17th December 2025 | by Anna Lambert on behalf of Wilson55
Due to high demand and the success of what was meant to be our final Northern Art Sale of the year in October, we were very excited to have held an extra Northern Art Sale last month here at Wilson55. As the actual last Northern Art Sale of the year, we wanted to thank everyone who took part in these auctions in 2025, and to share some of this sale’s highlights – strong consignments and keen bidding saw the Northern Art market ending the year on a high.
Reflecting the Diverse Landscapes and Experiences of the North
Coastal
The Northern Art genre initially stemmed from a group of 20th century artists who primarily focused on depicting the industrial landscapes of the North of England in their work, and while the nostalgia of these landscapes and the experiences they capture continue to remain central to the concept, among these now are also works which look beyond the city and over to the impressive coastlines and rural communities found not only in Northern England, but in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well. Whether it was brought on by these darker evenings, the colder weather, and the yearning for the return of warmer and sunnier times or not, it was these coastal scenes in particular that were highlighted during our November Northern Art Sale. Donald McIntyre’s depiction of blue skies and seas saw his painting “White Sail” sell for £3,700, while James Lawrence Isherwood’s painting of (presumably) Southport Beach started a bidding battle which meant that it sold well above its estimate of £500-700, for a hammer price of £1,500. Although slightly less explicit with its summer connotations, Norman Ackroyd’s etchings of the coastlines of the British Isles also achieved an impressive £2,000 during the auction.
Donald McIntyre (British 1923-2009), "White Sail", acrylic on board. Sold: £3,700
James Lawrence Isherwood (British 1917-1989), Beach scene with figures, oil on board. Sold: £1,500
Norman Ackroyd (British 1938-2024), "The Furthest Lands", the complete portfolio of ten etchings. Sold: £2,000
Rural
Rural scenes of Northern villages and their surrounding rolling hills also proved popular, with original works by the widely loved Peter Stanaway and Geoffrey Key which focused on exactly this selling for £900 and £3,000 respectively. A limited edition print of “The Cart”, signed in pencil in the margin by its artist, L. S. Lowry, and depicting a journey up a country road, sold for £4,400.
Peter Stanaway (British 1943-), "Castleshaw, Delph", acrylic on board. Sold: £900
Geoffrey Key (British 1941-), "Moonlit Hills", oil on canvas. Sold: £3,000
L.S. Lowry (British 1887-1976), "The Cart", limited edition colour print. Sold: £4,400
Industrial
As mentioned, the nostalgia and strong architectural features of the industrial North do continue to attract audiences, and so, as you would expect, paintings of this nature by the likes of Arthur Delaney, Roger Hampson, and William Turner achieved some of the sale's top results. A collection of smaller paintings by Delaney all featuring the iconic Manchester trams sold well, each achieving £2,000 or higher, with the painting aptly named “Trams, Manchester” giving the artist his highest sale of the day at £3,200. Another iconic piece of industrial architecture appeared in Hampson’s “Accrington Viaduct (Hyndburn Road)”, which then sold for £800.
Arthur Delaney (British 1927-1987), "Trams, Manchester", oil on board. Sold: £3,000
Roger Hampson (British 1925-1996), "Accrington Viaduct (Hyndburn Road)", oil on canvas. Sold: £800
Artist Spotlight: William Turner
We were delighted to have had such a large number of William Turner’s original works consigned to this sale, which, even alone, go to show the diverse landscapes and experiences one can find in the North, as his paintings of beaches, churches, park benches, and psychics all sold alongside each other. It was his industrial scenes that got him his best results though, as the classic imagery of “The Canal, Ancoats” raced away to a hammer price of £2,000, while the striking “The Opening, Knott Mill” sold for £1,600.
William Turner (British 1920-2013), "The Canal, Ancoats", oil on board. Sold: £2,000
William Turner (British 1920-2013), "The Opening, Knott Mill", oil on canvas. Sold: £1,600
Other Sale Highlights:
Geoffrey Key (British 1941-), "Rider & Moon", oil on canvas. Sold: £3,750
Liam Spencer (British 1964-), Panoramic view of Fairfield Street, Manchester, oil on board. Sold: £2,400
William Turner (British 1920-2013), "The Bait Digger", oil on board. Sold: £3,900
Click here to view the full list of results from this sale
We are now accepting entries for our first Northern Art Sale of 2026, scheduled for 5th March. As always, please feel free to reach out to either Stephen Sparrow (stephen.sparrow@wilson55.com) or Anna Lambert (anna.lambert@wilson55.com) to ask about our complimentary auction valuations and getting your Northern Art included.
A preview for this March sale is already available to view on our website, with new lots to be added each week.
We are also very excited to announce that next year, we will be holding the first of our "The John Thompson Studio Collection", no reserve auctions - these will be posted as timed sales and will coincide with our quarterly Northern Art Sales, so keep an eye on our website for further details and future updates.
