16th Sep, 2026 12:00
London | Ancient & Modern
70
⊕ PETER BLAKE (BRITISH B.1932)
COSTUME LIFE DRAWING WITH YELLOW HAT, 1982
signed Peter Blake and numbered 173/500 lower margin in pencil; titled and inscribed 1972-1979, from a watercolour by Peter Blake lower middle in print
lithograph printed in colour
42.4 x 22.4cm (74.5 x 46.5cm sheet)
unframed
Peter Blake grafted the pin-boards, badges, comics and seaside hoardings of his own boyhood onto a fundamentally English tradition of folk art, signwriting and fairground painting. Studio Tack Board is, in the most literal sense, a self-portrait. His passions simply photographed on the wall they live on, and the trompe-l'œil scale inviting the viewer to stand where the artist stands. Costume Life Drawing with Yellow Hat similarly speaks to his fascination with the figure, a less discussed side of Blake's practice. Made in the years around his involvement with the Brotherhood of Ruralists, founded in 1975, the print belongs to a moment of deliberate retreat from Pop — towards Victorian romance, fancy dress and an unabashedly traditional English figuration.
Sold for £110
COSTUME LIFE DRAWING WITH YELLOW HAT, 1982
signed Peter Blake and numbered 173/500 lower margin in pencil; titled and inscribed 1972-1979, from a watercolour by Peter Blake lower middle in print
lithograph printed in colour
42.4 x 22.4cm (74.5 x 46.5cm sheet)
unframed
Peter Blake grafted the pin-boards, badges, comics and seaside hoardings of his own boyhood onto a fundamentally English tradition of folk art, signwriting and fairground painting. Studio Tack Board is, in the most literal sense, a self-portrait. His passions simply photographed on the wall they live on, and the trompe-l'œil scale inviting the viewer to stand where the artist stands. Costume Life Drawing with Yellow Hat similarly speaks to his fascination with the figure, a less discussed side of Blake's practice. Made in the years around his involvement with the Brotherhood of Ruralists, founded in 1975, the print belongs to a moment of deliberate retreat from Pop — towards Victorian romance, fancy dress and an unabashedly traditional English figuration.
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
