News & Insights

Rare Self Portrait by Richard Hamilton Sells for £24,000

6th October 2025.

A rare 1951 Self Portrait etching by Richard Hamilton, the father of British Pop Art, sold for £24,000 in the Modern and Contemporary Art Sale at Tennants Auctioneers on 4^th October (all figures exclude buyer’s premium). Hamilton was one of the most influential British artists of the 20^th century, leading the Pop Art movement to create youthful, witty, popular art designed to be transient and capable of being mass-produced. The vendor’s mother was an artist; during the 1960s she was a model for the Royal Academy and possibly the Slade School of Art and was for a time Hamilton’s lover. From the same collection was a further etching, also executed in 1951, “Heteromorphism”, which sold for £5,500.

Richard Hamilton, 'Self Portrait'
Richard Hamilton, Heteromorphism'
Jack Vettriano, "Model in Black"
Alberto Morrocco, Beach Cafe, Soller
Dame Elisabeth Frink, "Grey Horse Head"
Mr Brainwash, "Together We Dream"
Sir Tony Cragg, "Bust"
Brian 'Braaq' Shields, "Runcorn Fair"
Geoffrey Key, 'Mountain Sunrise'
Peter Brook, "After the Gala, July"
Piers Browne, "Idyllic Wensleydale Hay Time Scene"
Bernard Dunstan, 'Shower on the Beach'

Strong prices continued throughout the sale, with notable results achieved for “Model in Black” by Jack Vettriano (sold for £16,000), “Beach Café, Soller” by Scottish artist Alberto Morrocco (sold for £8,000), and “Grey Horse Head”, a lithograph by Dame Elisabeth Frink (sold for £5,000). Amongst the contemporary art in the sale was “Together We Dream” by Mr Brainwash, which sold for £6,000, and “Bust” by Anglo-German sculptor Sir Tony Cragg, which sold for £7,500.

Northern Art continues to attract competitive bidding, with works by key artists selling strongly. Amongst several works by Brian ‘Braaq’ Shields was “Runcorn Fair, Won Three Fish on Tuesday, Dead Now Though” (sold for £5,000), and other highlights included Mountain Sunrise by Geoffrey Key (sold for £4,500), and “After the Gala, July” by Peter Brook (sold for £5,500). The sale also offered a collection of paintings from the estate of Wensleydale artist Piers Browne, which attracted considerable interest. Amongst his own works was “Idyllic Wensleydale, Haytime Scene”, which sold for £1,100, and from a selection of works by other artists which he owned was Bernard Dunstan’s “Shower on the Beach”, which sold for £6,000.

The sale achieved a total hammer price of £191,230 for 162 lots, and an 88% sold rate.

View Results