Date: 2011

Hosted by Lord and Lady Ashbrook, a selection of bronzes from the Christie’s Predators & Prey II auction was displayed at the magnificent Arley Hall and Gardens from 18 to 22 May 2011. The sculptures were shown alongside a pre-auction exhibition by world-renowned British artist L.S. Lowry, which included his most famous painting, The Match.

The gardens, considered among the finest in Britain, provided a spectacular backdrop for the sculptures. This pre-auction exhibition was opened by Lord David Linley, Chairman of Christie’s UK, and was sponsored by Audi UK. Seeing Africa’s big cats placed among the herbaceous borders, holm oak columns and avenue of pleached lime trees provided an awe-inspiring exhibition for visitors and collectors alike.

On 16 June 2011 Christie’s South Kensington hosted the second solo auction of Dylan Lewis animal bronzes. This sale followed on from Lewis’s solo auction in 2007 at Christie’s, titled Predators & Prey. That auction featured predominantly works from the earlier years of Lewis’s animal period, whereas Predators & Prey II featured works predominantly from the later part of that period. The works were on view for a week prior to the auction, and the opening event on 9 June saw more than 400 collectors and admirers of Lewis’s work coming out in support of his final solo auction of animal works. With bidding from across the world via phone, internet and in person, the sale realised a solid 95% sold result.