16th Sep, 2026 12:00
London | Ancient & Modern
47
⊕ ETHELBERT WHITE (BRITISH 1891-1972)
LOCHRANZA, ARRAN, SCOTLAND
signed Ethelbert White, dated 1933 and inscribed 19014/6066 lower left
watercolour and pencil on paper
26 x 36cm (49.5 x 66cm framed)
Property from a Private Collection, West London
Provenance
Sale, Dominic Winter Auctioneers, Cirencester, 6th November 1998, lot 330
Howard Duckworth, purchased from the above sale
Sale, Woolley & Wallis, 5th June 2024, lot 441
Purchased from the above sale by the present owner
Born in Isleworth in the west of London and of independent means, Ethelbert 'Bertie' White was a landscape painter, poster designer, book illustrator and wood engraver at the heart of the London inter-war avant garde scene. He befriended Mark Gertler and C.R.W. Nevinson at St John's Wood Art School where he studied in 1911-12. Together with Nevinson, they collaborated on a Futurist version of 'Hamsptead Heath on Fair Day' for the 1913 Allied Artists Exhibition.
He exhibited with both the London Group and the New English Club during the War and held his first one man show at the Carfax Gallery in 1921. In 1919 he married Elizabeth 'Betty' Crofton Dodwell. Both lovers of the bohemian, the couple acquired a horse drawn caravan in which to live and travel around London, especially Hampstead and the South of England, entertaining as they went, Bertie playing guitar and Betty singing.
White's artistic vision was rooted in his genuine delight in nature: in this two-tone watercolour, the clear lines of Lochranza Castle behind the fishing boats and their nets stand out against the wild and barren mountains of Arran in the background. Meticulously composed, the image appears like a book illustration, easy to read. In 1933, White became an Associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in London.
Sold for £420
LOCHRANZA, ARRAN, SCOTLAND
signed Ethelbert White, dated 1933 and inscribed 19014/6066 lower left
watercolour and pencil on paper
26 x 36cm (49.5 x 66cm framed)
Property from a Private Collection, West London
Provenance
Sale, Dominic Winter Auctioneers, Cirencester, 6th November 1998, lot 330
Howard Duckworth, purchased from the above sale
Sale, Woolley & Wallis, 5th June 2024, lot 441
Purchased from the above sale by the present owner
Born in Isleworth in the west of London and of independent means, Ethelbert 'Bertie' White was a landscape painter, poster designer, book illustrator and wood engraver at the heart of the London inter-war avant garde scene. He befriended Mark Gertler and C.R.W. Nevinson at St John's Wood Art School where he studied in 1911-12. Together with Nevinson, they collaborated on a Futurist version of 'Hamsptead Heath on Fair Day' for the 1913 Allied Artists Exhibition.
He exhibited with both the London Group and the New English Club during the War and held his first one man show at the Carfax Gallery in 1921. In 1919 he married Elizabeth 'Betty' Crofton Dodwell. Both lovers of the bohemian, the couple acquired a horse drawn caravan in which to live and travel around London, especially Hampstead and the South of England, entertaining as they went, Bertie playing guitar and Betty singing.
White's artistic vision was rooted in his genuine delight in nature: in this two-tone watercolour, the clear lines of Lochranza Castle behind the fishing boats and their nets stand out against the wild and barren mountains of Arran in the background. Meticulously composed, the image appears like a book illustration, easy to read. In 1933, White became an Associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in London.
Auction: London | Ancient & Modern, 16th Sep, 2026
London is a city which has had a greater impact on culture around the world than almost any other, and it has never been more important than now to shine a light on its remarkable citizens and history. From Magna Carta to the television London has, again and again, been the source from which progress has radiated. The present sale takes us from a medieval spur found under Cannon Street station, to a medal minted to commemorate the Millennium, from prints and paintings, to clocks and pistols. This sale is a sensational opportunity to acquire a small piece of this incomparable place. Olympia is a proudly London-based auction house and we are thrilled to be offering the inaugural instalment of this sale.
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 13th September: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 14th September: 10am to 8.00pm (Drinks from 5pm)
Tuesday 15th September: 10am to 5pm
