Portraits – The Discerning Palette

Showing 1–30 of 309 results

Presence in Shadow
£775
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A compelling and emotive mid-century abstract figurative composition that presents a solitary seated figure reduced to a series of expressive, interlocking forms, executed in oil onto board.

The subject emerges from the surface through broad passages of dark paint, with the head and torso only loosely defined, inviting the viewer to engage with the work on an emotional rather than literal level. The figure appears suspended between abstraction and representation, conveying a sense of quiet introspection and psychological depth.

Executed in a distinctly modernist style, the painting demonstrates the influence of post-war European abstraction, where gesture, structure, and atmosphere take precedence over precise detail. The composition is carefully balanced, with the dark central mass contrasted against a luminous and softly modulated background.

The palette is restrained yet sophisticated, featuring charcoal black, slate grey, warm yellows, sandy beige, cream, and touches of muted blue. These subtle colour relationships create a gentle luminosity that softens the otherwise powerful silhouette of the figure.

Brushwork is confident and highly tactile, with thick impasto passages and visible palette-knife marks lending the surface considerable texture. Layered strokes overlap and intersect across the canvas, revealing the artist’s process and creating a rich interplay of movement and solidity. The resulting composition possesses both strength and sensitivity, capturing the essence of the human form through abstraction.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary light ash-toned wood frame with a gently stepped profile. The painting is in good vintage condition overall. There is some craquelure visible across areas of the painted surface, consistent with the age of the work; however, it appears stable and does not detract from the overall presentation.

Size: 60.5 x 52.5 cm (including frame)

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The Quiet Within
£485
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A striking mid-century portrait that captures a female figure in profile with her with her eyes gently closed, immersed in a moment of quiet reflection, executed in oil onto canvas.

Her simplified features, wrapped headscarf, and composed posture lend the work a sense of serenity and inner contemplation. Rather than engaging the viewer directly, the figure appears absorbed in her own thoughts, creating an atmosphere of calm dignity and introspection.

The artist has used simplified forms and broad planes of colour rather than detailed realism. The figure is constructed through confident shapes, creating a powerful presence while retaining an air of softness and introspection. The profile view recalls the refined portraiture of mid-century European modernism, where character is conveyed through form, colour, and mood rather than precise detail.

The palette is beautifully balanced, combining warm earth tones, deep charcoal blacks, muted greens, creamy whites, and delicate blush-pink hues in the background. These colours create a harmonious contrast, with the subtle pink ground imparting a gentle luminosity that enhances the figure’s silhouette.

Brushwork is loose yet deliberate, with visible painterly strokes and layered applications of paint contributing texture and depth. Areas of exposed underpainting and softened edges reinforce the work’s spontaneous, expressive quality, while the confident handling of colour and form imbues the portrait with timeless sophistication.

This oil on canvas is presented in an attractive frame with a warm gilt-toned finish and cream inner slip. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and there is a small loss to the bottom left corner of the frame but this does not detract from its overall attractiveness.

Size: 60.5 x 52.5 cm (including frame)

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Coral Sunset
£755
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A vibrant and highly expressive mid century modern coastal scene, painted in oil by the established Swedish artist Uno Vallman (1913-2004) whose works are included in the Swedish National Museum and The Swedish Modern Museum, to name a few. His works are also included in the collections of Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and the Tessin Institute in Paris.

The painting captures a lively beach bathed in the glow of a dramatic setting sun. Stylised bathers and scattered logs animate the shoreline, while rocky outcrops frame a shimmering sea beneath a radiant coral-pink sky.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist manner, the artist has reduced forms to bold silhouettes and expressive outlines, favouring emotional impact over realism as colour, atmosphere, and gesture take precedence over fine detail. The result is energetic and playful.

The palette is dominated by luminous coral pinks, salmon reds, and warm orange-red tones, contrasted by cool blue-grey rocks and touches of black linework. The vibrant red sun acts as the visual anchor of the composition, while the pale beach and sparkling sea create a dynamic interplay between warmth and coolness.

Bold, confident brushwork animates every surface of the painting. The sky is constructed with vigorous directional strokes radiating outward from the setting sun, creating a sense of light and movement. Across the water, thick dabs and broken passages of paint suggest sparkling reflections, while the figures and rocks are rendered with brisk, gestural marks and expressive outlines. The visible impasto and energetic handling of paint contribute to the work’s immediacy and charm.

This oil on canvas is presented in a beautiful gilt frame with a layered profile that adds character to the painting. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 55 x 63 cm (including frame)

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Red Cabin by the Shore
£445
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A charming and expressive mid-century coastal landscape captures a serene moment along a gently sloping shoreline, executed in oil onto canvas.

A cluster of simplified cottages, most notably a vivid red cabin, rests amid rolling green fields that descend toward a calm, expansive sea. Sparse verticals, likely masts, rise behind the houses, lending a subtle rhythm and structure to the composition. The horizon is soft and unobtrusive, allowing the land and architecture to take visual precedence while still evoking the openness of the coast.

Executed in a loose, painterly style characteristic of mid-century modern landscapes, the work embraces a balance between abstraction and representation. Forms are reduced and slightly angular, with an emphasis on shape and colour over fine detail. The composition feels spontaneous yet considered, with confident placement of each element guiding the eye from the foreground slope to the distant water.

The palette is fresh and uplifting – cool turquoise blues for the sky and sea contrast beautifully with the varied greens of the land. Creamy whites of the cottages add lightness, while the red cabin provides a striking focal point, anchoring the scene with warmth. Earthy undertones and soft ochres near the shoreline suggest sand and sunlit ground.

Brushstrokes are expressive and assured, applied with a certain immediacy. Broad, sweeping strokes define the landscape, while shorter, more deliberate marks articulate the buildings and foliage. There is a tactile quality to the paint surface, with visible layering that enhances depth and movement without overworking the scene.

Overall, the painting exudes a quiet, contemplative charm: an intimate glimpse of coastal life rendered with warmth, simplicity, and painterly confidence.

This oil on canvas is presented in a wood frame with a wide linen border, and an inner gilt and cream slip. The painting itself is in excellent vintage condition, and the inner gilt slip on the frame shows some areas of loss and scuffing, consistent with age.

Size: 42.5 x 67.5 cm (including frame)

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Where the Sky Deepens
£575
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A soothing and atmospheric large mid-century abstract landscape that distills the essence of an open horizon into a composition of luminous colour and subtle form, executed in oil onto canvas.

The painting evokes a vast expanse of land beneath an immense twilight sky, where a few distant structures or trees punctuate the horizon line, lending a quiet sense of scale and solitude.

Rendered with remarkable restraint, the composition balances broad horizontal bands of colour that suggest fields, water, or mist-covered plains. The simplicity of the scene invites contemplation, allowing the viewer to become immersed in its meditative stillness and expansive sense of space.

The palette is both bold and serene. Deep ultramarine and cobalt blues dominate the upper half of the canvas, creating a rich, velvety sky that contrasts beautifully with the luminous greens below. Layers of mint, jade, seafoam, and pale sage blend softly across the landscape, while subtle grey-green passages introduce depth and atmospheric perspective. The resulting effect is dreamlike and almost otherworldly.

Brushwork is fluid and understated, with thinly applied paint and softly blended transitions that create a sense of movement without disrupting the painting’s calm equilibrium. Horizontal sweeps of the brush reinforce the expansive landscape format, while the few dark forms along the horizon are painted with looser, more gestural strokes that provide visual anchors within the composition.

This large oil on canvas is presented in a complementary slim gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has minor scuffs.

Size: 63 x 76.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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A Stitch in Time

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A beautifully expressive mid-century figurative painting that captures a seated figure absorbed in the careful handling of a piece of white fabric, executed in oil onto

With her head bowed and hands engaged in her work, the figure appears to be sewing, or embroidering, capturing a timeless domestic moment of focus and quiet concentration.

Rendered in a loose, painterly modernist style, the composition balances representation with abstraction. The artist reduces details to confident blocks of colour and energetic brushwork, allowing gesture and mood to take precedence over precise realism. The figure emerges from a largely neutral background, creating a sense of intimacy and drawing the viewer into the quiet rhythm of the activity.

The palette is dominated by soft whites, cool greys, and pale blues, enlivened by vivid passages of crimson, ochre, olive green, and black within the figure’s clothing. These vibrant accents introduce movement and visual interest while maintaining the work’s overall harmony.

Brushstrokes are bold and expressive, ranging from thick impasto applications to quick, sketch-like marks. Layers of broken colour and energetic brushwork create a richly textured surface, lending the painting a sense of immediacy and human warmth. The result is a compelling portrayal of everyday life, elevated through the artist’s sensitive handling of form, colour, and gesture.

This oil on canvas is presented in a refined light linen-lined frame with a slim dark wood outer edge. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffing.

Size: 78 x 62 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Morning at the Window
£445
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A expressive mid-century interior scene that captures a solitary figure standing beside an open window, absorbed in a moment of reflection, executed in oil onto board.

Beyond the window, the simple geometry of a neighbouring house roof cuts against a pale blue sky, while within the room a potted geranium and draped linens lend warmth and domestic intimacy. The composition balances interior and exterior worlds, creating a contemplative atmosphere that feels personal.

Executed in a distinctly modernist manner, the painting demonstrates the restrained sensibilities of mid-century art. Forms are simplified and gently abstracted, with the figure rendered through broad planes of colour rather than detailed modelling. The artist places emphasis on mood and structure, allowing light, shape, and spatial relationships to convey emotion.

The palette is soft and muted, comprising dusty greens, pale greys, warm creams, and chalky whites, punctuated by the rich terracotta reds of the flowers and the deep brown roofline outside. Subtle passages of pale blue sky bring freshness to the composition, while delicate pink undertones soften the interior light.

Brushwork is confident yet sensitive, with visible painterly strokes lending texture and movement across the surface. Layers of paint are applied loosely, creating an appealing interplay between solidity and atmosphere.

This oil on board is presented in an attractive gilt frame with a wide linen-covered mount and an inner white slip. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 55.5 x 47.5 cm (including frame)

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Profile in Burgundy
£455
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An intriguing and emotive mid-century figurative portrait that presents a solitary figure rendered in profile, her face reduced to essential forms and softened contours, and executed in oil onto canvas.

The composition balances intimacy and mystery, with the subject appearing suspended in quiet contemplation. Rather than pursuing realism, the artist distils the figure into broad planes of colour and shape, creating a deeply expressive and psychologically charged image.

The painting displays strong influences of modernist and expressionist portraiture. The elongated profile, simplified facial features, and restrained detailing place emphasis on mood and presence rather than likeness. The figure emerges from an abstracted background, where space dissolves into textured fields of paint.

The palette is beautifully subdued, dominated by earthy taupes, muted mauves, smoky greys, and deep charcoal tones. Rich burgundy and crimson accents in the garment provide warmth and visual weight, while subtle flashes of pale green and ivory animate the background.

Brushwork is confident and expressive throughout. Thick, painterly passages and visible impasto lend the surface a tactile quality, while loose, gestural strokes soften edges and allow forms to dissolve into one another. Scraped and layered paint textures reveal the artist’s process, contributing to the work’s raw emotional depth.

This oil on canvas is presented in a complementary frame featuring a natural light wood outer moulding with a wide linen-covered inner mount. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. There is some wear to the outer edges of the frame, commensurate with age.

Size: 59 x 52 cm (including frame)

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Seaside Conversation
£615
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A beautifully pared-back mid-century coastal scene oil painting by Swedish artist Eric Elfvén (1921–2008), whose works have been exhibited in public collections including the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Jönköping Museum, Borås Art Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The painting captures two figures seated on a bench overlooking a tranquil waterfront. In the distance, a solitary lighthouse rises against the horizon, acting as a quiet focal point within the composition. The painting evokes a sense of stillness and companionship, with the figures absorbed in the calm atmosphere of the shoreline.

Executed in a distinctly modernist style, the composition is reduced to simplified geometric forms and broad areas of colour. The artist prioritises shape, balance, and mood over fine detail, creating an image that feels both spontaneous and carefully structured.

The palette is warm and harmonious, combining sunlit browns, sandy terracottas, soft creams, and cool blues. Deep olive greens and charcoal tones anchor the composition, while the expansive blue sea and sky introduce a sense of openness and light.

Brushwork is confident with flat, deliberate applications of paint defining forms through blocks of colour rather than line. Visible brushstrokes add texture and vitality, while subtle shifts in tone create depth within the simplified landscape. The result is a striking balance between abstraction and representation, conveying the essence of a coastal moment with remarkable clarity.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary ridged gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some small areas of paint loss but this does not detract from the overall appearance.

Size: 30 x 54.5 cm (including frame)

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Three Standing Figures
£490
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A striking geometric composition in acrylic, painted onto card and dated ’23.

This painting features three abstracted, geometric human figures rendered in a bold, angular Cubist style. The artist uses sharp-edged shapes and planes to construct the bodies, with a palette dominated by earthy ochres, deep reds, purples, blacks, and cool blues.

Each figure is stylized, built from interlocking triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids. Their faces are simplified and mask-like, and their postures suggest movement or conversation, with overlapping arms and angled legs.

Overall, the composition emphasizes form, structure, and colour harmony, inviting the viewer to focus on the interplay of geometric shapes and bold contrasts.

This acrylic on card is housed in a complementary stained walnut wooden frame, and is protected behind perspex. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 53 x 40.5 cm (including frame)

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Woman with a Red Flower
£965
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A quiet and introspective mid-century modernist figurative painting, executed in oil onto canvas by the established Swedish artist Fabian Lundqvist (1913-1989), whose works have been represented in many public collections in Sweden.

The painting depicts a solitary female figure standing frontally against a simplified geometric backdrop. Her elongated neck, pale face, and slender hands lend the composition a quiet elegance, while the single red flower held delicately at her side introduces a note of tenderness and mystery. The figure’s direct gaze and still posture create an introspective mood, inviting the viewer to contemplate her inner world.

Executed in a refined mid-century modernist semi-abstract style, the artist has reduced the figure to essential forms, favouring flat planes of colour and simplified anatomy over realism. The composition recalls the poetic restraint of European modernist portraiture, where emotional presence is conveyed through shape, colour, and balance rather than intricate detail.

The palette is beautifully restrained, centred around warm dusty rose, terracotta, and deep cocoa-brown tones. The figure’s dress harmonises with the surrounding background, creating a subtle tonal unity, while her ivory-white skin provides striking contrast. The small crimson flower acts as a focal point, drawing the eye and adding a vivid accent to the otherwise muted composition.

Brushwork is smooth and controlled, with broad, even applications of paint that emphasise the painting’s flat decorative qualities. Subtle variations in texture and tone reveal the artist’s hand without disrupting the calm surface.

This oil on canvas is presented in an complementary gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 56.5 x 34.5 cm (including frame)

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Silent Companions
£895
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A quiet arresting mid-century modernist figurative painting, executed in oil onto canvas by the established Swedish artist Fabian Lundqvist (1913-1989), whose works have been represented in many public collections in Sweden.

This composition presents two elongated female figures standing side by side, their presence both grounded and ethereal. The subjects are reduced to essential forms – tall, cloaked silhouettes with simplified faces – imbuing them with a sense of introspection and quiet detachment. They appear suspended within a flattened architectural space, where block-like shapes behind them suggest walls or structures without anchoring the scene to any specific place, enhancing the painting’s contemplative quality.

Executed in a restrained, earthy palette, the work leans into deep umbers, warm browns, and soft taupes, punctuated subtly by a muted ochre accent that draws the eye without disrupting the overall harmony. The brushwork is deliberate yet understated – thinly layered with a matte finish – allowing the texture of the surface to gently come through. Edges are softened rather than sharply defined, lending the figures a quiet stillness, while the broad, flat application of paint reinforces the modernist sensibility of reduction and form.

There is a poetic tension between presence and absence here: the figures are undeniably central, yet emotionally distant, inviting the viewer to project their own narrative. The overall effect is one of calm restraint and introspective beauty – an elegant example of mid-century abstraction meeting figuration in its most distilled form.

This oil on canvas is present softly toned linen lined wood frame with a stepped, layered profile that creates gentle depth and guides the eye inward toward the composition. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 55 x 63 cm (including frame)

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Sunlit Terraces
£440
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A charming painting that captures a clustered arrangement of buildings, their rooftops stepping gently across the composition in a rhythmic, almost conversational way, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1974.

Balconies, chimneys, and terraces overlap in a layered architectural tapestry, while a softly rendered tree in the foreground adds a sense of life and movement. The scene feels intimate and still, suggestive of a warm afternoon where time slows and light lingers.

Executed in a distinctly mid-century modern style, the work leans toward a stylised realism with subtle abstraction. Forms are simplified and slightly geometric, yet retain enough detail to anchor the scene in familiarity. The perspective is intentionally flattened, allowing the buildings to stack decoratively rather than recede deeply into space, giving the composition a pleasing, almost tapestry-like quality.

The colour palette is warm and sun-drenched, dominated by terracotta oranges, sandy beiges, and soft creams, contrasted with muted greys and a cool, textured sky. Pops of turquoise and green in the windows and foliage provide freshness and balance, enlivening the otherwise earthy tones.

Brushstrokes are confident and visible, with a slightly dry, textured application that allows the canvas to breathe through in places. Edges are softly defined rather than sharply outlined, lending the piece a gentle, atmospheric cohesion. The handling of paint – particularly in the sky and foliage – creates a subtle vibrancy, as if the entire scene is lightly shimmering under the sun.

This oil on canvas is presented in a beautiful wood frame finished in a soft, warm cream. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 47.5 x 55.5 cm (including frame)

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Between Us
£855
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A brilliantly executed mid-century modernist abstract figurative composition, painted in oil onto canvas by the established Swedish painter Hans Osswald (1919-1983), whose works have been exhibited at the National Museum in Stockholm, Malmö Museum as well as The Brooklyn Museum.

This striking painting presents two simplified human forms suspended in a quiet, intimate exchange. One figure stands in soft green clothing, loosely holding a cluster of yellow flowers, while the other sits nearby, turned toward them in a moment that feels conversational. Their faces are intentionally undefined, reduced to smooth, pale planes.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist style, the painting embraces abstraction through flattened forms, pared-back anatomy, and a near-collage approach to composition. The figures are constructed with bold, interlocking shapes, their outlines subtly broken and reassembled with gestural marks that lend a sense of movement and quiet fragmentation.

The palette is dominated by layered greens – ranging from mint and sage to deeper teal – punctuated by fresh accents of lemon yellow, sky blue, and hints of charcoal and white. These colours create a luminous, almost sunlit atmosphere, evoking nature without depicting it literally.

Brushwork is confident: broad, matte planes of colour are interrupted by swift, expressive strokes and linear marks that cut across the surface. These gestural accents introduce rhythm and spontaneity, softening the otherwise graphic structure and adding depth to the composition.

Altogether, the piece captures a fleeting human connection – poised somewhere between stillness and conversation.

This oil on canvas is presented in a frame that features a slim profile with a soft, brushed gold finish. The painting is in good vintage condition overall. There are some light marks to the painting, most notably near the face of the figure on the right. The frame shows minor scuffing consistent with age.

Size: 83 x 63 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Reclining Figure in Red
£995
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A compelling mid-century modernist abstract figurative composition, painted in oil onto canvas by the established Swedish painter Hans Osswald (1919-1983), whose works have been exhibited at the National Museum in Stockholm, Malmö Museum as well as The Brooklyn Museum.

The painting captures the essence of the human form through a language of bold reduction and tactile surface. A reclining figure emerges from the composition, its contours simplified into rounded, interlocking shapes that suggest the curve of a shoulder, the bend of a hip, and the quiet weight of a resting body. The figure feels both present and elusive – more sensed than precisely defined – inviting the viewer to complete the form through perception.

The style is distinctly modernist, leaning into abstraction while retaining a strong figurative anchor. There is a confident balance between structure and spontaneity: broad planes of colour establish the composition, while energetic, almost impulsive marks disrupt and animate the surface. The artist’s hand is evident throughout, giving the work a raw, expressive immediacy.

The palette is warm and striking, dominated by rich vermilion reds, burnt orange, and deep maroon tones that form a saturated backdrop. Against this, the figure is rendered in creamy, off-white hues, punctuated by flashes of cobalt blue and teal. These cooler accents create visual tension and rhythm, guiding the eye across the composition and adding depth to the otherwise flattened space.

Brushwork is thick and textural, with areas of heavy impasto that catch the light and emphasise the physicality of the paint. Scraped passages and layered strokes contribute to a richly worked surface, where traces of earlier marks remain visible beneath. This layering gives the painting a sense of history and movement, as though the figure has been gradually revealed through successive gestures.

Overall, the piece is a powerful study in form, colour, and material – intimate yet bold, gestural yet composed.

This oil on canvas is presented in a complementary gilt frame that has a gently stepped profile. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has light scuffs.

Size: 73.5 x 53.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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A Moment to Read
£475
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A contemplative mid-century interior scene that captures a solitary figure absorbed in reading, positioned beside a softly lit window, executed in oil onto canvas.

The setting feels intimate and introspective – books are stacked and scattered across a desk and nearby surfaces. The figure’s posture, slightly bowed over the book, conveys a sense of stillness and focus.

Rendered in a distinctly expressive, modernist style, the composition leans toward abstraction without losing its figurative anchor. The artist simplifies the figure’s facial features, allowing gesture and stance to carry emotional weight. There is a subtle tension between structure and looseness – forms are blocked in with confidence, yet edges dissolve and shift, lending the scene a fleeting quality.

The palette is rich yet restrained, dominated by earthy browns, deep charcoals, and mossy greens, punctuated by passages of pale blue and a warm, luminous yellow from the window light. This interplay of cool and warm tones creates depth and atmosphere, drawing the eye toward the glowing interior light source.

Brushstrokes are tactile and deliberate: thick, painterly applications of oil give the surface a textured, almost sculptural quality. The handling is direct and unrefined in places, with visible strokes that trace the artist’s hand, reinforcing the immediacy and emotional sincerity of the work.

This oil on canvas is present in a beautiful champagne coloured wood frame with an inner cream border. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs.

Size: 74 x 59.5 cm (including frame)

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Dream Reflex
£1,150
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A brilliantly executed and compelling evocative 1987 figurative interior painting that captures a contemplative moment shared between three figures set within a softly abstracted studio environment, by Finnish postwar artist Marjatta Sarasalo (1930 – 2006).

Sarasalo’s paintings have a very distinctive style, which incorporate line drawings of figures on very textured backgrounds as seen in this piece. Here’s the bodies have been rendered in a delicate, linear style – each figure outlined with expressive black contour lines against a textured, ochre-toned ground.

Their poses are relaxed yet poised: one sits cross-legged in profile, another stands beside her, while the third looms gently in the background, creating a rhythm of human presence that feels both classical and modern.

Executed with a refined palette of warm sand, muted green, pale rose, and chalky white, the composition is harmonised by vertical bands of colour that frame and anchor the figures, suggesting architectural planes or light filtering through curtains. The layered surface – built up with dry, rough brushstrokes and subtle scumbling—imbues the work with a tactile, fresco-like quality.

The painting’s quiet grandeur and subdued palette speak to a modernist sensitivity, where figuration, abstraction, and texture merge in serene dialogue.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary gilt frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has a small nick to its left edge but is in good condition overall.

Size: 41 x 33 cm (including frame)

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Figure in Constructed Room
£1,085
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A very striking mid-century modern composition that presents a pared-back interior scene distilled into bold geometry and quiet symbolism, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1957 by the estalished Swedish artist Bertil Berntsson (1921-2002), whose works have been exhibited at the Modern Art Museum in Stockholm, Ystad Art Museum, Malmö Museum, and the Helsingborg City Museum, to name a few.

At the centre stands a simplified elongated female figure that has been rendered with minimal contour yet carrying a strong, sculptural presence. Beside her, a cylindrical vessel or drum-like form anchors the composition, its solidity contrasting with the openness of the surrounding space.

The setting is constructed through intersecting planes and architectural lines, suggesting walls, windows, or partitions without fully resolving into a literal interior. This ambiguity lends the work a contemplative quality – where figure and object coexist in a suspended, silent dialogue.

Stylistically, the painting reflects mid-century modernist influences, drawing on elements of abstraction and cubist structure. Thick, deliberate black outlines define the forms, creating a graphic framework that flattens perspective while guiding the eye across the composition. The restrained palette features soft creams, muted greys, and a gentle teal-blue panel, balanced by deeper blacks and earthy browns. These colours are applied in broad, even fields, with subtle tonal shifts that add depth without disrupting the overall calm.

The brushwork is confident, largely smooth and controlled, with occasional visible strokes and dry-brush textures that lend a tactile quality to the surface. The result is a harmonious interplay between line, form, and colour.

This oil on canvas is presented in a simple wood frame that complements the earthy palette of the work. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 41.5 x 56.5 cm (including frame)

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Garden Celebration
£410
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A charming modernist figurative landscape painting that captures a leisurely outdoor gathering rendered abstractly with an almost dreamlike simplicity, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1971.

Small groups of figures drift through a soft green parkland, framed by loosely painted trees and two tables dressed in pale cloths, each topped with delicately decorated cakes. The scene feels both celebratory and intimate – a fleeting social moment distilled into colour, gesture, and atmosphere.

Executed in a naïve modernist style, the composition embraces spontaneity and abstraction over fine detail. The figures are reduced to simplified silhouettes and expressive blocks of colour, allowing the painting’s mood and rhythm to take precedence. Thick, textural brushstrokes give the work a tactile quality, with heavily layered whites and soft blush pinks contrasting beautifully against lively greens, deep blacks, and accents of crimson, violet, and sky blue.

The palette is airy and optimistic, dominated by fresh spring greens and creamy whites that evoke sunlight filtering across an open lawn. Loose, energetic mark-making throughout the trees and garments creates movement and visual playfulness, while the intentionally sparse background lends the work a quiet poetic openness.

This oil on canvas is presented in a complementary slim silver frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition. The frame has some scuffed areas and minor paint loss, consistent with age.

Size: 36.5 x 42.5 cm (including frame)

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Presence in Blue
£650
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A mid-century figurative interior that presents a poised, contemplative woman in blue, seated within a softly structured domestic space, executed in oil onto canvas.

The figure sits slightly angled yet grounded, her form simplified and solid, conveying both stillness and quiet introspection. To her side, a table holds a warm-toned ceramic vessel, anchoring the composition and balancing the human presence with an object of everyday life. The checkered floor beneath introduces a subtle rhythm, guiding the eye through the composition while reinforcing the interior setting.

The style is distinctly mid-century modern, leaning toward a restrained, semi-abstract figuration. The artist reduces the figure and surroundings into flattened planes and geometric blocks, prioritising mood and structure over detail.

The colour palette is beautifully muted yet expressive -cool, dusty blues dominate the figure’s dress, contrasted with terracottas, and soft yellows in the background and still life elements. These tonal contrasts create a quiet dialogue between warmth and coolness, light and shadow.

Brushstrokes are confident and painterly, applied in broad, visible sweeps that give the work texture and life. Edges are softened rather than sharply defined, allowing forms to blend subtly into one another. The handling of paint feels intuitive and unforced, with areas of thicker application adding depth, particularly in the darker passages and along the patterned floor.

This oil on canvas is present in a beautiful wood frame with warm, natural wood grain and an inner linen lining. Both the painting and the frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 75 x 55 cm (including frame)

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Agnes
£625
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A thoughtful mid-century figurative portrait that captures a female figure in a moment of inward reflection, executed in oil onto canvas.

Positioned slightly off-centre, she gazes softly away from the viewer, her expression calm yet contemplative. There is a sense of emotional distance – she feels present, but absorbed in her own interior world. The simplicity of her attire and the absence of narrative detail draw attention to her face and psychological presence, making the portrait feel intimate and introspective rather than formal.

Executed in a loose, painterly mid-century style, the work leans toward modernist portraiture with subtle expressionist undertones. The artist prioritises mood and character over strict realism, allowing forms to soften and dissolve at the edges. There’s a gentle flattening of space, with the background treated as an atmospheric field rather than a defined setting, enhancing the subject’s quiet isolation.

A muted, harmonious palette dominates the composition – soft sage greens, warm beiges, and gentle creams create a subdued backdrop. The skin tones are delicately layered with hints of pink and grey, lending the face a lived-in softness. A subtle red accent along the neckline introduces a quiet point of contrast, drawing the eye without disrupting the overall calm.

The brushwork is loose and expressive, with visible, layered strokes that give the surface a tactile quality. The face is built up with short, blended strokes, creating a soft modelling of light and form, while the background is more gestural, with broader, sweeping applications of paint. This contrast between controlled and freer brushwork adds depth and reinforces the emotional tone – grounded yet quietly unsettled.

This oil on canvas is housed a complementary silver frame. The painting has some small areas of surface paint loss as shown in the photos. The frame has some minor losses and scuffs but is very stable overall.

Size: 57.5 x 49 cm (including frame)

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Contrasting Silhouettes
£860
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A large and striking mid-century abstract figurative composition, executed in oil onto canvas.

The painting presents the silhouette of 2 figures, rendered in bold and contrasting colours of orange, black, grey, and white, against a deep black backdrop. The figures stand side by side, their forms simplified and stripped of realistic detail, emphasising their shapes and the dynamic interplay of colours.

The abstract nature of the painting draws attention to the contrast between the hues, creating a sense of depth and movement within the piece. The overall effect is striking, with the stark background intensifying the vibrancy of the figures.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary wood frame. The painting has some light marks, but nothing that detracts from its overall appearance. The frame has a small mark at its bottom left corner.

Size: 96.5 x 68 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Seated Harlequin
£475
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A mid-century figurative painting where a solitary, elongated figure is captured mid-pose, leaning into a quiet, introspective moment, executed in oil onto board and dated 1961.

Dressed in a bold harlequin-patterned suit, the subject occupies a constructed interior – part stage, part room – defined by geometric planes. The posture feels both poised and slightly off-balance, suggesting a tension between performance and stillness, as though the figure has paused between acts.

Drawing on elements of figurative abstraction, the composition is structured through flattened perspectives and intersecting planes, while the figure is stylised with simplified anatomy and a mask-like face. There is a theatrical quality to the scene – evoking European modernist traditions where costume, form, and space interplay in a quiet psychological narrative.

A striking palette defines the painting. The harlequin suit is rendered in deep reds, blacks, and muted purples, anchoring the composition with rhythmic intensity. This is set against a backdrop of cool, calming tones: soft sage greens, dusty blues, and pale neutrals. The contrast between warm and cool hues creates both depth and visual tension, while maintaining an overall harmony.

The brushwork is controlled yet expressive, with a matte, slightly textured surface. Planes of colour are applied with confidence, often in flat, deliberate blocks, while subtle variations in tone and edge soften the geometry. The figure itself is outlined with a gentle firmness, allowing it to emerge clearly from the layered background without losing the painterly quality.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary silver frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 37.5 x 29.5 cm (including frame)

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Reclining Figure on Rug
£460
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A striking mid-century figurative composition that presents a reclining nude stretched languidly across a rug with vivid blue foliage, executed in watercolour onto paper and framed behind glass.

The figure is simplified yet sensuous, her body rendered in soft, flowing contours that emphasise volume and repose rather than anatomical precision. She rests against a boldly divided backdrop, saturated red to one side and an expanse of blue to the other, creating a dynamic, modernist tension between figure and space.

The style reflects a distinctly mid-century approach: flattened perspective, expressive simplification, and an emphasis on shape and colour over fine detail. The body is articulated through translucent washes of warm peach, apricot, and blush tones, allowing the underpainting and brush movement to remain visible. Shadows are suggested rather than defined, giving the figure a softness that feels intimate and atmospheric.

The surrounding, painted in rhythmic strokes of cerulean and turquoise, forms a decorative, almost pattern-like base. These repeated leaf motifs introduce movement and contrast, their cool tones heightening the warmth of the nude figure. The brushwork throughout is loose and confident – gestural in the background, more fluid and diluted across the body lending the piece an immediacy and painterly charm.

Overall, the work balances bold colour blocking with gentle figuration, embodying the modern aesthetic characteristic of mid-century figurative painting.

This watercolour on paper is framed behind glass and presented in a complementary gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 48 x 69 cm (including frame)

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The Patience of Form
£895
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A large and striking mid-century abstract figurative composition that presents a stylised female nude seated in a contemplative pose, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1950.

The figure is simplified into soft, sculptural forms, her facial features intentionally omitted, allowing the focus to rest on shape, balance and presence rather than identity. One arm bends gently at the elbow, while the body folds into itself with an elegant rhythm, creating a quiet tension between strength and vulnerability.

Executed in a modernist mid-century style, the work embraces abstraction without fully abandoning figuration. The anatomy is reduced to rounded, almost cubist volumes, with limbs and torso articulated through blocks of colour rather than strict line. The proportions are subtly exaggerated, particularly in the thighs and hips, giving the composition a grounded, monumental quality despite its intimate scale.

The palette is cool and harmonious, dominated by muted blues, soft greys and chalky whites. Gentle blush pinks and earthy browns warm the lower half of the figure, while small accents of deeper blue and rust add visual punctuation. The pale, textured background enhances the sense of stillness, allowing the figure to emerge almost like a fresco against a washed wall.

Brushwork is expressive yet controlled. Loose, visible strokes define contour and volume, with areas of dry-brushed texture that lend the surface a tactile, slightly weathered character. Edges remain soft rather than sharply delineated, reinforcing the painting’s quiet, introspective mood.

This large oil on canvas is well presented in a wide-profile wood frame. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has minor scuffs.

Size: 105 x 60.5 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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Nude in Soft Light
£845
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A brilliantly executed expressive mid-century figurative painting that presents a standing female nude, captured in a moment of quiet composure, painted in oil onto board and dated 1957.

The figure stands upright, one arm gently extended to rest upon a vertical form while the other arm falls loosely by her side. Her face is intentionally softened and undefined, directing attention instead to posture, gesture, and the interplay of light across the body.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist style, the composition balances figuration with abstraction. The body is constructed through confident, sculptural brushwork: planes of brown, sand, olive, and muted rose build form through tonal shifts rather than precise line. The artist uses broad, directional strokes that remain visible and tactile, giving the surface a sense of movement and immediacy.

The palette is earthy and restrained: warm flesh tones contrast against a cool, chalky white background layered with subtle greys and hints of pale blue. The isolated blue vertical accent at the left provides a visual counterweight and anchors the composition.

Brushstrokes are expressive and gestural, applied with a loaded brush in sweeping, confident passes. Areas of thicker impasto sit alongside thinner, scumbled layers, creating depth and texture. The figure’s contours are suggested rather than strictly defined, lending the work a softness and modern elegance typical of mid-century European studio practice.

The overall effect is contemplative and quietly powerful, a study in form, balance, and painterly restraint.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary gilt frame with red undertones. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 83 x 41.5 cm (including frame)

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Quiet Farmstead
£480
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A calm and serene mid-century landscape that captures a rural farmstead in its most distilled and poetic form, executed in oil onto canvas.

Three angular barns sit low against an expansive, powder-blue sky, their pitched roofs forming a rhythmic sequence of geometric silhouettes. Bare trees rise slender and vertical, softening the strong triangular architecture and anchoring the composition in a quiet seasonal stillness.

Rendered in a restrained, modernist style, the painting balances abstraction and representation. The barns are simplified into bold planes of colour, while hedgerows and fields are reduced to blocks of earthy brown and moss green. The pale turquoise sky provides a luminous backdrop, creating a gentle contrast against the grounded, darker foreground.

Brushstrokes are confident. Broad, flat applications of paint define the land and sky, while looser, slightly feathered strokes articulate the trees and subtle shifts in the terrain. The paint handling is matte and softly textured, allowing the composition’s geometry and colour relationships to take precedence over detail.

This oil on canvas is housed in an elegant linen-lined wood frame with an inner white and silver border. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 53 x 63.5 cm (including frame)

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The Figs
£495
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A poised mid-century still life that presents a quietly architectural composition, executed in oil onto board.

This composition centres on three deep green figs resting in a shallow tray. Behind them rises a stylised facade, a simplified portico with an arched window and triangular pediment rendered in flattened planes of muted blush, sage and cream.

The style reflects a distinctly mid-century sensibility: pared back, structured, and contemplative. Forms are simplified into essential shapes of ovals, triangles, rectangles, and the architectural backdrop introduces a sense of order and symmetry, contrasting beautifully with the organic curves of the figs.

The palette is restrained and harmonious. Moss greens and olive tones dominate the fruit, offset by chalky whites, dusty rose, pale yellow and cool grey-blues in the surrounding space. Light appears to enter from the side, casting gentle shadows that anchor the composition and add depth without disrupting its calm balance.

Brushstrokes are confident and visible, with a slightly dry, textured application that allows the canvas weave to subtly show through. The paint is layered in broad, deliberate strokes – particularly in the background – while the figs themselves are modelled with softer blending, giving them a quiet solidity and presence.

This oil on canvas is housed in a complementary wide profile gilt frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 49 x 58.5 cm (including frame)

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Sushi & Sake
£585
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A large and striking contemporary painting that presents a vibrant Japanese-themed still life celebrating the ritual of sushi and sake, executed in acrylic onto canvas and dated 2003.

Four boldly coloured fish are arranged in a neat horizontal line across a yellow tabletop, evoking the careful presentation of sushi before it is served. They are accompanied by a sake bottle, matching cups, chopsticks, and a small dish of rice, creating a scene that feels ceremonial, abundant, and quietly joyful.

The composition draws on Japanese visual traditions while remaining distinctly modern. Forms are simplified and stylised, with a graphic clarity that recalls both folk art and mid-century illustration. Decorative foliage frames the scene, adding movement and balance while subtly referencing nature.

The colour palette is striking and playful. Rich reds, cobalt blue, deep forest green, and warm golden yellow are set against a soft sky-blue background and a creamy, sunlit tabletop. The high-contrast colours give the work a lively, contemporary energy, while black and white accents ground the composition and provide visual rhythm.

Brushstrokes are smooth and controlled, with flat, even applications of paint that emphasise form over texture. Fine line details and dotted highlights bring gentle depth and refinement to the surface without breaking the clean, graphic quality of the work. The overall effect is bold yet harmonious, a modern homage to Japanese dining culture, celebration, and shared moments at the table.

This artwork on canvas is housed in a complementary white floater frame. The painting has some very minor surface marks that are commensurate with age and do not detract from the overall composition.

Size: 79 x 109 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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The Laundry Room
£625
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A lively 1977 interior figurative painting that captures a lively domestic moment within what appears to be a laundry room, executed in oil onto canvas.

A group of women are absorbed in their individual tasks: lifting sheets, folding linen, tending to fabrics, and moving rhythmically through the shared space. The presence of cribs in the foreground adds a gentle narrative rhythm, evoking themes of care, routine, and collective responsibility. The scene feels observed rather than staged, offering an intimate glimpse into daily life.

Executed in a gentle modernist figurative style, the composition prioritises atmosphere and emotion over strict realism. Figures are simplified and slightly elongated, their forms softened into painterly silhouettes. The spatial arrangement guides the eye fluidly from foreground to background, creating a sense of continuity between the women, their tasks, and the surrounding architecture. Tall arched windows allow light to pour into the space, reinforcing the feeling of calm routine and shared purpose.

The palette is dominated by delicate, muted tones – powder blues, greens, soft creams, and pale lavenders – punctuated by warmer accents of rust, ochre, and terracotta in the figures’ garments. These gentle colour harmonies evoke cleanliness, light, and quiet introspection, reinforcing the contemplative tone of the scene.

Brushwork is loose, expressive, and economical. Forms are suggested rather than fully defined, with thin veils of paint layered transparently to create softness and luminosity. Edges blur into one another, allowing figures and environment to merge subtly, while occasional firmer strokes articulate gestures and movement. The overall effect is intimate and atmospheric, capturing not only a place, but the lived rhythm and quiet humanity of shared work.

This oil on canvas is is housed in a complementary slim white wooden frame. Both the painting and frame are in excellent vintage condition.

Size: 67 x 87 cm (including frame)

Free domestic (UK) shipping. As this artwork is very large, it is unlikely that we will be able to ship it internationally. If you are very interested and are located outside of the UK, please contact us and we will see what we can do.

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