AN ENGLISH CUBIST

WILLIAM ROBERTS:

News

Illustrations © The Estate of John David Roberts. Reproduced with the permission of the William Roberts Society.

The News (aka Public Library), 1941

[Last revised 21 January 2024]

New exhibitions featuring William Roberts

The following works by Roberts are on show in public galleries in the UK:

• The Gas Chamber 1918 is on show at the Imperial War Museum, London.
• The Diners 1919 is on show as part of the 'Media Networks: Modern Times' display at Tate Modern (level 4).
• The Cinema 1920 and The Creole 1923 are on show in the 'Walk through British Art' display at Tate Britain.

The Cinema, 1920

• The Happy Family 1924 is on show at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth.
• Dressmakers c.1931 is on show at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath.
• Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple 1925 is believed to be on display at the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull.
• John Maynard Keynes and Lydia Lopokova 1932 and Helen (aka Helen Brook) c.1934 are on display at the National Portrait Gallery.
• The Family 1934 is believed to be on display at Leeds Art Gallery.

The information above is believed to be accurate, but it would probably be worth checking with the galleries before making a special trip to any of them. Please click here for a list of other works by Roberts in public collections, which can usually be viewed by appointment.

Virtual exhibitions

The old Gallery page on this website has been replaced by a new page containing links to a selection of virtual exhibitions of works by Roberts on specific themes: Some Early and Cubist Work: 1913–16, The Art World, Music and Dance, Family Life, Telling Stories (narrative pictures), Sport and Recreation, The Life on the Streets, Portraits, and An Artist and His Family.

WR at auction

In the 20 January sale of antiques and collectables at Cooper Barrington LLP, Wrexham, the 1940 red-chalk drawing Portrait of Miss Joan O'Connell sold for £122):

Portrait of Miss Joan O'Connell, 1940

In the pre-holiday and Christmas sale of Wiederseim Associates, Inc., Phoenixville, PA, on 20 December, Roberts's 1944–5 watercolour The Tip sold for $1,875:

The Tip, 1944–5

In Bonhams' sale of modern British art on 22 November, Dream of Dancing Women 1978 sold for £10,240; Portrait of Sarah 1925–9 (estimate £10,000–£15,000) and Parson's Pleasure c.1944 (estimate £100,000–£150,000) were both unsold:

Portrait of Sarah, 1925–9

Parson's Pleasure (aka On the Lawn), c.1944

Dream of Dancing Women, 1978

In Lyon & Turnbull's 'Modern Made' auction on 27 October a study for The Swans (aka Family Outing) 1972 sold for £4,032 and a study for Tiddlers (aka Fishing) 1973 sold for £3,780:

The Swans – study (aka Family Outing), 1972

Tiddlers – study (aka Fishing), 1973

In Christie's sale of modern British and Irish art on 19 October, Roberts's 1979 oil Miming sold for £25,200:

Miming, 1979

On 13 October a life drawing given to a pupil at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in 1940 sold for £341 in Dreweatts' 'Art Online' auction :

Male Life Study, Standing, 1940

In Christie's sales of modern British and Irish art on 21–2 March the pencil study for St George and the Dragon 1915 sold for £239,400 and the watercolour study for The Dove 1961 for £12,600; the oil By the Seaside 1977 was unsold (estimate £30,000–£50,000):

St George and the Dragon – study, 1915

The Dove – study, 1961

By the Seaside, 1977

In the Bonhams Knightsbridge sale of modern British and Irish art on 22 March a pen-and-ink drawing Woman Picking Nuts, produced for Ernest Cooper's London Health Centre Ltd in around 1953, sold for £8,287.50:

Woman Picking Nuts, c.1953