Many times we hear about the various items which were forgotten in the garage or in the house while their real owners didn’t know the true value of these objects. The same fate has befallen this work Cyril Edward Power called Speed Trial hung on the wall 25 years while his owner thought it’s just a picture that is not worth more than £20 ($31).
Cyril Edward Power (British, London 1872-1951), Speed Trial, a Linocut printed in viridian, permanent blue and Chinese blue, on buff oriental laid tissue, signed, titled and numbered 7/60
The image, was shown to a Bonhams auctioneer who advised the client that it was very valuable. Toby Wilson, Head of Automobilia at Bonhams, passed the print to Rupert Worrall the Head of Prints at Bonhams who confirmed Toby’s belief and now it will be sold in Bonhams Print sale on April 16th in London for an estimated £40,000 to £60,000 ($63,500 to $95,000).
Cyril Edward Power (17 December 1872 – 25 May 1951) was an English artist best known for his linocut prints, long-standing artistic partnership with Canadian artist Sybil Andrews and for co-founding The Grosvenor School Of Modern Art in London in 1925. He was also a successful architect and teacher.
His Speed trial is a linocut printed viridian with permanent blue and Chinese blue, on buff oriental laid tissue, signed, titled and numbered 7/60, with margins, 196 x 375mm (7 3/4 x 14 3/4in). The image is based on Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird, which broke the land speed record in 1931. For the next Bonhams Print sale Rupert Worrall is looking for more linocuts by Cyril Power, Sybil Andrews and Claude Flight along with prints by Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson. A similar print was sold last summer for £96,000 ($152,300), so probably a starting price of £40,000 ($63,500)is going to reach little more.
