Three of the very best of monochrome printmakers were Scots. But despite this, they are now largely overlooked. Whatever their motivation, there is no doubt that some of the best artists of the day were attracted into this booming market, explaining the high quality of many of these prints. There is evidence to suggest that some artists were willing to exploit this craze for prints by modifying their original plates and reissuing them as different states, maximising their income from one image. Artists benefited from the high prices, but buyers found that they too had the opportunity to make money by reselling them at even higher prices, often not long after buying them. This is in stark contrast to the prices they commanded in their heyday, when the best examples could fetch the then average price of a house.Īs prices for monochrome prints soared during the early 20 th century, collectors were both captivated by the quality of the prints and their attractive potential as investment opportunities. The majority turn up in smaller auction houses with prices in the low to mid £100s range. In over 300 lots in the Prints and Multiples Bonhams' sale, only two such pieces were on offer an Augustus John self portrait and an early Graham Sutherland pastoral scene. Today, only recognised masterpieces of the genre, where prices still manage to make four-figure sums, would stand a chance of making a major London sale. Less popular and hence more affordable, is the black and white realism of early 20th century etching and drypoint printmaking. David Hockney led the way with one of his lithographs fetching £19,625 (including premium). Good examples were to be found at Bonhams' recent Prints and Multiples sale. The current market for British prints is buoyant, with the colourful, avant-garde screenprints and lithographs of the mid 20th century particularly popular.
(Another version is held by the Fleming Collection).
Sir David Young Cameron, Ben Lomond, 1923.
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