Whence and Whither, a modernist lino-print by British artist Cyril Edward Power (1872-1951) led Bonhams' April 16 auction, bringing £97,250 ($149,021).
The dramatic linocut, which features swathes of people descending into London Underground's subterranean underworld, communicates something of the uniformity and monotony inherent in the daily commute.
 Whence and Whither, signed and dated by Cyril Edward Power |
Power's similarly evocative Tube Station also sold, making £61,250 ($93,852), while his Speed Trail lino cut, which the consignor bought for a mere £20, brought £73,250 ($112,231).
Ethel Spowers' circa 1932 print The Giant Stride came out second top lot, selling for £85,250 ($130,611) at the London sale.
The Australian artist's folk-inspired print depicts several children dancing around a May pole and typifies Spowers' style.
 Spowers' The Giant Stride came out second top lot |
The impressive prices achieved suggest collectors priced out of the fine art market are increasingly turning to rare prints for investment purposes.
With contemporary pieces, such as Jackson Pollock's Number 19, anticipated to achieve tens of millions when they come to auction, interest in the "second-tier" - photography and limited edition art prints in particular - is at an all time high. A single Diane Arbus photograph brought $602,500 - a new world record price for the artist - earlier this month.
For more information on the market, see Paul Fraser Collectibles' free guide to investing in art and photography.
We currently have a number of investment grade art and photography collectibles in stock - view them here.
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