11th Feb, 2026 11:00
The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector
216
ROBERT HUSKISSON (BRITISH 1820-1861)
A SKETCH FOR COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS
oil on canvas; 21.5 x 31.5cm; 8 1/2 x 12 1/4in (30 x 40.5cm; 11 3/4 x 16in framed)
Painted in 1847, the present work is a preparatory oil for Huskisson's painting with the same title and composition that he exhibited at the Royal Academy later that year. It is one of Huskisson's very early fairy paintings, a distinctive Victorian genre that he was one of the first to develop and for which he became well known. The artist typically borrowed his titles from Shakespeare, in this case a line spoken by Ariel in act I, scene II of The Tempest. The other-worldly theatricality of the composition is underlined by Huskisson's use of the proscenium arch to frame the scene.
Sold for £800
A SKETCH FOR COME UNTO THESE YELLOW SANDS
oil on canvas; 21.5 x 31.5cm; 8 1/2 x 12 1/4in (30 x 40.5cm; 11 3/4 x 16in framed)
Painted in 1847, the present work is a preparatory oil for Huskisson's painting with the same title and composition that he exhibited at the Royal Academy later that year. It is one of Huskisson's very early fairy paintings, a distinctive Victorian genre that he was one of the first to develop and for which he became well known. The artist typically borrowed his titles from Shakespeare, in this case a line spoken by Ariel in act I, scene II of The Tempest. The other-worldly theatricality of the composition is underlined by Huskisson's use of the proscenium arch to frame the scene.
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
