11th Feb, 2026 11:00
The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector
28
⊕ JOHN CRAXTON RA (BRITISH 1922-2009)
GOAT REACHING FOR THORN FRUIT
signed and dated 1.8.46. / Craxton upper right; oil and gouache on paper, laid on board; 41.5 x 29cm; 16 1/4 x 11 1/2in (54 x 41.5cm; 21 1/4 x 16 1/2in framed)
Provenance: (probably) Abbott & Holder, London
The present work was painted shortly after Craxton’s arrival on the island of Poros. Stymied by war Craxton had been desperate to leave the claustrophobic darkness of Britain, and yearned for more exotic climes. His arrival in Greece proved to be utterly transformational and he remained there, on-and-off, for the next 60 years. He said of his new homeland, ‘It’s possible to be a real person – real people, real elements, real windows – real sun above all. In a life of reality my imagination really works. I feel like an émigré in London and squashed flat.’
Goats played an important role within daily life among the shepherds on Poros and become incorporated into many of Craxton’s most important paintings from the period, including Pastoral for P.W., 1948 (Tate Britain). Iconographically the goat plays a crucial role in Craxton’s depiction of the Arcadian idyll which was Greece. These creatures, much like he, were free to roam, living a ‘real’ life.
Sold for £20,000
GOAT REACHING FOR THORN FRUIT
signed and dated 1.8.46. / Craxton upper right; oil and gouache on paper, laid on board; 41.5 x 29cm; 16 1/4 x 11 1/2in (54 x 41.5cm; 21 1/4 x 16 1/2in framed)
Provenance: (probably) Abbott & Holder, London
The present work was painted shortly after Craxton’s arrival on the island of Poros. Stymied by war Craxton had been desperate to leave the claustrophobic darkness of Britain, and yearned for more exotic climes. His arrival in Greece proved to be utterly transformational and he remained there, on-and-off, for the next 60 years. He said of his new homeland, ‘It’s possible to be a real person – real people, real elements, real windows – real sun above all. In a life of reality my imagination really works. I feel like an émigré in London and squashed flat.’
Goats played an important role within daily life among the shepherds on Poros and become incorporated into many of Craxton’s most important paintings from the period, including Pastoral for P.W., 1948 (Tate Britain). Iconographically the goat plays a crucial role in Craxton’s depiction of the Arcadian idyll which was Greece. These creatures, much like he, were free to roam, living a ‘real’ life.
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
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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
