Francis Bacon’s favourite set of kitchen crockery that he used daily is to go under the hammer at auction – which will excite legions of collectors.
The eccentric but brilliant artist had the service at his home in Reece Mews, South Kensington, a small and unassuming former Victorian coach house that was also his studio.
This was where he painted some of his most important works including ‘Three Studies of Lucian Freud’ which in 2013 became the most expensive painting ever to be sold at auction
when it went for £89.2 million.
The unremarkable crockery was made by Cauldon in the late 1930s and retailed by Maple and Co Ltd, a department store akin to the modern day John Lewis.
In itself it is today worth about £30 – but because it belonged to Bacon it has an estimate of £10-15,000 and will go under the hammer at Duke’s of Dorchester on February 19.
In 1985 the artist moved the crockery to Dale Farm in Suffolk, his countryside retreat where it was in regular use and remained until moved for the sale.
After his death in 1992 aged 82 Bacon left everything to his friend and companion John Edwards, who died 14 years ago aged 53.
Edwards’ brother David said that the crockery was a gift from Bacon’s sister Winifred who lived in South Africa, but visited London regularly.
The china has come to auction through John Edwards’ family who inherited his estate.
Amy Brenan from Duke’s said: “Francis Bacon is arguably the most important post-war British artist.
“His kitchen at Reece Mews was well-known as it housed the bath and it is amusing to think of Bacon taking a bath, warming himself by the heat of his oven, surrounded by his
kitchenalia which would have included this crockery.
“His champagne drinks parties are well documented and one has to wonder who of his artistic friends would have eaten off these plates.
“Lucien Freud and Frank Auerbach were known to have visited both Reece Mews and Dale Farm.
“Or perhaps he was more inclined to use them for mixing his paints.
“To own the service would be to touch part of the genius that was Bacon. Because most of the contents of his studio were moved to a museum this is an extremely rare chance to own
something that was kept there.”
The service is coloured white with apple green and gilt borders. It consists of an oval meat plate, a vegetable tureen and cover, an open tureen, a sauce tureen and cover, one soup
plate, a small oval serving plate, nine side plates, eight dessert plates and one soup plate stand.
Winifred Bacon died in 1981
Ed Baker
