)53 x 90cm (20¾ x 35¼ in.)Provenance:Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd., LondonExhibited:possibly, London Redfern Gallery, 1953 (details untraced)London, Arthur Tooth and Sons Ltd, To-Day and Yesterday, Some Important Contemporaries, January 1953, cat.no.28possibly, Arthur Tooth and Sons Ltd, The Crucifixion and other Recent Paintings by Tristram Hillier, October-November 1954, cat.no.7 (where dated 1953) probably, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 1955, cat.no.449A drawing related to this composition is held in a Private Collection.We are very grateful to the Estate of Tristram Hillier for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (BRITISH 1905 - 1983) Étretat, 1939 Oil on canvas, 60 x 80cm (23¾ x 31½) Signed 'Hillier' (lower left); inscribed and dated 'ETRETAT 1939' (on the reverse) Provenance: With Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, where purchased by the present owner's family. Exhibited: London, Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd, 7th May - 1st June 1946, Paintings of Tristram Hillier, (catalogue record no. unknown); Bradford, Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, June 11 - 31 July 1983, A Timeless Journey: Tristram Hiller R.A 1905 - 1983, cat. no.18 (illustrated p.21 & catalogue description p.44) The beach with its drying nets and jet-black fishing boats etched against the luminous Norman sky, and throwing deep translucent shadows upon the shingle, excited me enormously and formed the subject for what I considered some of the best paintings I have ever made.[1] Hilliers reference to that luminous Norman sky describes the time he spent in the town of Étretat on the northwestern coast of France. It was a place that fulfilled him greatly as an artist and provided constant inspiration during the three years he spent living there. His draw to the place was shared with many other painters and Étretat had long been considered an artistic haven, attracting the likes of Delacroix, Courbet and Monet. The latter of which stayed at the Hotel Blanquet, the very same one that appears in this present work. During his time there Monet made repeated images of the infamous arches of the white chalk cliffs, representing cycles within a landscape depicted at different times of the day, of the year or from a variety of perspectives. In this work Hillier has positioned himself and our viewpoint from one of the jutting cliff faces that form part of the second arch of Porte dAval. We are looking down over the town and beach front of Étretat, and the third arch, Porte dAmont, is visible in the distance. Atop of that cliff sits the church Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde and behind it the original monument to the LOiseau Blanc (White Bird) which commemorated the failed voyage of the biplane that disappeared in 1927 during an attempt to make the first non-stop transatlantic voyage. The monument depicted by Hillier was destroyed by the occupying German army in 1942. The town is populated with brick and stone buildings and British, American and French flags fly proudly in the wind, particularly pertinent in relation to the change that will overcome this small commune in Normandy in the following year. The beachfront is dotted with multicoloured cabins and upturned fishing boats. Holidaymakers either sun themselves on the sand or relax on the balcony overlooking the beach, under large umbrellas. On the cliff face a pair of couples enjoy the fresh air. The deep translucent shadows Hillier referred to are abundant in the work, the sun at its highest point casting sharp silhouettes across the sand. While this work is different to other examples of the period, which are more straightforwardly Surrealist in character, there are certain elements which persist. Hillier seems to be presenting us with an idyll on the cusp of collapse, locals and tourists alike enjoying the last of the peacetime. The two couples now appear to be more putting on a show of elegance and enjoyment for our benefit, dressed up as characters. In this work narrative elements are left unexplained, isolated from each other within this large composition. The scale of the work is also unusual, given his other works of this period, which are tighter and more constrained. A large portion of the composition is taken over with an expanse of blue sky, while the cliff face, town and beachfront occupy a small fraction of the overall composition. It serves to create a broad expansive panorama, infusing the scene with a more dramatic element than otherwise might have been achieved with a smaller composition. Other examples of his work while living in Étretat follow a more sinister note, though still working within the theme of the seaside and marine life. These works may suggest a greater awareness or acceptance of the impending threat of violence, darker in tone and showing empty beaches, no longer enjoyed by holiday makers or used by local fishermen. Such as The Beach at Yport (fig 1), another seaside port up along the coast which Hillier visited many times, or Fishing Craft at Étretat 1939 (National Gallery of Canada). A recurring theme of abandonment is typical of his paintings of this period. Objects are washed up on beaches, items of clothing left behind and by focusing in on them and using them as props, they are shown out of context in order to produce an element of visual suspense. Hillier had settled in Normandy in 1937 with his second wife Leda. They had met while both were travelling through Austria. She was there with her father Captain Sydney Hardcastle, a retired Anglo-Irish naval engineer. The two married soon after meeting, Hillier was apparently strongly attracted to Ledas solid country values.[2] Ledas mother, who died shortly after her daughters birth, was from County Cork and Leda had spent her childhood in the south of Ireland looked after by her aunts. In the village of Criquetot-lEsneval near Étretat they came upon a wonderful 18th century house called lOrmerie which is beautifully depicted in The Painter at Home (1940) (fig 2) showing the newly married couple and their two dogs surrounded by the elm trees from which the house derived its name. As they could not afford the property themselves, Ledas father generously purchased the house for them. However, their French idyll ended abruptly when they were compelled to flee the town in the early summer of 1940 with the very near threat of German invasion from advancing forces. Once the war ended the Hilliers were immediately travelling again, first to Normandy in September 1945 to see their abandoned home. Their maid Henriette filled them in on how lOrmerie, in their absence, was ransacked by the German forces. Thankfully for Hillier, Henriette had removed the paintings from his studio and hidden them in the house of a neighbour, Monsieur Layet. Hillier reveals in letters to Dudley Tooth in May 1945 that they were kept in Monsieur Layets house for the duration of the war before being handed over to his lawyer Monsieur Maujean. The recovery of the paintings was very important particularly from an economic standpoint, providing much needed financial support for the family. Following a period of intense negotiation with the Board of Trade in the UK, they were finally granted permission for the pictures painted prior to his departure from France to be imported into the UK. There were 51 artworks in total to be shipped, including this present example. They left Étretat bound for London on 7th March 1946. Arrangements were made for an exhibition of the works with his dealer Dudley Tooth of Arthur Tooth & Sons, which had initially been planned for 1940. The exhibition ran from May 7th - June 1st, 1946, at their gallery on 31 Bruton Street. It was a hugely successful show for Hillier and he sold all of the works. Hillier wrote of it, 'My exhibition was as successful as I could have wished. All the pictures were sold within a few days while the critics were in some cases complimentary and in others exceedingly abusive, so that their reactions were without exception gratifying'.[3] Another condition of the import license was that Hillier would take up permanent residency in the UK, and the family settled in Somerset. He continued to enjoy trips abroad, particularly in Spain and Portugal and closer to home he spent time in Ireland. Travel was a refuge for Hillier, an opportunity to escape his ordinary life and it fed his artistic output greatly. A wonderful work made in 1947, shortly after his return from France, depicts the harbour in Galway city (fig 3). A Guinness brewery is visible in the distance, Hillier once again employing elements of text within his paintings. Similar to Étretat, smaller narratives unfold within the larger landscape scene. They do not take centre stage, the focus instead is on the environment and the objects within it, the fishing nets, ropes, metal buoys, wooden barrels that have been rendered with incredible precision and detail. With 2024 heralding the centenary of the Surrealist Manifesto, published in October 1924, it is an exciting moment to have one of the key figures in the British School represented at auction with a particularly fine and unique example of his oeuvre. Niamh Corcoran [1] Tristram Hillier, Leda and the Goose, An Autobiography, London, Longmans, Green & Co, London, p. 156. [2] Jenny Perry, Painter Pilgrim, The Art and Life of Tristram Hillier, London, Royal Academy of Arts, 2008, pg. 63. [3] Tristram Hillier, Leda and the Goose, An Autobiography, London, Longmans, Green & Co, 1954, p. 177.
TRISTRAM HILLIER (BRITISH 1905-1983) ESTUARY AT LOW TIDE, 1954 signed in pencil (lower right), inscribed To John Guest September 1954, pencil on squared-up paper 28cm x 45cm (11in x 17 ¾in) Wolseley Fine Art, from whom acquired by the present owner.
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Derelict signed 'Hillier.' (lower right) and dated '1951.' (lower left) oil on canvas 22.9 x 15.9 cm. (9 x 6 1/4 in.)
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Una Ermita signed with initials and dated 'TH 74' (lower right); titled and further dated ''UNA ERMITA'. 1974' (on canvas overlap) oil on canvas 25.5 x 30.5cm (10 1/16 x 12in).
§ Tristram Hillier (British 1905-1983) Deserted Monastery in Castile, 1978 signed and dated (lower left), oil on canvas (59.5cm x 80cm (23 3/8in x 31 1/2in)) Provenance: Mr. W. Govett Esq.; The Lefevre Gallery, London; Christie's, London, Modern British Art, 10 June 2005, Lot 174 titled as 'San Juan Del Campo';Private Collection, London. Exhibited: Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, Bradford, A Timeless Journey, June - September 1983, cat. no. 72. The current work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist's paintings. The Estate would like to hear from owners of any works by Hillier. Please write to The Estate of Tristram Hillier, c/o Lyon and Turnbull. The surrealist inflections of Tristram Hillier’s early work were underpinned by Bernard Meninsky’s tutelage at Westminster School of Art’s evening classes; Hillier also studied under Henry Tonks at the Slade, but felt constrained by the School’s traditional approach. Exposure to surrealist and cubist painters during a period in late 1920s and ‘30s Paris proved formative, and by the time Hillier returned to England his reputation as a leading British Modernist painter had crystallised. This was aided in part by a fruitful exhibiting career with London’s Lefevre Gallery from 1931, as well as his membership of Paul Nash’s Modernist Group ‘Unit One’. Hillier’s Post-war canvases evidence maturation towards a starker, franker style suffused with a sense of stillness and detachment. This view of a deserted Spanish monastery is painted with a characteristic precision and intensity bordering on photorealism, disrupted only by the nod to abstraction in the monochromatic blue of the sky. The legacy of surrealism can be identified in the cast-off clothes and towels which further the idea of desertion. It is noteworthy that Hillier chose to portray a deserted monastery given the artist’s complicated relationship with his faith. His father had found solace in the Catholic Church after turning blind aged thirty, and in 1905 Tristram was born into a devoutly religious environment. Following the sudden deaths of his mother and brother in 1917 (the latter having perished during active service in northern France), Hillier seriously contemplated entering a monastery. He spent the following two decades as an itinerant artist, moving around England and Europe, with a spell in Beijing learning Chinese. It was not until the 1950s that he settled once more in Somerset and re-entered the Catholic Church. He increasingly portrayed religious subjects, and maintained a strict daily routine, passing most of his time in the studio in solitude. Hillier nevertheless continued to travel, particularly to Spain and Portugal, and was moved by the topography and ways of life he encountered there. All of this he recorded through sketches and photography, which he would use to build up fully-realised compositions upon his return to Somerset.
TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (1905-1983) Barns in Winter TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (1905-1983) /Barns in Winter/ signed and dated ‘Hillier ’43.’ (lower left), inscribed and dated again ‘Barns in Winter/ Jan. 43.’ (on the reverse) oil on panel 10 x 16 in. (25.4 x 40.6 cm.) Painted in January 1943.
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Selsey Bill signed 'Hillier' (lower left) oil on panel 22.6 x 35.6 cm. (8 7/8 x 14 in.) Painted in 1945 For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
† Tristram Hillier RA (1905-1983), a still life study, 'Apples & Peaches with a Tin Jug', tempera on board, signed and dated '62, 17 cm x 24.5 cm in a gilt frame. Private collection, 'Tooth 12' chalk mark verso, with paper label.
A collection of catalogues of Tristram Hillier (1905 –1983) published by Arthur Tooth & Sons, Ltd. London; Includes seven 18th November to 12th November 1960; eight 20th October to 7th November 1964; one 26th March to 20th April 1968; fourteen 5th June to 23rd 1973 (30) Please refer to department for condition report
Tristram Paul Hillier RA, British 1905 –1983- 'The Spanish Loaf', 1972; oil on canvas, signed 'Hillier' lower right, dated '1972' lower left, 39x49.5cm(ARR) Provenance: Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd, London no. C8098; Private Collection, London; Christie's London, 14 May 1992. lot 163, where purchased by the decedents of Arthur Tooth & Sons; Exhibition: Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd, London, 'Tristram Hillier', 5th June to 23 June 1973 no.16; Literature: Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd, London, 'Tristram Hillier', 5th June to 23 June 1973 no.16 p.1 (illus b/w)(a copy of this catalogue accompanies this lot); Note: Tristram Hillier was a significant British surrealist artist of the 20th century. Hillier was closely connected with many key figures in the development of British art from the 1930s onwards, forming part of the Unit One group alongside his contemporary Paul Nash, whilst also heavily influenced in his work by European surrealists such as Max Ernst and George de Chirico. The present piece exhibits Hillier’s highly distinctive style, defined by his use of sharp lines and striking contrast between light and shade. Hillier’s work forms part of prestigious collections, including that of the Tate Gallery, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, and Pallant House Gallery, amongst many others. Please refer to department for condition report
Tristram Hillier RA, British 1905-1983 - El Frasno, Spain; pencil on paper, signed lower right 'Hillier', 30.4 x 27.7 cm (ARR) Provenance: with Agnew's, London, stock no.CM 1922 (according to the label affixed to the reverse of the frame); private collection Please refer to department for condition report
TRISTRAM HILLIER (British, 1905-1983), "Hommage à André Simon", 1957, oil on canvas, signed by monogram "TH" and dated upper right. Patched tear with overpainting at lower left and nearby area with three small flakes, crackle and craquelure, stretcher marks. Canvas 24"h, 32"w. Literature: Pery, Jenny, "Painter Pilgrim: The Art and Life of Tristram Hillier", London: Royal Academy of Arts, 2008, p. 108, illustrated p. 106, fig. 86. Provenance: Purchased by the current owner from a Long Island Estate. Catalog note: According to Pery, "Hillier was a serious connoisseur of wine", (p. 108), and she adds that:, "A 1957 painting `Hommage à André Simon', was inspired by a luncheon hosted that year by a new admirer, George Rainbird.", (ibid). Hillier's daughter, Anna-Clare Hillier, has confirmed this, saying the painting "was commissioned by George Rainbird, the publisher, and the bottles were consumed during the course of a long lunch. Among the guests was André Simon." Our thanks to Anna-Clare Hillier for her assistance in cataloging this lot and for providing images of the aforementioned luncheon menu in her possession (pictured here). The menu is signed by some of the guests, including André Simon, and lists the bottles consumed and later painted by her father.
Tristram Hillier, British 1905-1983 - Days of Wrath, 1935; oil on canvas, 70 x 63 cm (ARR) Provenance: The Artist’s Family Please refer to department for condition report Various losses to the paint surface along the right hand side of the painting. Otherwise good condition.
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Bobadilla Del Campo signed and dated 'Hillier 76' (lower right); titled and dated again ''BOBADILLA DEL CAMPO'.1976' (on the canvas overlap) oil on canvas 40.6 x 50.6 cm. (16 x 19 7/8 in.) For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (1905-1983) Portuguese Trawlers signed and dated 'Hillier 72' (lower right) tempera on canvas 24 x 32 in. (61 x 81.3 cm.) EXHIBITED: probably London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Tristram Hillier, June 1973, no. 20, as 'Portuguese Fishing Boats'. Bradford, Art Galleries and Museums, Cartright Hall, Tristram Hillier R.A. 1905-1983: A Timeless Journey, June - July 1983, no. 69: this exhibition travelled to London, Royal Academy, August - September 1983; Kingston-upon-Hull, Ferens Art Gallery, September - October 1983; and Preston, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, November - December 1983.
TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (1905-1983) Portuguese Trawlers signed and dated 'Hillier '66' (lower right) and inscribed and dated again 'PORTUGUESE TRAWLERS 1966' (on the stretcher) tempera on canvas 24 x 32 in. (61 x 81.3 cm.) EXHIBITED: London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Tristram Hillier, March - April 1968, no. 9. Bradford, Art Galleries and Museums, Cartright Hall, Tristram Hillier R.A. 1905-1983: A Timeless Journey, June - July 1983, no. 68: this exhibition travelled to London, Royal Academy, August - September 1983; Kingston-upon-Hull, Ferens Art Gallery, September - October 1983; and Preston, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, November - December 1983. LITERATURE: Exhibition catalogue, Tristram Hillier, London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, 1968, n.p., no. 9, illustrated on the cover. Exhibition catalogue, Tristram Hillier R.A. 1905-1983: A Timeless Journey, Bradford, Art Galleries and Museums, Cartwright Hall, 1983, pp. 41, 50, no. 68, illustrated.
§ Tristram Hillier (1905-1983) pencil on paper Seated man holding a book and a thistle signed and inscribed ''To Doris, Langley Moore, August 1931'' 15.75 x 10in. unframed.
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Mountain Scene signed and dated 'Hillier '55' (lower right) pencil 22 x 32.5cm (8 11/16 x 12 13/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Piedrabuena signed with initials and dated 'TH.72' (lower right); titled and dated ''PIEDRABUENA'. 1972' (on board verso) tempera on board 21 x 25.5cm (8 1/4 x 10 1/16in). For further information on this lot please visit the Bonhams website
TRISTRAM HILLIER, R.A. (1905-1983) The Bridle signed and dated 'Tristram Hillier.1937.' (lower right) pencil 16 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (42 x 32 cm.) Provenance: with Arthur Tooth & Sons, London. Acquired directly from the artist by the current owner. Artist's Resale Right may apply to this lot.
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Somerset Lane signed and dated 'Hillier '54.' (lower left)oil on canvas70 x 62.5cm (27 9/16 x 24 5/8in). Provenance: With Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, where acquired by the family of the present owner in 1955, and thence by descentPrivate Collection, U.K. Exhibited: Bradford, Bradford Art Gallery and Museum, A Timeless Journey, 11 June-31 July 1983, cat.no.48; this exhibition travelled to London, Royal Academy of Arts, 13 August-18 September; Hull, Ferens Art Gallery, 24 September-30 October and Preston, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, 19 November-17 December 1983
Tristram Hillier R.A. (British, 1905-1983) Il Quarto di Litro signed 'Hillier' (lower right)oil on board26 x 18cm (10 1/4 x 7 1/16in).Painted in 1966 Provenance: With Arthur Tooth & Sons, London, where acquired by the family of the present owner, 26 May 1967 and thence by descentPrivate Collection, U.K. Exhibited: London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 29 April-30 July 1967, cat.no.389London, Arthur Tooth & Sons, Tristram Hillier, 26 March-20 April 1968, cat.no.1, (ill.b&w.)Please note that this lot is offered with a copy of the 1968 Arthur Tooth & Sons exhibition catalogue and the original purchase receipt.
TRISTRAM HILLIER R.A. (1905-1983) Fishing Craft at Peniche signed and dated ‘Hillier/66’ (lower right); titled and dated again ‘FISHING CRAFT AT PENICHE.1966.’ (on the canvas overlap) oil on canvas 50.8 x 61 cm. (20 x 24 in.)
AR TRISTRAM HILLIER R.A. (BRITISH, 1905-1983) Landscape Near Calatayud signed and dated ‘Hillier/61’ (lower left) oil on panel 28 x 40cm (11 x 15 3/4in).
Tristram Hillier (1905-1983) British. "Nadadouro", 1947 (Portugal), a Hilltop House, Oil on Board, Signed, and Inscribed and Dated 1947 on the reverse, 7" x 10". Provenance; Arthur Tooth & Sons Ltd, No.2139.
TRISTRAM PAUL HILLIER (BRITISH, 1905-1983) Romanesque Churches near Caceres, 1970 signed ‘Hillier’ (lower left), oil on canvas 25.5 x 35.5cm (10 1/16 x 14in).
