Sir Quentin Blake, Wild Man of the Wood signed 'Quentin Blake' (lower right) pen and ink and watercolour on paper 39.4 x 50.5cm. (unframed) Executed in 2023. Estimate £1,500-2,000.
Known to generations of children (and their parents) for his illustrations for the books of Roald Dahl, Sir Quentin Blake has worked on more than 300 other titles, dozens of which he wrote himself. Featuring a selection of Blake’s illustrations, Bonhams is hosting Making a Mark: A Fundraising Sale for the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which is running online from now until October 6.
The proceeds of this special 78-lot sale will go to benefit the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. Founded by Quentin Blake in 2002 as House of Illustration, the Quentin Blake Centre is the UK’s national centre for illustration. The proceeds raised in this sale will help in the restoration of a repurposed waterworks at New River Head in Clerkenwell, London, to create a new home for the organisation. It will offer a programme of exhibitions and will also provide a home for the huge archive of Blake’s work. Estimates for the works begin at £500-700.
“From performing dogs to mischievous birds to the joys of reading outdoors this is an exceptional selection of works by Quentin Blake," said Lindsey Glen, Director of the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. "The proceeds of the sale will help us realise Quentin’s long-held vision for a national centre, a place where people can examine and create illustration in all its wonderous forms. Opening in 2025, it will comprise new exhibition galleries, learning spaces and public gardens, a permanent home for Quentin’s extraordinary archive, and a springboard for tours and projects across the UK.”
Highlights include:
