Northern Art April 2025 - Sale Review

Wilson55’s April Northern Art Sale saw over 300 works offered at auction from our Cheshire saleroom to a buying audience from across the country and overseas. It was one of our biggest Northern Art Sales, which achieved some equally big results.

Urban Imagery

The biggest sale of the day belonged to Geoffrey Key (British 1941-), whose oil painting, “Mill Town with Red Sky”, sold for £9,000. While Key has always been a favourite among buyers, this hammer price was the highest achieved for one of his paintings at Wilson55 since 2023, potentially marking an upward shift in his auction sales. This particular painting was also very ‘Northern’ for Key, in the sense that the factory roofs, chimney and even the depiction of a sunset/sunrise, is very classic imagery used within the Northern Art genre. This could be why it appealed so much to our Northern Art audience. The auction successes for other artists who employed these Northern motifs, like Trevor Grimshaw (British 1947-2001) and William Turner F.R.S.A., R.Cam.A. (British 1920-2013), support this idea that these characteristic representations of the urban Northern landscape continue to drive high sales among each of their bodies of work.

Geoffrey Key (British 1941-), “Mill Town with Red Sky”, oil on canvas. Sold: £9,000

William Turner (British 1920-2013), "Rochdale Canal", oil on board. Sold: £1,700

Trevor Grimshaw (British 1947-2001), Northern cityscape, graphite. Sold: £1,900

Striking Silhouettes

Speaking of Trevor Grimshaw, the final part of a private collection of his works was sold last week, after being split over a few different Northern Art sales over the years. His various unframed drawings and paintings on offer this time around continued to attract high bids and levels of interest at our viewings, showing his consistency as an artist at auction.

Another artist of high interest during this sale was Norman Ackroyd C.B.E., R.A. (British 1938-2024), whose portfolio of ten etchings of various coastal Scottish views sold for £2,900. These are striking images, made so through his use of greyscale and sharp silhouettes, a technique which can also be seen in Grimshaw’s works. Despite their differences, such as media and subject matter, selling these two artists beside each other allows audiences to see that there are also things that connect them. Their technique being one, and their depictions of the varying landscapes and experiences found in the North being another. The Northern Art School is diverse, and our sales continue to be reflections of this.

Trevor Grimshaw (British 1947-2001), "A Chimney", mixed media. Sold: £650

Norman Ackroyd (British 1938-2024), "From Cuillin to Kintyre", The complete portfolio of ten etchings. Sold: £2,900

Selling Above Estimate

It’s always exciting when a lot incites a bidding battle. Not only does it speak to the way that certain items and paintings can really connect with people, it is also what makes an auction so compelling to be a part of. The spontaneous nature of auctions means that some lots can sell well above their initial estimates, which is what happened to a few of the items in our Northern Art Sale. “Dockland; The Consuming Flames of Industry Unleashed” by David Wilde (British 1918-1978) was offered for an estimate of £400-600, and sold at £1,000. Judith Donaghy (British 20th/21st century) had a great sale, with her highest sale of the day being for “Lonely Shore”, which sold for £550 against an estimate of £200-400. A new artist to Wilson55, Brenda King (British 1934-2011), had her painting, “First Catch of the Day”, achieve a hammer price of £380 after it was offered at £100-150.

David Wilde (British 1918-1978), "Dockland; The Consuming Flames of Industry Unleashed", acrylic. Sold: £1,000

Judith A. Donaghy (British 20th/21st century), “Lonely Shore”, oil on canvas. Sold: £550

Brenda King (British 1934-2011), “First Catch of the Day”, acrylic on board. Sold: £380

To view the full list of results from this sale, click here

We are now inviting entries for our next Northern Art Sale, taking place on Thursday 24^th July. If you have any artworks that you may wish to consign to this sale, please contact us at auctions@wilson55.com or fill in our online valuation form for a free and up-to-date auction valuation from our Northern Art Specialist, Stephen Sparrow.