A complete mural from the famous Soho drinking den the Colony Room by Michael Andrews sold for £38,400 at Lyon & Turnbull’s Modern and Contemporary Art and Design sale in London on September 27th 2008.
The famous Soho Colony Room was frequented by artists such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Damien Hirst.
Michael Andrews’ 15-foot-long household paint-on-Hessian mural of picnickers decorated the walls of the drinking club since the 1950s.
The mural was bought James Hyman of the James Hyman Gallery, London, who represents the estate of the late Michael Andrews.
James Hyman said: “I think it was important to purchase the piece from an historical point of view. The Colony Room is a part of London’s cultural history and the mural was the centrepiece. At this stage I am not sure what will happen to it, I am just pleased to have secured it for future generations to enjoy. Really it should be in a museum, in my opinion the piece is that important. I’m surprised the Tate or Museum of London didn’t go for it, especially as the price wasn’t stratospheric; the mural is easily worth between £150,000 – £200,000. I represent the Michael Andrews estate so I’m glad I was able to save the work, and hopefully this will give British museums a second opportunity to purchase this iconic piece of artworld history.”
Andrews painted it over a weekend in lieu of an unpaid bar bill, from an image in a book on Bonnard which he re-interpreted. The Colony Room was founded in 1948 by Muriel Belcher, who ran the club until her death in 1979. After 60 years in the same Soho building, the lease on the site has expired and the bar is due to close at the end of December, 2008.
Since the Club was founded in 1948 the Colony Room has been an institution in London’s art scene. This tiny first floor club has played host to some of the greatest artists of the post war period most notably Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud. In more recent years Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Kate Moss have all been regular habitues.
Immobilienmakler Heidelberg Makler HeidelbergSource by Mike L Turner