The gorgeous collection of one of the founding fathers of English Country House style is up for sale
‘It’s bittersweet, but having the collection admired by people feels really lovely,’ says George Oakes’s daughter.
‘The fluidity of his drawing comes across in everything. You see it particularly in sketches because the nature of a sketch is that they are more fluid and expressive. I love his piece of a teapot full of shells. I just think: “What a gorgeous idea”.’
This is what Lucinda Oakes has to say about her father’s work. George Oakes (1927-2017) was a decorative artist renowned for his time at the British interiors firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, where he was a director. Now, The Collection of George Oakes, and his wife Judith, will go on sale on October 1 as part of Dreweatts’ At Home auction.
‘He was always inspired by nature,’ Lucinda says, a statement evidenced in the collection which features a myriad bird paintings and sculpture — including an ostrich — a shell grotto and an array of colourful botanicals. The items for sale are from George and Judith Oakes’s home, Surrenden House, where they lived for more than 40 years. Painted furniture, textiles, decorative objects, lighting, studio materials and works on paper are all going under the hammer.
According to Joe Robinson of Dreweatts, Oakes, who was key to the development of the English Country House style we know and love today, occupies ‘a very special place in the story of English decorative art’. He adds: ‘His influence can still be felt in the way country house interiors are understood and enjoyed today.'
Oakes studied at Saint Martin’s School of Art before joining Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in 1956 in a freelance capacity. He went on to work very closely with John Fowler and lead the hallowed firm’s fabric, wallpaper and carpet design departments and paint studio, until his retirement in 1993. He was best known for his mural and trompe l’oeil painting.
His unique artistic embellishments, often inspired by late-18th and 19th-century patterns, decorate the interiors of many great buildings. These include Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler owner Nancy Lancaster’s Haseley Court, Grimsthorpe Castle, Sezincote House and Daylesford House. He also brought his artistic touch to the likes of Chiswick House, West Green House, Christ Church in Oxford and Buckingham Palace. Many of his designs are still very popular today, such as Bowood, a chintz fabric discovered at Bowood House and redrawn as a carpet by Oakes.
‘George Oakes eschewed “sweetness” in his work, choosing unusual colours and unconventional subjects — cabbages, turnips, radishes,' says Wendy Nicholls, the chairman of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. ‘He painted lovely birds, flowers, pots and plates, often contained within classical cartouches. He had a great sense of humour; a stimulating and wonderful person to work with, he caused you to think and to try your hardest to be fresh and original.’
‘It’s bittersweet,’ Lucinda says of the auction, made necessary because she does not have space in which to keep all of her parent’s belongings. ‘But, at the same time, what I’m really loving is showing people how brilliantly my parents put together their collections… to be able to show it off and say: “Look at what they did.” It’s a legacy in that sense, isn’t it?’
One of Lucinda highlights is her mother’s collection of teapots — which Oakes had brackets made for, so they could hang on the wall. Another favourite is Judith’s collection of purple slag ware glass. ‘There's a lovely photograph of that on top of a chest of drawers in my parents' bedroom, with these black papier-mâché wall hangings. It just looks so smart and beautiful, and I love that other people are getting to see it.’
