Mortimer Menpes Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Mortimer Menpes Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 05, 2024
Mortimer Menpes (Australian/British 1855 - 1938), 'Old Bridge, Mandalay, signed in pencil (lower right), drypoint etching, 20 x 29.5 cm, framed and glazed 37.5 x 46.6 cm; and Barges on the Thames, signed in pencil (lower right), drypoint etching,...
Est: £200 - £300
Mortimer Menpes (Australian/British 1855 - 1938), 'Old Bridge, Mandalay, signed in pencil (lower right), drypoint etching, 20 x 29.5 cm, framed and glazed 37.5 x 46.6 cm; and Barges on the Thames, signed in pencil (lower right), drypoint etching, 20 x 30 cm, framed and glazed, 48 x 57 cm Qty: (2)
Dawsons Auctioneers
Nov. 27, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Hawksman of Rajgarh (1903) oil on board 41 x 33 cm frame: original, M. van Menk, Amsterdam
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Hawksman of Rajgarh (1903) oil on board signed ‘Mortimer Menpes' lower right 41 x 33 cm frame: original, M. van Menk, Amsterdam PROVENANCE Mortimer Menpes, London Dowdeswell Galleries, London (label verso) Private Collection, acquired from the above Exploration, Travel & Topographical Pictures, Bonhams, London, 13 December 2006, lot 377, illustrated Private Collection, acquired from the above Peter Walker Fine Art, Adelaide Private Collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above Private Collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Mortimer Menpes: The Durbar, Dowdeswell Galleries, London, June 1903, no. 25 The World of Mortimer Menpes, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 13 June – 7 September 2014, illustrated LITERATURE Mortimer Menpes and Dorothy Menpes, The Durbar, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1903, plate 82, pp. 170-171 Julie Robinson, The World of Mortimer Menpes: Painter, Etcher, Raconteur, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2014, pp. 172 (illustrated), 198, 239
Smith & Singer
Nov. 26, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES, GOING TO BED – ENGLAND,
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
MORTIMER MENPES (1855 - 1938) GOING TO BED – ENGLAND oil on board 40.5 x 31.5 cm signed lower left: Mortimer Menpes bears inscription verso: 186 / Going to Bed / World's Children / No 6 / England PROVENANCE Private collection, UK Lawrences Auctioneers, Somerset, 18 January 2019, lot 1943 Private collection, Sydney LITERATURE Menpes, M., & Menpes, D., World's Children, A. & C. Black, London, 1903, pl. 6 (illus.) This work will be accompanied by MORTIMER MENPES (1855 – 1938) GOING TO BED (ENGLAND), c.1889 etching in colours 11.0 x 8.0 cm edition: unknown (no other recorded copies) signed lower right below image (faded) bears inscription on label attached verso: “Study of a Child” PROVENANCE Kenulf Gallery, Gloucestershire, UK (label attached verso) Mallams, Oxford, UK, 26 February 2020, lot 81 Private collection, Sydney LITERATURE This work will be included in a forthcoming Supplement to Morgan, G., The Etched Works of Mortimer Menpes (1855 - 1938), Stuart Galleries, Adelaide, 2012 ESSAY According to Gary Morgan, author of the catalogue raisonné The Etched Works of Mortimer Menpes, this painting and etching likely depicts one of the artist's children, possibly Dorothy Whistler Menpes (born 1883).1 Dorothy co-authored several illustrated books with her father, including World's Children, 1903, in which the painting Going to bed – England is illustrated. Menpes was a devoted follower of American artist James McNeill Whistler, and despite a dramatic falling out in 1888, Menpes remained an admirer. Having attended Whistler's funeral in 1903, Menpes wrote the memoir, Whistler as I Knew Him, published in 1904.2 Dedicated to Dorothy, the frontispiece of the limited edition (of 500) of Whistler as I Knew Him, was an etching by Whister, The Menpes Children, which Whistler originally produced in 1887.3 Dorothy, who was four at the time, would have been one of the children featured in the etching. The frontispiece of the other editions of Whistler as I Knew Him featured a portrait of Whistler painted by Menpes. 1. Correspondence with Gary Morgan, 23 March 2020 2. Menpes, M., Whistler as I Knew Him, A. and C. Black, London, 1904 3. James McNeill Whistler, The Menpes Children, 1887, etching, in Kennedy, E. G., The Etched Work of Whistler, New York, 1910, cat. 261
Deutscher and Hackett
Nov. 13, 2024
Mortimer Menpes, Australia / Britain 1855-1938, Bronze workers, Japan, etching and drypoint, 20.1 x 19.9 cm. (7.9 x 7.8 in.), Frame: 47 x 43 cm. (18 1/2 x 16.9 in.)
Est: $400 - $600
Mortimer Menpes Australia / Britain, 1855-1938 Bronze workers, Japan etching and drypoint signed below image Mortimer Menpes imp. created London, England An impression this etching is held the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.
For-Auction
Nov. 13, 2024
Mortimer Menpes, Australia / Britain 1855-1938, St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square 1909-11, etching, drypoint, plate tone on paper, 16 x 24.5 cm. (6.3 x 9.6 in.), Frame: 41 x 45.5 cm. (16.1 x 17.9 in.)
Est: $200 - $400
Mortimer Menpes Australia / Britain, 1855-1938 St Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square 1909-11 etching, drypoint, plate tone on paper signed below image Created in Pangbourne, England circa 1909-11. A copy of this etching is held in the Art Gallery of South Australia
For-Auction
Nov. 06, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES, (1855 - 1938), Portraits of George Meredith, etching, 24 x 28 cm. (9.4 x 11.0 in.), frame: 38 x 42 x 2 cm. (14.9 x 16.5 x 0.7 in.)
Est: $300 - $500
MORTIMER MENPES (1855 - 1938) Portraits of George Meredith etching signed in plate. Michael Parkin Fine Art label verso.
Lawsons
Oct. 27, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), The Artist's Child
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) The Artist's Child watercolour, pencil and crayon on paper signed lower right: Mortimer Menpes 36.5 x 26cm PROVENANCE The Collection of Hugh & Jackie Wallace, Melbourne
Gibson's
Oct. 27, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), The Street Vendor
Est: $24,000 - $28,000
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) The Street Vendor oil on board signed lower right: Mortimer Menpes housed in original frame 19.5 x 16.5cm (image size) 53 x 32.5cm (frame size) PROVENANCE The Collection of Hugh & Jackie Wallace, Melbourne CATALOGUE ESSAY The two works by Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938) The Street Vendor and The Artist's Child represent enduring themes in the artist's output; the adventurous, intrepid traveller with a fascination for the exotic; and the domestic family man delighting in the ways of his small offspring. Born in Port Adelaide Menpes moved to London with his family in his early 20s where he studied at The School of Art. During an artist's trip to Brittany in 1880 he met the American artist, James McNeill Whistler who became his trusted teacher and friend. Menpes was strongly influenced by Whistler's techniques and observational style, the pervasive sway of Aestheticism within the arts at the time, particularly the flourishing interest in Japonisme. Japan had recently opened to the West and the emporium, Liberty of London, previously known as East India house, was instrumental in exposing consumers, including Whistler and his milieu, to the visual arts and aesthetics of that mysterious country. In the 1880s Menpes travelled to Japan and over the ensuing years he travelled widely, to south Asia, India, Burma, Kashmir, Cairo and the Mediterranean – France, Spain, Italy, Venice, and Morocco. His travels also took him as far as Mexico. These adventures infused much of his art practice and his resultant one-man London exhibitions were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The love of the orient extended to Mortimer's life in London, where he lived with his wife and children. Something of an exotic creature himself, he frequently dressed in kimono and entertained in his Japanese inspired and decorated Cadogan Gardens town house. Renowned for his versatility and command across various mediums: drawing, painting, print making – he was part of the late 19th century revival of etching, due in part to the influence of Whistler, and as an illustrator for coloured books. The Artist's Child exhibits Menpes' facility and gift for capturing the fleeting moment. Rendered in spirited charcoal underdrawing with water colour and gouache highlights, it is not posed but, instead, a delightful study in immediacy. His young subject has broken into a chuckle, her hand seemingly in motion. Mortimer did many studies of his children, mostly etchings and drypoints, recording their antics and infantile ways - a bawling child, a child taunting a cat, a coy playful pose. In contrast The Street Vendor, late 1880s to early 90s is a small, quiet, observational study of an eastern market scene. Set almost at a respectful distance seemingly to avoid observation by his subjects, we watch as Menpes' figures go about the much practised and unhurried ritual of preparing dishes on enormous trays. There is an impressionistic quality to the paintwork, and an overall earthiness to the palette enlivened by a muted blue cloth and small but startling flashes of red. Significantly, the work is housed in the original frame, one of the vertical fluted panel frames ordered by Menpes from Japan. Menpes was much taken by Japanese craft techniques during his travels and ordered 200 frames be made and sent to London where they were gilded. The framing choice is an integral part of the presentation of his subject. Indeed, reviews of Menpes' London exhibitions observe the importance of his framing. This is well articulated in The Street Vendor, where Eastern subject matter set within a Japanese frame forms a pleasing balanced whole. Part of the Jackie and Hugh Wallace collection, these works were acquired by the pair during the 1970s. These fine studies by the remarkable, spirited and versatile Mortimer Menpes are now presented to the market for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Gibson's
Oct. 23, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES. “Shan Chief at the Durbar”.
Est: €7,000 - €7,300
Oil on cardboard Signed Bibliography: Mortimer Menpes (text by Dorothy Menpes), “The Durbar”, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1903, p. 21 (reproduced) 41x33 cm.
Balclis
Oct. 23, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES, (1855 - 1938), Portraits of George Meredith, etching, 24 x 28 cm. (9.4 x 11.0 in.), frame: 38 x 42 x 2 cm. (14.9 x 16.5 x 0.7 in.)
Est: $400 - $600
MORTIMER MENPES (1855 - 1938) Portraits of George Meredith etching signed in plate. Michael Parkin Fine Art label verso.
Lawsons
Oct. 16, 2024
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Warwick Castle,
Est: £200 - £300
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Warwick Castle, * Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Warwick Castle, etching on wove paper, signed to lower margin in pencil, image size 15 x 16.6 cm (5 7/8 x 6 1/2 ins), sheet size 17.6 x 22.7 cm (7 x 9 ins), together with another etching by the same artist, Bridge over the River, showing a bridge with an intricate circular structure, a European cityscape in the background, signed in pencil to lower edge, image size 11.6 x 27.6 cm (4 5/8 x 10 7/8 ins), sheet size 20 x 34.5 cm (7 7/8 x 13 5/8 ins), plus two other etchings by the same artist including: Octagon House, Oxford and West Side of Cannon Street Bridge, both on laid paper, largest 28 x 23.5 cm QTY: (4)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 16, 2024
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Venetian waterways with Santa Maria della Salute
Est: £300 - £400
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Venetian waterways with Santa Maria della Salute * Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Venetian waterways with Santa Maria della Salute, etching on watermarked laid paper, signed to lower margin in pencil, small closed tear to upper edge margin, image size 19.9 x 19.6 cm (7 6/8 x 7 6/8 ins), sheet size 23.5 x 36 cm (9 1/4 x 14 1/8 ins), together with a Canal Scene in Venice, etching on watermarked laid paper, signed in pencil to lower margin, image size 14.5 x 19.7 cm (5 6/8 x 7 3/4 ins), sheet size 22.5 x 27.9 cm (8 7/8 x 11 ins), plus ten other etchings by the same artist, mainly of Venice, including: Palaces on the Canal, A Narrow Canal, Zocodover Gate, Toledo, etc., 9 unsigned, largest sheet size 28 x 47 cm QTY: (12)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 16, 2024
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Mexican Women, etching on wove paper
Est: £200 - £300
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Mexican Women, etching on wove paper * Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Mexican Women, etching on wove paper, signed in pencil to lower margin, showing an interior scene a group of woman and children sitting and standing, all wearing broad brimmed and high crowned hats, plate size 17.1 x 22.6 cm (6 3/4 x 8 7/8 ins), sheet size 25.8 x 38.5 cm (10 1/8 x 15 1/8 ins), together with Japanese Bronze workers on cream paper, signed in pencil to lower margin, closed cut to lower margin, plate size 16.6 x 15 cm (6 1/2 x 5 7/8 ins), sheet size 22.7 x 17.4 cm (8 7/8 x 6 7/8 ins), plus two further etchings by the same artist comprising: Mexican Street Scene and a Far Eastern river scene with buildings alongside, both unsigned, largest sheet size 47 x 39 cm QTY: (4)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 16, 2024
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Hanging out the Washing, etching
Est: £300 - £400
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Hanging out the Washing, etching * Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Hanging out the Washing, etching on thick paper, signed to lower margin in pencil, image size 13.4 x 15.2 cm (5 1/4 x 6 ins), sheet size 25.5 x 20.2 cm (10 x 8 ins), together with another etching by the same artist, Dresden, Church of St. Sophia, signed in pencil to lower edge, image size 24 x 30 cm (9 1/2 x 11 3/4 ins), sheet size 29 x 46 cm (11 3/8 x 18 1/8 ins), plus six other etchings by the same artist including: Ann Street, Dresden, Musse de Cluny, Port St. Dennis, all but two signed, largest 48 x 61.5 cm QTY: (8)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 16, 2024
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Farmhouse, South Africa, etching on laid paper
Est: £200 - £300
Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Farmhouse, South Africa, etching on laid paper * Menpes (Mortimer Luddington, 1855-1938). Farmhouse, South Africa, etching on laid paper, titled and signed in pencil to lower margin, showing an exterior scene of a large white farmhouse surrounded by trees, plate size 30 x 46 cm (11 3/4 x 18 ins), sheet size 37.5 x 46.5 cm (14 3/4 x 18 1/4 ins), together two other etchings by the same artist including: Groot Schuur, South Africa, signed in pencil and another mountainous landscape, largest sheet size 38.5 x 52 cm QTY: (3)
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 16, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938)
Est: £300 - £500
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) 'FLOWER-PLACING', 1901 watercolour, oil and pencil, signed lower right MORTIMER MENPES, framed 40.5cm x 25cm (frame size 59.5cm x 43.5cm)
Lyon & Turnbull
Oct. 09, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES, (1855 - 1938), Portraits of George Meredith, etching, 24 x 28 cm. (9.4 x 11.0 in.), frame: 38 x 42 x 2 cm. (14.9 x 16.5 x 0.7 in.)
Est: $400 - $600
MORTIMER MENPES (1855 - 1938) Portraits of George Meredith etching signed in plate. Michael Parkin Fine Art label verso.
Lawsons
Aug. 21, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Retainer of the Maharajah of Cutch (1903) oil on board 41 x 33 cm frame: original, M. van Menk, Amsterdam
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Retainer of the Maharajah of Cutch (1903) oil on board signed ‘Mortimer Menpes' lower left 41 x 33 cm frame: original, M. van Menk, Amsterdam PROVENANCE Mortimer Menpes, London Dowdeswell Galleries, London Private Collection, acquired from the above Exploration, Travel & Topographical Pictures, Bonhams, London, 13 December 2006, lot 375, illustrated Private Collection, acquired from the above Peter Walker Fine Art, Adelaide John Russell OAM, Adelaide, acquired from the above in 2010 Private Collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Mortimer Menpes: The Durbar, Dowdeswell Galleries, London, June 1903, no. 10 The World of Mortimer Menpes, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 13 June – 7 September 2014, illustrated LITERATURE Mortimer Menpes and Dorothy Menpes, The Durbar, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1903, plate 7 Terry Ingram, ‘Digging Up the Work of Expats Past', The Australian Financial Review, Sydney, 19 May 2011, p. 21 (illustrated) Julie Robinson, The World of Mortimer Menpes: Painter, Etcher, Raconteur, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2014, pp. 172 (illustrated), 198
Smith & Singer
Jul. 25, 2024
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (Australian,
Est: £100 - £150
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (Australian, 1855-1938), Japanese Lady, signed with initials l.l., oil on canvas, 36 by 15cm, framed
Kinghams Auctioneers
May. 26, 2024
MENPES Mortimer (1855-1938), 'The Vista', Oil on Panel, 10x7.5cm
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
MENPES, Mortimer (1855-1938) 'The Vista' Signed lower right. Inscribed verso, with additional labels. Oil on Panel 10x7.5cm PROVENANCE: Collection of Ramón Boixareu, Barcelona; La Suite Subastas Auction, Barcelona, 16th December 2020 (lot 385); private collection, N.S.W.
Davidson Auctions
May. 16, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES R.I.,R.B.A (BRITISH 1855-1938)
Est: £500 - £700
MORTIMER MENPES R.I.,R.B.A (BRITISH 1855-1938) PORTRAIT HEAD OF WHISTLER Signed, pencil, inscribed on contemporary label verso ‘Drawn from life in Paris’ 24cm x 18.5cm (9.5in x 7.25in) Mrs James Cobey, Pasadena, California, in 1975
Lyon & Turnbull
Apr. 21, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), The Street Vendor
Est: $30,000 - $40,000
oil on board signed lower right: Mortimer Menpes housed in original frame 19.5 x 16.5cm (image size) 53 x 32.5cm (frame size) PROVENANCE The Collection of Hugh & Jackie Wallace, Melbourne CATALOGUE ESSAY The two works by Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938) The Street Vendor (lot 5) and The Artist's Child (Lot 4) represent enduring themes in the artist's output; the adventurous, intrepid traveller with a fascination for the exotic; and the domestic family man delighting in the ways of his small offspring. Born in Port Adelaide Menpes moved to London with his family in his early 20s where he studied at The School of Art. During an artist's trip to Brittany in 1880 he met the American artist, James McNeill Whistler who became his trusted teacher and friend. Menpes was strongly influenced by Whistler's techniques and observational style, the pervasive sway of Aestheticism within the arts at the time, particularly the flourishing interest in Japonisme. Japan had recently opened to the West and the emporium, Liberty of London, previously known as East India house, was instrumental in exposing consumers, including Whistler and his milieu, to the visual arts and aesthetics of that mysterious country. In the 1880s Menpes travelled to Japan and over the ensuing years he travelled widely, to south Asia, India, Burma, Kashmir, Cairo and the Mediterranean – France, Spain, Italy, Venice, and Morocco. His travels also took him as far as Mexico. These adventures infused much of his art practice and his resultant one-man London exhibitions were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The love of the orient extended to Mortimer's life in London, where he lived with his wife and children. Something of an exotic creature himself, he frequently dressed in kimono and entertained in his Japanese inspired and decorated Cadogan Gardens town house. Renowned for his versatility and command across various mediums: drawing, painting, print making – he was part of the late 19th century revival of etching, due in part to the influence of Whistler, and as an illustrator for coloured books. The Artist's Child exhibits Menpes' facility and gift for capturing the fleeting moment. Rendered in spirited charcoal underdrawing with water colour and gouache highlights, it is not posed but, instead, a delightful study in immediacy. His young subject has broken into a chuckle, her hand seemingly in motion. Mortimer did many studies of his children, mostly etchings and drypoints, recording their antics and infantile ways - a bawling child, a child taunting a cat, a coy playful pose. In contrast The Street Vendor, late 1880s to early 90s is a small, quiet, observational study of an eastern market scene. Set almost at a respectful distance seemingly to avoid observation by his subjects, we watch as Menpes' figures go about the much practised and unhurried ritual of preparing dishes on enormous trays. There is an impressionistic quality to the paintwork, and an overall earthiness to the palette enlivened by a muted blue cloth and small but startling flashes of red. Significantly, the work is housed in the original frame, one of the vertical fluted panel frames ordered by Menpes from Japan. Menpes was much taken by Japanese craft techniques during his travels and ordered 200 frames be made and sent to London where they were gilded. The framing choice is an integral part of the presentation of his subject. Indeed, reviews of Menpes' London exhibitions observe the importance of his framing. This is well articulated in The Street Vendor, where Eastern subject matter set within a Japanese frame forms a pleasing balanced whole. Part of the Jackie and Hugh Wallace collection, these works were acquired by the pair during the 1970s. These fine studies by the remarkable, spirited and versatile Mortimer Menpes are now presented to the market for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Gibson's
Apr. 21, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), The Artist's Child
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
watercolour, pencil and crayon on paper signed lower right: Mortimer Menpes 36.5 x 26cm PROVENANCE The Collection of Hugh & Jackie Wallace, Melbourne CATALOGUE ESSAY The two works by Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938) The Street Vendor (Lot 5) and The Artist's Child (Lot 4) represent enduring themes in the artist's output; the adventurous, intrepid traveller with a fascination for the exotic; and the domestic family man delighting in the ways of his small offspring. Born in Port Adelaide Menpes moved to London with his family in his early 20s where he studied at The School of Art. During an artist's trip to Brittany in 1880 he met the American artist, James McNeill Whistler who became his trusted teacher and friend. Menpes was strongly influenced by Whistler's techniques and observational style, the pervasive sway of Aestheticism within the arts at the time, particularly the flourishing interest in Japonisme. Japan had recently opened to the West and the emporium, Liberty of London, previously known as East India house, was instrumental in exposing consumers, including Whistler and his milieu, to the visual arts and aesthetics of that mysterious country. In the 1880s Menpes travelled to Japan and over the ensuing years he travelled widely, to south Asia, India, Burma, Kashmir, Cairo and the Mediterranean – France, Spain, Italy, Venice, and Morocco. His travels also took him as far as Mexico. These adventures infused much of his art practice and his resultant one-man London exhibitions were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The love of the orient extended to Mortimer's life in London, where he lived with his wife and children. Something of an exotic creature himself, he frequently dressed in kimono and entertained in his Japanese inspired and decorated Cadogan Gardens town house. Renowned for his versatility and command across various mediums: drawing, painting, print making – he was part of the late 19th century revival of etching, due in part to the influence of Whistler, and as an illustrator for coloured books. The Artist's Child exhibits Menpes' facility and gift for capturing the fleeting moment. Rendered in spirited charcoal underdrawing with water colour and gouache highlights, it is not posed but, instead, a delightful study in immediacy. His young subject has broken into a chuckle, her hand seemingly in motion. Mortimer did many studies of his children, mostly etchings and drypoints, recording their antics and infantile ways - a bawling child, a child taunting a cat, a coy playful pose. In contrast The Street Vendor, late 1880s to early 90s is a small, quiet, observational study of an eastern market scene. Set almost at a respectful distance seemingly to avoid observation by his subjects, we watch as Menpes' figures go about the much practised and unhurried ritual of preparing dishes on enormous trays. There is an impressionistic quality to the paintwork, and an overall earthiness to the palette enlivened by a muted blue cloth and small but startling flashes of red. Significantly, the work is housed in the original frame, one of the vertical fluted panel frames ordered by Menpes from Japan. Menpes was much taken by Japanese craft techniques during his travels and ordered 200 frames be made and sent to London where they were gilded. The framing choice is an integral part of the presentation of his subject. Indeed, reviews of Menpes' London exhibitions observe the importance of his framing. This is well articulated in The Street Vendor, where Eastern subject matter set within a Japanese frame forms a pleasing balanced whole. Part of the Jackie and Hugh Wallace collection, these works were acquired by the pair during the 1970s. These fine studies by the remarkable, spirited and versatile Mortimer Menpes are now presented to the market for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Gibson's
Apr. 18, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES Group of 9 etchings with drypoint.
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
MORTIMER MENPES Group of 9 etchings with drypoint. Canal Market (Venice), circa 1900 * San Giorgio Maggiore, 1910-13 * Doge's Palace from the Grand Canal, 1893 * Interior of St. Mark's, 1903 * Fête Day on the Grand Canal, Venice, circa 1900 * Bounre End, Hertfordshire * Oxford: Magdelene College * Interior of Saint-Maclou, Rouen * Dresden--Church of St. Sophia, circa 1910. Each but one signed and inscribed "imp." in pencil, lower margin. Various sizes. Very good impressions. With--Group of prints by, after or attributed to Gill, Detmold, Goulding, Cole, Pennell and others. Various sizes and conditions.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 18, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES Three portraits of James A. M. Whistler.
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
MORTIMER MENPES Three portraits of James A. M. Whistler. Whistler: Roguish Smile Evening, etching and drypoint printed in dark, brownish black, 1880s. Signed and inscribed "imp." in pencil, lower right * Whistler: Wiser than the Wise, etching, circa 1885. Signed and inscribed "imp." in pencil, lower right * Whistler in White Ducks (Whistler: Five Faces), etching and drypoint printed in dark, brownish black, 1909-11. Signed and inscribed "imp." in pencil, lower right. Various sizes. Each very good impressions.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 17, 2024
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Soldier of His Highness Dogra Sowar (1903) oil on board 41 x 33 cm frame: original, maker unknown, London
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 A Soldier of His Highness Dogra Sowar (1903) oil on board signed 'Mortimer Menpes' lower right 41 x 33 cm frame: original, maker unknown, London PROVENANCE Mortimer Menpes, London Dowdeswell Galleries, London Private Collection, acquired from the above Private Collection Private Collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Mortimer Menpes: The Durbar, Dowdeswell Galleries, London, June 1903, no. 21 LITERATURE Mortimer Menpes and Dorothy Menpes, The Durbar, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1903, plate 67, pp. 140-141
Smith & Singer
Feb. 01, 2024
Mortimer Menpes: A Breton Beggar
Est: $140 - $160
Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) A Breton Beggar 21.5cm x 13.5cm (plate line size). Etching, signed in plate. The Met (New York) identifies the sitter as Charles Augustus Howell (British, 1840-1890, London).
The Book Merchant Jenkins
Jan. 30, 2024
A group of four framed etchings by Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938), …
Est: £300 - £500
To Be Sold With No Reserve A group of four framed etchings by Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938), Srinagar River; Tailor of Amristar ; Srinagar River Scene; Palace at Ajmer, etching in dry point, signed in pencil and inscribed "imp", framed and glazed, 13 x 15cm.; 30 x 22.5cm. 14 x 16.5; 22.5 x 27cm (4)
Roseberys
Dec. 14, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes - A Breton Beggar
Est: €160 - €220
Mortimer Menpes. (Mortimer Luddington Menpes) (1855-1938). A Breton Beggar. Etching on laid paper hand pulled from the copperplate. 1883. Excellent Signed in the plate, lower right.
Old Master Print
Dec. 14, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes- The White Hart, Witley
Est: €300 - €400
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938) British, 'The White Hart, Witley', etching, signed and inscribed in pencil, plate size 11.25" x 12.25" (28.5 x 31cm). This excellent impression signed Mortimer Menpes imp., with the number 227 bottom left was part of a sale of his work at Sotheby's some decades ago.
Old Master Print
Dec. 14, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes - Scutari, Turkey - Ca 1911
Est: €300 - €400
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938) British, A view of the village Scutari in Turkey, dry-point etching . 20,2 x 25,3 cm (plate) 25,00 x 32,70 cm (sheet). This excellent impression is signed Mortimer Menpes imp., with the number 226 bottom left, and was part of a sale of his work at Sotheby's some decades ago.
Old Master Print
Dec. 14, 2023
Mortimer Menpes- Anne Hathaway's Cottage -Shakespeare
Est: €350 - €450
Anne Hathaway's cottage, Stratford-upon-Avon. A pencil signed etching by the British-Australian artist Mortimer Menpes showing the farmhouse where Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, lived as a child in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England, about 1 mile west of Stratford-upon-Avon. This excellent impression signed Mortimer Menpes imp., and titled by the artist, with the number 238 bottom left was part of a sale of his work at Sotheby's some decades ago.
Old Master Print
Nov. 28, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes, RI, RBA, RE (British, 1855-1938) Flower of the Tea (Accompanied by a copy of Japan: A record in colour by Mortimer Menpes, Adam & Charles Black, London, 1901, reprinted in 1905)
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Mortimer Luddington Menpes, RI, RBA, RE (British, 1855-1938) Flower of the Tea signed lower left: 'Mortimer Menpes' oil on paper laid on canvas 41.5 x 32.0cm (16 5/16 x 12 5/8in). Accompanied by a copy of Japan: A record in colour by Mortimer Menpes, Adam & Charles Black, London, 1901, reprinted in 1905
Bonhams
Nov. 19, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), Middle Eastern street scene, etching, signed in pencil lower right, sheet size 28 x 38cm
Est: $400 - $600
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938), Middle Eastern street scene, etching, signed in pencil lower right, sheet size 28 x 38cm
Leski Auctions Pty Ltd
Oct. 25, 2023
Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938), 'Westminster Abbey', engraving, etching, signed in pencil, plate size 16.25" x 12
Est: £50 - £100
Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938), 'Westminster Abbey', engraving, etching, signed in pencil, plate size 16.25" x 12" (41 x 30cm), unframed.
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Oct. 21, 2023
Mortimer Menpes, Lithograph, Cecil Rhodes
Est: $50 - $15,000
Mortimer Menpes (Australian-English, 1855-1938) stamped in print, labeled verso, portrait of Cecil Rhodes. 8.75 inches H x 6.5 W within matting, framed 15 H x 12 inches W.
Kavanagh Auctions
Oct. 18, 2023
MORTIMER LUDDINGTON MENPES (BRITISH 1855-1938), JAPANESE CHILDREN WITH LANTERNS IN A CARRIAGE
Est: £7,000 - £10,000
MORTIMER LUDDINGTON MENPES (BRITISH 1855-1938) JAPANESE CHILDREN WITH LANTERNS IN A CARRIAGEPen, ink, oil and bodycolour on paperSigned (lower left)41 x 32cm (16 x 12½ in.)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jul. 19, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes, RI RBA RE, Man with hat
Est: £100 - £150
Mortimer Luddington Menpes, RI RBA RE, Australian / British 1855-1938- Man with hat; etching with drypoint printed in colours, signed within plate 'Mortimer Menpes del et imp' (lower left), 17.5 x 13 cm. Provenance: with Gladwell Brothers, London. Private Collection, UK.
Roseberys
Jul. 12, 2023
Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) Fishing Boats, Venice
Est: £100 - £150
NO RESERVE Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) Fishing Boats, Venice Etching, circa 1910, signed in pencil, from the edition of unknown size, on wove paper, plate 150 x 165mm (5 3/4 x 6 3/8in) Provenance: With Abbott and Holder, London; Together with: Robert Kipness (b.1931) First Dust of Summer Lithograph printed in colours, 1980, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 250, on wove paper, sheet 440 x 350mm (17 3/4 x 14in) and another etching by Terence D. Young (3)
Forum Auctions - UK
Jun. 14, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES (BRITISH 1855-1938)
Est: £600 - £800
MORTIMER MENPES (BRITISH 1855-1938) A SIDE CANAL, VENICE signed Mortimer Menpes lower left watercolour over pencil 19.5 x 24cm; 7 3/4 x 9 1/2in 42.5 x 45.7cm; 16 3/4 x 18in (framed) Property of a Monsignor, Warwickshire Provenance: Purchased by the present owner prior to 2000
Olympia Auctions
Jun. 14, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938)
Est: £500 - £700
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) SHOEING THE PONY signed M.L. Menpes. lower right watercolour 15.5 x 21.5cm; 6 x 8 1/2in 36.5 x 41.5cm; 14 1/4 x 16 1/4in (framed) Property of a Lady Provenance: Purchased by the present owner in the 1980s
Olympia Auctions
May. 02, 2023
§ MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 An Elephant and Retainers from Bikanir (1903) oil, gouache and pencil on board
Est: $18,000 - $25,000
§ MORTIMER MENPES 1855-1938 An Elephant and Retainers from Bikanir (1903) oil, gouache and pencil on board signed 'Mortimer Menpes' lower left 41.5 x 32.5 cm frame: original, maker unknown, London PROVENANCE Mortimer Menpes, London The Museum Galleries, London (label verso) Private Collection Private Collection, Adelaide, acquired from the above EXHIBITED Mortimer Menpes: The Durbar, Dowdeswell Galleries, London, June 1903, no. 106 LITERATURE Mortimer Menpes and Dorothy Menpes, The Durbar, Adam and Charles Black, London, 1903, plate 55, f.p. 112 (illustrated)
Smith & Singer
Apr. 29, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES VENICE ETCHING
Est: $200 - $400
LATE 19TH EARLY 20TH CENT ETCHING TITLED IN MARGIN W/ PENCIL " A BAY CANAL - VENICE - ATTRIBUTED TO MORTIMER MENPES - INFO LABEL ON BACK - 7 7/8" X 7 7/8" SIGHT - FRAMED & MATTED
Keene Auctions
Apr. 27, 2023
France.- Menpes (Mortimer & Dorothy) Paris, 1909; and others France (38)
Est: £150 - £200
NO RESERVE France.- Menpes (Mortimer & Dorothy) Paris, frontispiece, plates, captioned tissue-guards, scattered faint spotting, previous owner's ink signature, original decorative cloth, lightly sunned, slight bumping to corners and extremities, 1909 § Jackson (Hamilton) Rambles in the Pyrenees and the Adjacent Districts, frontispiece, plates and illustrations, scattered spotting, original decorative cloth, gilt, slight bumping to corners and extremities, 1912 § Binet (René) & De Nolhac (Pierre) Versailles and the Trianons, frontispiece, plates, captioned tissue-guards, scattered faint spotting, original cloth, gilt, slight bumping to corners and extremities, 1906; and others France, v.s. (38)
Forum Auctions - UK
Apr. 04, 2023
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (Australian-British, 1855-1938)
Est: £200 - £300
Mortimer Luddington Menpes (Australian-British, 1855-1938) Mortimer Luddington Menpes (Australian-British, 1855-1938) 'Street Corner, Pont-Aven' signed and dated 'M.L.Menpes./1883' l.l., with the artist's original label verso, watercolour 9.7 x 12.8cm Provenance: Anonymous sale, Phillip's Edinburgh, 22 March 1991. Illustrated; The final version: Dorothy Menpes, 'World's Children', illustrated by Mortimer Menpes. Condition Report: overall: 33.5 x 35cm Laid down with some acid discolouration. Unexamined out of frame.
Sworders
Mar. 21, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) Portrait of Mrs. Brown Potter (Cora Urquhart Brown Potter) oil on panel
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
MORTIMER MENPES (1855-1938) Portrait of Mrs. Brown Potter (Cora Urquhart Brown Potter) oil on panel intitialled lower right 10 x 7.5cm PROVENANCE: The Collection of the noted publisher, John Lane, England Private collection, New South Wales OTHER NOTES: Mrs. Brown Potter was an American socialite and stage actress, who came to sit for her portrait at Mortimer Menpes' Cadogan Gardens studio on many occasions. She was such a popular subject for Menpes that when his Beautiful Women exhibition opened in 1899, one critic coined the show ‘The Apotheosis of Mrs Brown Potter'. (Art Gallery of South Australia)
Leonard Joel
Mar. 15, 2023
MORTIMER MENPES (BRITISH 1855 - 1938), PORTRAIT STUDY OF JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLER
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
MORTIMER MENPES (BRITISH 1855 - 1938)PORTRAIT STUDY OF JAMES ABBOTT MCNEILL WHISTLERCharcoal and chalk on blue paper Signed (to lower edge) 48.5 x 35.5cm (19 x 13¾ in.)Unframed Provenance:Sale, Christie's, London, Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art, 13 December 2017, lot 51 (part-lot)
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Feb. 23, 2023
World.- Menpes (Mortimer) The Durbar, deluxe limited edition signed by author, A & C Black, 1903; and others from the same series (14)
Est: £200 - £300
World.- Menpes (Mortimer) The Durbar, , marginal spotting and water-staining towards end, 1903 § Kelly (R. Talbot) Burma, bookplates, spotting to endpapers, 1905 § Kelman (John) & John Fulleylove. The Holy Land, 1902; deluxe limited edition signed by author or publisher, plates, many colour, captioned tissue-guards, original pictorial cloth, light spotting, a little rubbed, bumping to corners and spine extremities, A & C Black; previous owner's discreet blind-stamp at end, and others from the same series, 4to (14)
Forum Auctions - UK