Captain Campbell's Collection goes to auction
An unexpected trove of fabulous artwork, discovered in a secluded Somerset bungalow, is set to go under the hammer at Chilcotts Auctioneers in Honiton on July 12.
The eclectic collection was quietly and meticulously assembled over decades by distinguished Royal Navy hydrographer and commanding officer, Captain Richard J Campbell OBE.
Naval hero, Captain Campbell surrounded himself with beautiful paintings, bronzes and art glass to adorn the walls and shelves of his home in the Quantock Hills. The extent and quality of his collection has only recently come to light. It includes over 135 works produced across three centuries from the early 1800s, showcasing a number of significant pieces. Captain Campbell kept details of all his acquisitions since his first purchase in 1962; the paperwork shows that he bought from top-level London fine art galleries as well as respected West Country dealers from Honiton and Plymouth.
Of note are four works by English artist Edward Seago and three by French impressionist/post-impressionist painter Marcel Dyf, with others by William Wyllie, Montague Dawson, Alexandre Louis Jacob, Charles Brooking and Dominic Serres. Common themes include marine and nature, reflecting Campbell’s long naval career and interest in the natural world.
He was just 13 when he became a cadet at BRNC Dartmouth in 1946, serving first on submarines then becoming a specialist in hydrographic surveying, the science of measurement and mapping physical features of bodies of water. This skill took him around the world including Antarctica aboard the HMS Endurance. During the Falklands War Captain Campbell led the conversion of deep ocean survey vessel HMS Hydra into a hospital ship, which transported wounded personnel to Uruguay. For this significant contribution, he was appointed OBE in the 1983 New Year’s Honour’s List.
In later years, he settled in a rural village near Taunton to work at the Hydrographic Office, retiring in 1994 and remaining in his bungalow until his death in 2023. He was a generous supporter of the creative industries, including commissioning pieces from West Country makers. Though he had no children of his own, he was close to his two nephews and a niece who lived in South Africa and holidayed in Somerset. The sculptural element of the collection reflects this connection with Africa with superb bronzes of mostly African animals from foremost British wildlife sculptors such as Mark Coreth and Hamish Mackie
His broad interest in art and love of history are evident in a striking selection of glassware dating from eighteenth century engraved wine glasses through to contemporary colourful studio-glass vases. The antique glasses are mainly English, such as a Georgian air-twist Jacobite wine glass, but also include a Dutch Zeeland province armorial wine glass, thought to be circa 1750. Modern pieces, engraved with the makers’ signatures, include works by influential glass artists such as Peter Layton, James Denison-Pender and Jonathan Harris.
Auctioneer, Duncan Chilcott said: “It is rare for one person to embrace such a wide variety of tastes and techniques, from traditional oil and watercolour paintings to contemporary sculpture and art-glass. As auctioneers it has been a privilege to curate the Captain Campbell Collection and to play a part in bringing such a significant collection to light.”
Estimates range from around £100 for the studio glass to £20,000 for an Edward Seago oil painting, plus 25 percent Buyers Premium.
Pre-sale viewing and the auction will take place at the Dolphin Sale Room in Honiton High Street; viewing is from July 9 to 11 9am to 4pm and the auction starts at 10am on July 12. The sale will offer in-person bidding and live online bidding via www.the-saleroom.com and www.easyliveauction.com
