This exhibition brings together 100 years of Modern British painting, sourced from private collections and artists’ estates. Working directly with artists’ families can bear extraordinary fruits, and pictures not seen for decades are here brought to light.

Examples of these include a rare Biblical painting by Gilbert Spencer – Gehazi and Namaan (illustrated above) – created early on in the artist’s career, or a group of pictures by the extraordinary Carline family, comprising works by Richard, Hilda, Sidney and George.

Many of the works featured are being offered for sale for the very first time. They have been passed down through successive generations without interruption, and have exceptional, unbroken provenance. This sense of intimacy is also reflected in Fyffe Christie’s tender portrait of his sculptor wife, Eleanor, John Moody’s earnest portrait of his grieving mother, Margaret, and in an altogether different sense in Leon Underwood’s portrait of Cecile in the artist’s Hammersmith studio.

The exhibition will be on display at Sotheran’s (2-5 Sackville Street, London, W1S 3DO) from Thursday 28th September – Friday 20th October.