11th Feb, 2026 11:00
The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector
162
PAUL NASH (BRITISH 1889-1946)
A SKETCH STUDY FOR NIGHT PIECE, TOULON
pencil and grey wash on squared-up paper; 17 x 13cm; 6 3/4 x 5 1/4in; 31.5 x 27cm (12 1/2 x 10 1/2in framed)
Executed in Toulon in 1930. Nash's sketchbook pages show how rich an inspiration Toulon was for him, in particular his interest in quirky details as depicted in the present pencil and wash. The work is part of a series of café drawings exploring the effect of the mirror image, and a prime example of Nash blending the interior and exterior, which became a recurring compositional device in his work.
In a letter to Percy Whithers, Nash talks of 'a real discovery' made in these café studies. French cafés had tall mirrors on their walls which clearly fascinated him. According to Margot Eates it 'enabled him to explore the possibilities of the double image, since they served as both a background to objects in a room and a means of looking to the street outside with one’s back to it' (Margot Eates, Paul Nash, The Master of the Image, London, 1973, p. 45). For a related larger near-identical study in watercolour see Eates, pl. 62; for a related drawing known as Day Piece, Toulon see Eates, pl. 63.
Sold for £850
A SKETCH STUDY FOR NIGHT PIECE, TOULON
pencil and grey wash on squared-up paper; 17 x 13cm; 6 3/4 x 5 1/4in; 31.5 x 27cm (12 1/2 x 10 1/2in framed)
Executed in Toulon in 1930. Nash's sketchbook pages show how rich an inspiration Toulon was for him, in particular his interest in quirky details as depicted in the present pencil and wash. The work is part of a series of café drawings exploring the effect of the mirror image, and a prime example of Nash blending the interior and exterior, which became a recurring compositional device in his work.
In a letter to Percy Whithers, Nash talks of 'a real discovery' made in these café studies. French cafés had tall mirrors on their walls which clearly fascinated him. According to Margot Eates it 'enabled him to explore the possibilities of the double image, since they served as both a background to objects in a room and a means of looking to the street outside with one’s back to it' (Margot Eates, Paul Nash, The Master of the Image, London, 1973, p. 45). For a related larger near-identical study in watercolour see Eates, pl. 62; for a related drawing known as Day Piece, Toulon see Eates, pl. 63.
Auction: The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector, 11th Feb, 2026
Auction Location: London, UK
John Russell Taylor was a compulsive collector. When he died at the age of ninety, his two bedroom flat on the corner of Brook Green was floor to ceiling with books and pictures that he had collected over the last seventy years. A precocious talent he was awarded a scholarship to read English at Cambridge aged 16 and graduated with a starred First Class degree. Film, theatre and art critic for The Times for more than four decades, he wrote thousands of articles and reviews for the newspaper. He also wrote over sixty books – critical studies, biographies, and monographs. He was appointed professor of Film at the University of Southern California during the 1970s, when he was asked by Alfred Hitchcock to write his biography. Hitch remains the standard text on the film director. John's interests ranged across all aspects of the arts from Art Nouveau book illustration to Vorticism, fan paintings, poetry and stage design. Struck by the visual rather than the value of a work of art, the sale of his picture collection gives a flavour of the full gamut of his encyclopaedic mind, a man remembered for his phenomenal range of reference, his extraordinary talent for writing and his warm and generous character.
For a copy of the printed catalogue, email pictures@olympiaauctions.com
PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Friday 6th February: 10am - 5pm
Sunday 8th February: 12pm - 4pm
Monday 9th February: 10am - 8pm (Drinks: 5pm - 8pm)
Tuesday 10th February: 10am - 5pm
View Press Release for more information
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PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Friday 6th February: 10am - 5pm
Sunday 8th February: 12pm - 4pm
Monday 9th February: 10am - 8pm (Drinks: 5pm - 8pm)
Tuesday 10th February: 10am - 5pm
