A forgotten collection of artist-signed prints, stored for more than a decade in the basement of County Hall in Maidstone, Kent, came to light in Sworders' Paint, Print, Sculpt sale on July 15.
The 350-strong group of lithographs, linocuts, screenprints, etchings, woodcuts, and engravings were originally purchased a generation ago for the Kent Visual Arts Loan Scheme (KVALS). The initiative, which has not operated for over ten years, once lent original artworks to local schools and institutions across the county. The collection had remained in storage - until now.
Offered for sale by Kent County Council, the group raised a total of £40,180.
Three prints by Edward Bawden RA (1903–1989) realised a combined £9,880
Leading the way were two lithographs by Edward Bawden (1903-89) from his celebrated 1967 Six London Markets series. Both Covent Garden Fruit Market and Smithfield Market sold at £3,900 each, while Leadenhall Market from the same series brought £2,080.
Other notable results came for works by well-known 20th-century artists. Julian Trevelyan’s (1910-88) 1981 etching and aquatint Birds, numbered 10/75, made £1,300. Victor Pasmore (1908-98) was represented by his 1970 screenprint Points of Contact — Transformation 5, which sold for £1,105. A woodcut of Stonehenge by Gertrude Hermes (1901-83), signed and dated 1963, achieved £1,300.
Reflecting the scheme’s local focus, many of the prints depicted Kent subjects and the rural scenery of the ‘Garden of England’.
Particularly well received were works by Kent-based wood engraver Monica Poole (1921-2003). Much of Poole’s art draws directly from the county’s landscape and nature. Five of her engravings were offered in two lots: Dry September and Hollow Tree sold together at £2,470 against a £300-500 estimate, while Gully and Pilgrim’s Way realised £1,950.
The sale not only raised significant funds for Kent County Council but also gave collectors the opportunity to acquire works with both artistic and regional significance - a rare chance to bring a piece of Kent's visual heritage into private hands.
