Michael Ayrton Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Michael Ayrton Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 08, 2026
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Head study, 1940;
Est: £800 - £1,200
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Head study, 1940; ink on paper, signed and dated lower right 'michael ayrton g. 40', 18.7 x 14 cm (mounted/unframed) (ARR) Note: early works by the artist were signed 'Ayrton G.', following the name of his mother, Barbara Ayrton-Gould, although this extra name was discarded in his work from the later 40s.
Roseberys
Jul. 01, 2026
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975, Au Cirque, 1939; etching and aquatint on paper, sig
Est: £300 - £500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975, Au Cirque, 1939; etching and aquatint on paper, signed and numbered 8/8 in pencil, image: 17.5 x 12.5 cm, (framed) (ARR)
Roseberys
Jun. 30, 2026
Â§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Socrates
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Â§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Socrates signed and dated 'Michael Ayrton/10.7.70' (upper right) pencil Unframed: 25.2 x 34.9 cm. (9 7/8 x 13 3/4 in.) Framed: 47.1 x 40.8 cm. (18 1/2 x 16 in.) Provenance: Sale; Christieâ€™s, London, 17 March 2016, lot 11
Chiswick Auctions
Jun. 30, 2026
Â§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Earth Pelvis
Est: £2,000 - £3,000
Â§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Earth Pelvis signed and dated '20.7.64 Michael Ayrton' (lower left) mixed media on paper laid onto board Unframed: 38.5 x 47.5 cm. (15 1/8 x 18 3/4 in.) Framed: 54 x 62.5 cm. (21 1/4 x 24 5/8 in.) Provenance: Sale; Roseberys, London, 6 December 2016, lot 639
Chiswick Auctions
Jun. 19, 2026
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Bronze Sculpture 'Cage Mirror Maze #6/6', H 68.5" W 13.5" Depth 11.5"
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Standing bronze figure in an orange cage Top sculpture 20 3/4 x 10" x 7", marked 6/6 on lower edge of verso, on original pedestal is 48 x 13.5 x 11.5 in. Can separate into two pieces for shipping. Provenance: Purchased from Daedalus Galleries November 14, 1972. Dimensions: H 68.5" W 13.5" Depth 11.5"
DuMouchelles
Jun. 18, 2026
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). Illustration for The Duchess of Malfi, by John Webster, c. 1944
Est: £150 - £200
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). Illustration for The Duchess of Malfi, by John Webster, c. 1944 * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). Illustration for The Duchess of Malfi, by John Webster, c. 1944, lithograph on laid paper, titled, signed and dated by artist in pencil to lower margin, ‘”Malfi” Act III. Scene II. / Michael Ayrton . 44’, 22 x 12.5 cm, framed and glazed QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: From the estate of John Arlott, OBE (1914-1991), English journalist, author and cricket commentator. Arlott and Ayrton were close friends, collaborating on the book Claustentum (Cape, 1946).
Dominic Winter Auctions
Jun. 18, 2026
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil drawing
Est: £300 - £500
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil drawing AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil on off-white wove paper, artist’s signed presentation inscription to lower left corner, ‘Fro John Arlott. “My coat can walk.” Michael Ayrton, 17/12/45’, a little dampstaining to blank lower and left margins, 31 x 24 cm (12 1/4 x 9 1/2 ins), framed and glazed QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: From the estate of John Arlott, OBE (1914-1991), English journalist, author and cricket commentator. After being invited to make a public radio address to George VI on VE Day, 1945, John Arlott attracted the attention of the BBC, and of the poet John Betjeman, who became a mentor for Arlott's poetic ambitions. Arlott subsequently joined the BBC as the Overseas Literary Producer the following year. He was asked by the Head of the BBC Overseas Service, Donald Stevenson, to commentate on the warm-up games of India's tour of England in 1946. Subsequently, he was invited to continue to commentate on further matches, including the Test matches, initiating a 34-year career as a cricket commentator for the BBC. This surreal drawing made at the end of 1945 by Arlott's friend, and shortly before Arlott’s cricket commentary career began, features a Gogol-style overcoat, which can equally be read as a cricket umpire coat.
Dominic Winter Auctions
Jun. 10, 2026
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Tiryns, 1958
Est: £2,500 - £3,500
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Tiryns, 1958 oil on canvas, with use of impasto signed and dated lower right canvas size 46 x 61cm Provenance: Purchased from The Redfern Gallery, Bond St., London on 23 July, 1959. Supplied with the original printed receipt, various exhibition material and a conservation report. Exhibited: Michael Ayrton, Jawlensky, Vieira da Silva, Redfern Gallery, 1959 (No. 20).Qty: (1)
Mallams
Jun. 10, 2026
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Dominican with Cats, 1950
Est: £5,000 - £7,000
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Dominican with Cats, 1950 oil on canvas signed and dated lower left canvas size 71 x 91.5cm Provenance: Purchased from The Redfern Gallery, Bond St., London on 5 July, 1951. Supplied with the original printed receipt, correspondence, various exhibition material, and a conservation report. Exhibited: Fifteen Contemporary British Painters, Leeds City Art Gallery, 1950-51 (No. 4); Eight Young Contemporary British Painters, Arts Council - Scottish Committee, 1952 (No. 2); Michael Ayrton, Paintings and Drawings, Sculpture, Book Illustration [and] Theatre Design 1945 - 1955, Whitechapel Art Gallery, 1955 (No. 32).Qty: (1)
Mallams
Jun. 02, 2026
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975) A HILL TOWN SEEN THROUGH VINES
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975) A HILL TOWN SEEN THROUGH VINESOil on boardSigned (upper right)31 x 41.5cm (12 x 16¼in.)Painted in December 1948.Provenance:Matthiesen Ltd., LondonChristie's, London, English Pictures Drawings and Bronzes c.1840 - c.1960, 26 April 1963, lot 124
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Jun. 02, 2026
Michael Ayrton, Head study, 1940
Est: £1,200 - £1,800
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Head study, 1940; ink on paper, signed and dated lower right 'michael ayrton g. 40', 18.7 x 14 cm (mounted/unframed) (ARR) Note: early works by the artist were signed 'Ayrton G.', following the name of his mother, Barbara Ayrton-Gould, although this extra name was discarded in his work from the later 40s.
Roseberys
May. 21, 2026
Michael Ayrton (British 1921-1975), Orestes pursued by the furies
Est: £1,000 - £2,000
Michael Ayrton (British 1921-1975) Orestes pursued by the furies 1960 Oil on board Dimensions: (Board) 21 in. (H) x 16 in. (W) (Frame) 26.75 in. (H) x 22 in. (W)
Sloane Street Auctions
May. 07, 2026
MICHAEL AYRTON, MINOTAUR,
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
MICHAEL AYRTON, MINOTAUR, A COMPLETE SUITE OF 10 ETCHINGS ED. 27/75, EDITIONED LOWER LEFT, STAMPED LOWER RIGHT (EACH), 58 X 78.5CM (EACH, SHEET) UNFRAMED
Leonard Joel
Apr. 16, 2026
Michael Ayrton, Fifteen prints from Poems of Death, 1945
Est: £400 - £600
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975, Fifteen prints from Poems of Death, 1945; fifteen lithographs in colours mounted across 5 sheets, from a series of illustrations created for 'Poems of Death' by Phoebe Pool, 1945, largest image: 19 x 12cm, (unframed, mounted) (ARR) (15)
Roseberys
Apr. 16, 2026
Michael Ayrton, Sunbathers, c.1956
Est: £300 - £500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975, Sunbathers, c.1956; lithograph in colours on wove, signed and numbered 24/50 in pen, image: 32.5 x 51cm, (framed) (ARR)
Roseberys
Mar. 31, 2026
▲ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) 'Berkshire Landscape'
Est: £3,000 - £4,000
▲ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) 'Berkshire Landscape' signed and dated 'Michael Ayrton March/44' l.r., oil on board (20 x 30cm; framed 23.5 x 33.5cm) Provenance: With Roland, Browse & Delbanco, London. Condition Report: Framed: 23.5 x 33.5cm Craquelure which has been infilled is visible. A further area of retouching shows in the upper right corner. Not examined under UV light, for a full report and additional images please contact the department.
Sworders
Mar. 24, 2026
Michael Ayrton, (1921-1975), ‘Island & Shore’
Est: £500 - £1,000
§ Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) ‘Island & Shore' signed and dated "20.10.60" lower right, titled in pencil lower left, ink and wash on paper, 32cm x 47cm
Gorringes
Mar. 20, 2026
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975)
Est: £200 - £300
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Study of a lady with her head in her hand Signed and dated (19)55, 26.5cm x 27cm
Martel Maides
Mar. 12, 2026
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Siren
Est: £2,000 - £4,000
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Siren 1963 From an edition of 9 Bronze on wood plinth Signed, titled and numbered to base, 'Michael Ayrton / Siren / 8/9' Dimensions: 11.5 in. (H) inc. base
Sloane Street Auctions
Mar. 11, 2026
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975), FIGURE WITH A SKEIN II
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975) FIGURE WITH SKEIN II Bronze and string Signed and numbered 1/9 (on the base) Height: 87cm (34¼in.) Executed in 1972.
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Mar. 11, 2026
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954
Est: £200 - £300
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954 AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954, monotype, signed in pencil to lower right, inscribed by the artist with title to verso, sheet size 22.5 x 15.5 cm (8 7/8 x 6 1/4 ins), period frame, glazed QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: Mercury Gallery, London; Estate of Nicholas and Frances McDowall. The present work is a study for the back cover of Wyndham Lewis's The Human Age (books 2/3), published by Methuen in 1955.
Dominic Winter Auctions
Mar. 11, 2026
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil drawing
Est: £600 - £800
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil drawing AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1976). “My coat can walk”, 1945, pencil on off-white wove paper, artist’s signed presentation inscription to lower left corner, ‘Fro John Arlott. “My coat can walk.” Michael Ayrton, 17/12/45’, a little dampstaining to blank lower and left margins, 31 x 24 cm (12 1/4 x 9 1/2 ins), framed and glazed QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: From the estate of John Arlott, OBE (1914-1991), English journalist, author and cricket commentator. After being invited to make a public radio address to George VI on VE Day, 1945, John Arlott attracted the attention of the BBC, and of the poet John Betjeman, who became a mentor for Arlott's poetic ambitions. Arlott subsequently joined the BBC as the Overseas Literary Producer the following year. He was asked by the Head of the BBC Overseas Service, Donald Stevenson, to commentate on the warm-up games of India's tour of England in 1946. Subsequently, he was invited to continue to commentate on further matches, including the Test matches, initiating a 34-year career as a cricket commentator for the BBC. This surreal drawing made at the end of 1945, shortly before Arlott’s cricket commentary career began, features a Gogol-style overcoat, which can equally be read as a cricket umpire coat.
Dominic Winter Auctions
Mar. 05, 2026
MICHAEL ARYTON, (1921 - 1975), Harvest Near Amfissa, 1958, colour lithograph, ed. 3/50 (unframed) (AF), 43 x 65 cm (59 x 80cm)
Est: $200 - $300
MICHAEL ARYTON (1921 - 1975) Harvest Near Amfissa, 1958 colour lithograph, ed. 3/50 (unframed) (AF)
Lawsons
Feb. 18, 2026
Michael Ayrton, Harvest Near Amfissa, 1922;
Est: £300 - £500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975, Harvest Near Amfissa, 1922; lithograph in colours on wove, signed in pencil, an artist's proof aside from the edition of 100, sheet: 43 x 64.5cm, (framed) (ARR) Provenance: Jeffrey Judelson (1942-2023) and thence by descent
Roseberys
Feb. 11, 2026
⊕ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975)
Est: £600 - £800
⊕ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975) TWO COSTUME STUDIES both titled Attendant upon Autumn lower right; (i) inscribed roman berries etc / and bunch of ripe corn / poppies, sorrel etc. in pencil upper left and right; (ii) inscribed russet apples / blackberries etc. / wool jersey or what can we get in pencil upper left and right; both pen, pencil and black ink and gouache on paper; each 27.5 x 22cm; 10 3/4 X 8 1/2in (48 x 67cm; 19 x 26 1/4in framed as one) Provenance: Redfern Gallery, London; F.C. Hooper Esq (acquired in 1947) The present studies are costume designs for the 'Masque of the Seasons' from Act IV of Purcell's opera The Fairy-Queen. The 1946 production was a collaboration between Ninette de Valois' ballet company and the new Covent Garden Opera. First performed in Covent Garden Opera House on 12th December 1946, music adaptation was by Constant Lambert and scenery and costumes by Michael Ayrton. We are grateful to Professor Michael Burden for providing this information. One of a generation of British artists that fall loosely under the umbrella term Neo-romantics including John Piper, John Minton and John Craxton, Ayrton was a polymath, hugely inventive, and recognised for his sense of the macabre and his obsession with the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. He studied art in London before visiting Paris in 1938 with John Minton, where they worked alongside the French Neo-romantic painter Eugène Berman (1899-1972). Succeeding John Piper as art critic of The Spectator (1944-46), Ayrton also began broadcasting on the radio, becoming an influential voice for Neo-romanticism. Besides painting and designing for the stage he was also an illustrator, his striking and hauntingly gothic style exemplified in Poems of Death, 1945 (see lot 286) and The Human Age by Wyndham Lewis (1955).
Olympia Auctions
Dec. 12, 2025
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921–1975) Reflex I, 1965
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921–1975) Reflex I, 1965 bronze and perspex inscribed Ayrton and numbered 2/9 15 1/2 x 26 x 11 inches. This lot is located in Chicago.
Freeman’s
Dec. 11, 2025
MICHAEL AYRTON, ARCHILOCHOS 1975,
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
MICHAEL AYRTON, ARCHILOCHOS 1975, A COMPLETE SUITE OF 16 ETCHINGS ED. 14/75, ALL CONTAINED IN THE ORIGINAL ISSUED PORTFOLIO CASE, EDITIONED LOWER LEFT, STAMPED LOWER RIGHT (EACH), 47 X 39CM (EACH, SHEET), 47.5 X 40.5 X 2CM (PORTFOLIO)
Leonard Joel
Dec. 10, 2025
Michael Ayrton, Landscape, 1961;
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Landscape, 1961; ink and watercolour on paper, signed and dated lower right 'Michael Ayrton 20.6.61', 36.2 x 47 cm (ARR) Provenance: Professor Joseph Rykwert CBE (1926-2018) and thence by descent
Roseberys
Dec. 10, 2025
Michael Ayrton, Maze Maker II, 1965;
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Maze Maker II, 1965; bronze, numbered lower right '0/0', H27 x W35 x D17.8 cm (ARR) Provenance: Professor Joseph Rykwert CBE (1926-2018) and thence by descent Literature: C. P. Snow, 'Michael Ayrton Drawings and Sculpture', London, 1966, no.186 (another cast illus.); Grosvenor Gallery, London, 'Michael Ayrton: bronzes, paintings, collages and drawings 1964-1966', 7th June-2nd July, 1966, no.3 (another cast illus.) Note: this was one of three versions Ayrton made as studies for the large 'Maze Maker' which eventually formed the base of the Daedalus/Icarus Matrix sculpture in the second chamber of the Arkville Maze in the Catskills, New York, which he designed for Armand Erpf. The present work is an Artist's Cast, which were not usually commercially sold. However, due to the close friendship between Ayrton and Rykwert, as the main edition of the work had already sold out, this cast became part of his collection and he was particularly keen to have this work.
Roseberys
Dec. 10, 2025
Michael Ayrton, Professor Joseph Rykwert with rolled document;
Est: £300 - £500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Professor Joseph Rykwert with rolled document; biro on paper, 26.5 x 17 cm (ARR) Provenance: Professor Joseph Rykwert CBE (1926-2024) and thence by descent
Roseberys
Dec. 10, 2025
Michael Ayrton, Still Sea II, 1960;
Est: £800 - £1,200
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Still Sea II, 1960; ink on paper, signed, titled and dated lower left 'Michael Ayrton 20.10.60 Still Sea II', 34 x 48.5 cm(ARR) Provenance: with Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford; Private Collection, purchased from the above December 1963 (according to the label attached to the reverse of the frame); Jeffrey Judelson (1942-2023) and thence by descent
Roseberys
Dec. 10, 2025
Michael Ayrton, Head at High Velocity;
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Michael Ayrton, British 1921-1975 - Head at High Velocity; ink on paper, signed lower right 'Michael Ayrton', 19 x 24 cm (ARR) Provenance: with Bear Lane Gallery, Oxford; Private Collection, purchased from the above December 1963 (according to the label attached to the reverse); Jeffrey Judelson (1942-2023) and thence by descent
Roseberys
Dec. 04, 2025
Michael Ayrton, (1921-1975), Pig. Circa 1973.
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Pig. Circa 1973. Gouache and conté crayon on wove paper. Publication: Study for the cover of Lord of the Flies by William Golding (London: Faber and Faber, 1973).
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 03, 2025
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Sen
Est: £1,000 - £1,500
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Sentinel, signed and dated 1962 u.r., oil on canvas, 125 by 62cm, framed. Note: Artist Resale Rights apply
Kinghams Auctioneers
Dec. 03, 2025
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Dae
Est: £150 - £250
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Daedalus IV, titled, signed and dated 1959 l.r., charcoal, 34 by 41cm, framed. Note: Artist Resale Rights apply
Kinghams Auctioneers
Dec. 03, 2025
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Stu
Est: £400 - £600
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975), Study for Maze Maker III, signed, titled, and dated 1965 l.r., gouache and collage, 40 by 50cm, framed. Note: Artist Resale Rights apply
Kinghams Auctioneers
Nov. 21, 2025
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975)
Est: £300 - £500
Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Study of a lady with her head in her hand Signed and dated (19)55, 26.5cm x 27cm
Martel Maides
Nov. 19, 2025
§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Dioskouri
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
numbered '6/9' (to the bronze base) bronze and Perspex on a wooden base Conceived in 1970 Size:(50.8 cm. (20 in.) high (including wooden base)) Provenance:Acquired by family descent Notes: The Dioskouroi sculpture is part of a series of works made by Ayrton between 1969 and 1973 using neutral density Perspex, a tough, translucent plastic which has the curious optical property of being simultaneously reflective and transparent. Combining sheets of Perspex with bronze figures on a bronze base creates an ambiguous interaction of actual and illusory: single figures multiply, while two figures placed either side of a Perspex screen move around and through each other like dancing shadows as the sculpture is rotated in its base. Delighted by this combination of one of the newest man-made materials with one of the oldest, Ayrton described his series of 'Reflectors' as go[ing] beyond the maze, because they no longer map the journey but rather reveal the condition. In all, Ayrton produced fourteen Reflector sculptures, of varying complexity. Dioskouroi is one of the most interesting, as it not only exploits the visual properties of the Perspex/bronze combination, but also explores an ancient myth and a medical phenomenon. Ayrton discussed this in his last project, A Question of Mirrors: a television series on the place of the mirror in human culture through the ages. Sadly he died before the scripts were completed or the programmes made and what remains is fragmentary, but in one of those fragments there is a discussion of Dioskouroi. The Dioskouroi in legend were the twin sons of Leda and Zeus in the form of a swan. After their encounter, so the myth goes, she laid two eggs which each hatched twins, a pair of girls (Helen and Clytemnestra), and two boys, Castor and Pollux, known to the Romans as the Gemini (twins). Their story has the typical complexity of myth and exists in various versions; all, however, lead to the eventual death of Castor at the hands of the twin sons of Poseidon, and Pollux in fury calling down Zeus' lightning on the killers. Castor and Pollux were later raised to the heavens as the constellation of Gemini but nothing more is said of the other twins, Idas and Lynceus. Ayrton became fascinated by this omission: what gave Castor and Pollux the edge? I am haunted by the idea that they were more than identical - that Castor and Pollux were mirror twins, a wonder of wonders ... this sculpture came out of that. It mirrors twins, but on each turn an extra twin appears - the ghosts of Idas and Lynceus? For Ayrton, of course, such re-imagining of myth was second nature, but he was always concerned that his sculptures should wear their mythological precedents lightly, encouraging viewers to approach them in the same spirit of curiosity which he himself brought to art and life. The interpenetration of the figures, embracing each other before passing through and fading like ghosts, does not depend on knowing the story of the starry twins and their rivals. It can also be seen as a metaphor for the way human beings in general interact with each other, and as a provocative invitation to reconsider our perceptions of reality. It is also, of course and quite simply, an endless visual delight, which was precisely as Ayrton intended. Like most of the Reflectors it was cast as an edition of 9. We are grateful to Justine Hopkins for compiling this catalogue entry
Chiswick Auctions
Nov. 15, 2025
Michael Ayrton (1921-1975), 'Figure with Skein', 1972
Est: €4,000 - €6,000
Patinated bronze cast. From an edition of 9. Manufactured by the Meridian Foundry London. Signed on the plinth: Michael Ayrton and numbered: 6/9, as well as the embossed foundry mark. H 89 cm. Provenance: Private Collection Düsseldorf
Kunst und Design Auktionshaus Schops Turowski
Nov. 12, 2025
MICHAEL AYRTON (1921-1975) 'Not to Disturb' etching signed on the back along with Muriel Spark, unframed,
Est: £80 - £120
MICHAEL AYRTON (1921-1975) 'Not to Disturb' etching signed on the back along with Muriel Spark, unframed, 18 x 13cm
John Nicholson's Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers
Nov. 12, 2025
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954
Est: £300 - £400
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954 AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Third City (3rd Study), 1954, monotype, signed in pencil to lower right, inscribed by the artist with title to verso, sheet size 22.5 x 15.5 cm (8 7/8 x 6 1/4 ins), period frame, glazed QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: Mercury Gallery, London; Estate of Nicholas and Frances McDowall. The present work is a study for the back cover of Wyndham Lewis's The Human Age (books 2/3), published by Methuen in 1955.
Dominic Winter Auctions
Nov. 12, 2025
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Hera, 1957, bronze figure
Est: £3,000 - £5,000
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Hera, 1957, bronze figure AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Hera, 1957, bronze figure, dark brown and gold patina, a slightly later unnumbered cast, 44 cm high QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: "During World War II my grandparents designed and built thousands of aircraft to train our Battle of Britain pilots before they were allowed to fly in Spitfires and Hurricanes. After the war ended FG and Blossom Miles invested in art, and after a time, were introduced to Michael Ayrton, whose muscular sculptures they admired. The couple commissioned a large outdoor statue, ‘Bather with Child’, for their new home in Sussex; at over 2 metres high, it was one of the largest pieces that Ayrton had ever attempted (apparently some of the Miles’ family silver had to be melted down to help the bronze flow). This was subsequently sold by the family at auction at Christie's '20th Century British Art', 18th November 2005 (Lot 113A). My mother recalls my grandfather speaking to Michael Ayrton about an ancient statue in the Louvre museum, named after the Greek goddess Hera. Ayrton was so taken with the figure that he was moved to view the statue in Paris for himself, and on his return he set about sculpting the bronze Hera that we see on sale here today". Jonathon Miles Two other examples were sold at auction in recent years. One at Sotheby's Modern Post-War British Art sale on 12th July 2013 (Lot 130) and the other at Christie's Modern British and Irish Art, 15th July 2015 (Lot 139). This piece was sold directly by the artist to the Miles family, who inspired its creation, and it has remained in the Miles family until today. Literature: Michael Ayrton: Drawings and Sculpture (1962), plate 58 for another cast of the same work.
Dominic Winter Auctions
Nov. 12, 2025
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Rocky Landscape (St. Anthony), 1943
Est: £300 - £500
Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Rocky Landscape (St. Anthony), 1943 AR * Ayrton (Michael, 1921-1975). Rocky Landscape (St. Anthony), 1943, pen, black and grey ink and grey wash on pale cream wove paper, 30 x 35 cm (9 3/4 x 13 3/4 ins) mount aperture, framed and glazed, with handwritten label to verso (probably in the hand of Nicholas McDowall) 'Michael Ayrton (1921-1975), Rocky Landscape (St. Anthony), 1943, ink & wash, prov. artist's estate' QTY: (1) NOTE: Provenance: Estate of Nicholas and Frances McDowall. The present work relates to the theme of Saint Anthony that preoccupied the artist from around 1941 to 1946, and includes the large painting The Temptation of St. Anthony (1942/43) and other works. An exhibition on this theme was held by the Redfern Gallery, London, in July 1943, The Temptation of St. Anthony and related studies. 'The Temptation of St. Anthony was begun in 1942 in his studio... and Ayrton painted his own arms and legs to shadow the muscles and emphasise the veins before executing, with the use of mirrors, the figure of St. Anthony from himself. This was exceptional, marking his detailed emotional relationship with St. Anthony, since Michael Ayrton seldom worked from posed models. He preferred spontaneous poses and was thus, for example, a very reluctant portraitist.' (Peter Cannon-Brooks, Michael Ayrton, An Illustrated Commentary, 1978, page 11).
Dominic Winter Auctions
Oct. 29, 2025
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975), FIGURES ON A JETTY
Est: £15,000 - £20,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975)FIGURES ON A JETTYBronzeNumbered 5/6 44 x 106 x 21.5cm (17¼ x 41½ x 8½in.) (including wooden base)Conceived in 1954.Provenance:Alwin Gallery, LondonAcquired from the above by Alan Thorman, July 1978
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 29, 2025
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975), IMPACT
Est: £7,000 - £10,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975)IMPACTBronze and plexiglasNumbered 4/12 36 x 24 x 22cm (14 x 9¼ x 8½ in.) (including wooden base)Conceived in 1974.Provenance:Bruton Gallery, LondonAcquired from the above by Alan Thorman, August 1976
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 29, 2025
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975), MINOTAUR IN JEOPARDY
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975)MINOTAUR IN JEOPARDYBronzeNumbered 8/930 x 35.5 x 20cm (11¾ x 13¾ x 7¾ in.) (including wooden base)Conceived in 1964. Provenance:Chapman Gallery, Richmond Acquired from the above by Alan Thorman, November 1987
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 29, 2025
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975), ENTRANCE
Est: £6,000 - £8,000
λ MICHAEL AYRTON (BRITISH 1921-1975)ENTRANCEBronze and plexiglasNumbered 4/938.5 x 23 x 21.5cm (15 x 9 x 8¼ in.) (including wooden base) Conceived in 1970.Provenance:Alwin Gallery, LondonAcquired from the above by Alan Thorman in November 1975
Dreweatts 1759 Fine Sales
Oct. 24, 2025
§ Michael Ayrton (1921-1975)
Est: £300 - £500
§ Michael Ayrton (1921-1975) Head study signed and dated '23.10.61 / michael ayrton' (lower right) ink and watercolour 28 x 38cm
Cheffins