Lawyer’s multimillion pound art collection up for sale

THE art collection of a former senior partner at a West Yorkshire law firm is up for sale, having already raised £3.7m at auction.

The collection was owned by the late Cyril Reddihough, a partner at Last & Reddihough, which later evolved into Last Cawthra Feather, before rebranding into LCF Law in 2014. He passed away in 2001.

LCF Law is now advising on the sale of his extensive art collections, which includes work from British Modernist artists including Ben Nicholson, his first wife Winifred, Dame Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Alfred Wallis and Mary Newcomb.

Mr Reddihough was a lifelong friend of Ben Nicholson, who he first met in 1927.

LCF Law has been appointed to advise on the inheritance tax surrounding the collection, following the death of his widow.

A portion of the collection has already been auctioned at Bonhams in London.

42 paintings and sculptures were sold, with the most expensive being Henry Moore’s ‘Reclining Figure’ which dates back to 1945. It sold for £1.55m. Ben Nicholson’s ‘Pill Creek’ also sold for £600,000.

Ann Christian is a partner in LCF Law’s personal law team, said: “The collection that Cyril Reddihough assembled during his lifetime is truly amazing and demonstrates his ability to identify art that would eventually become extremely desirable, at a time when some of Nicholson’s work wasn’t always being well-received by the wider public.

“It’s an honour to be involved with his work, especially because of his past links to LCF Law and I’m delighted that the collection has been so popular with art enthusiasts from across the world.”

Bonhams director of Modern British and Irish Art, Matthew Bradbury said: “The astonishing total for this landmark collection is testimony to Cyril Reddihough’s great taste. His patronage of Ben Nicholson provided the artist with the security he needed to develop his ideas and was crucial to the emergence of the most distinctive and influential voice in British Modernism.”