The Editor’s Eye

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Michael Rand (1929–2025) was a defining figure in British media, working at the Daily Express and The Sunday Times throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s: an era widely regarded as a golden age of photojournalism and editorial innovation. For years he strode through the art department - tall, bearded, and often likened to the sailor on the Player’s Navy Cut cigarette packet - championing ambitious, often groundbreaking visual storytelling. His direction earned multiple awards for photo features covering everything from the Apollo 11 moon mission to life behind the veil in Saudi Arabia.

^{▲ Duncan Grant (British, 1885-1978), Silhouette of two ladies (£2,000-3,000)}

Rand trained at Goldsmiths’ College alongside notable contemporaries, including Bridget Riley, Mary Quant, Tom Keating, and his future wife Sheila Rand. Both remained lifelong artists: he an accomplished watercolourist, she a skilled etcher. Their homes were filled with paintings, prints, books and objects that reflected a rich, curious, and deeply cultured life. Notably, the couple developed a particular interest in the Bloomsbury Group.

In our upcoming sale, this influence can be seen in works such as, lot 204, a charming watercolour and gouache by Duncan Grant (1885–1978) and lot 206, a beautifully executed woodcut by Vanessa Bell (1879–1961).

^{▲ After David Hockney, Self-portrait (£300-500)}

Rand’s career brought him into contact with many of the great artists of his time, and his collection reflects that intersection of journalism, pop culture, and fine art. One of the most striking examples is lot 203, a screenprint self-portrait by David Hockney, originally created for the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine in February 1988. It stands as both a work of art and a memento from Rand’s tenure overseeing some of the publication’s most iconic visual features.

^{Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987), Chicken 'N Dumplings from 'Campbell's Soup II', 1969 (F & S 58) (£15,000-20,000)}

His bold editorial vision described as “grit and glamour”, the juxtaposition of fashion, war photography, and pop art, also appears in one of the collection’s standout works: lot 202, Andy Warhol’s Chicken ’N Dumplings from the 'Campbell’s Soup II' series. Signed and numbered 232/250, published by Factory Additions in 1969, this is a classic slice of Warhol’s American Pop aesthetic.

Another remarkable inclusion is lot 209, Terence Cuneo’s Incident on the Bar-Lev Line (1974), a dramatic oil on canvas commissioned for The Sunday Times Magazine. It captures a pivotal moment from Operation Badr during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, demonstrating Cuneo’s versatility and the magazine’s commitment to visually powerful reportage.

^{▲ Terence Cuneo (British, 1907-1996), 'Incident on the Bar-Lev Line: The Last Hours of an Israeli Bunker' (£2,000-3,000)}

Although the Rand offering comprises just 20 lots, it is rich in variety; spanning photography, prints, paintings, and drawings, and offers a window into the life of a man who helped shape the visual language of late-20th-century media. For collectors, it presents a rare opportunity to acquire works with impeccable provenance and connections to the cultural history of Britain’s most influential illustrated magazine.

Our Modern & Contemporary Art sale featuring these works takes place on Tuesday 31 March and we invite you to explore the collection, discover its stories, and perhaps find a piece that resonates with your own taste and curiosity.

Tuesday 31 March | 10am

pictures@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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