Fee earners choose their favourite pieces from London Art Week Winter 2021

Hunters has a long-standing relationship as a main sponsor of London Art Week and fee earners have been invited to choose their favourite pieces from LAW Winter 2021.

Anastassia Dimmek, Associate, chose Nef on Wheels by Georg Müllner, commenting: “I have always been intrigued by artworks that were made for social practices – a nef on wheels vessel is rolled over a banqueting table to entertain and mesmerise guests.

“The intricate detail of the hulk and rigging of the ship and the sailors in action is arresting. The serpent ornamentation is reminiscent of exotic adventures and folklore and triggers the imagination. This item could have very well fitted in the curiosity cabinets of later centuries…“.

Partner Mary Elliott selected A London Garden by Roger Fry, and said: “This painting caught my eye as I have just been reading a book about the Bloomsbury Group. I enjoyed the evocation of a peaceful garden scene on a warm spring day, with tulips in abundance and different shades of fresh green foliage. You can almost hear the trickle of the water from the fountain. The woman in pink is absorbed in her book but her friend is looking down the path, perhaps in the hope of someone arriving.”

Associate Jessica Harris chose Tiger Tiger Burning Bright by Edward Julius Detmold: “Edward Julius Detmold’s depiction of the tiger shows an extraordinary understanding of the energy and power of this marvellous creature. The fine detail of his technique is the result of intense and meticulous observation. The artist succeeds in bringing the animal alive with a sense of movement and majesty. It also invokes a sense of awe and contemplation of our place in the animal kingdom. As such, there is an existential element to the work.”

Gregor Kleinknecht, Partner, selected An Artist & his Model by Pablo Picasso and commented: “A classic. The theme of the artist and model is one that Picasso grew obsessed with during his later years, perhaps as a way of confronting his own age as well as his own creative processes. I love the crisp and simple execution in pen, black ink and white chalk on light brown card of this small and intimate work. It also serves as a reminder that works on paper provide a good entry point for new collectors.”

Partner Paul Ridout chose Linear Construction No 1 by Naum Gabo. He said: “What I love about this piece is how Gabo has created a transparent shape in space with none of the materials, weight, or techniques that we associate with sculpture. Instead, with the mathematical use of tensioned nylon thread on a perspex frame, he has created weightless shifting planes that look like an illustration of the curvature of space-time.”

Partner Mark Stiebel chose The Nugent Family by Johann Zoffany R.A. and commented: “I enjoy the drama and action of this painting as the child leaps into the arms of her sibling showing the joy at being reunited after being apart for too long – which is how many of us feel at the moment.

“I also enjoy the details of St James’s Park beautifully set out and the indoors/outdoors illusion created. Another great illusion is that at first glance this looks like a loving family unit with mother and father watching their children embrace. In reality, however, the “mother” was an aunt of the child while the sibling was a half-brother. Lieutenant-Colonel Nugent, seated, who commissioned the painting, had a very complicated family life with several wives who brought large fortunes and passed away and with the added drama created by his refusal to recognise his youngest child or his only son’s marriage –  and the painting depicts his only son and a very young daughter.

“Zoffany is also showing his brilliant skills, which he brought from Germany, of creating action and movement and you can see in this painting that he used to paint stage sets – as without the Nugent family this would make an impressive stage drop depicting Georgian London.

“The painting also reminds me that complex family law matters have been around for centuries and this painting subtly references that.”

Read the full feature via London Art Week here.