Lot 42

Private collection, Melbourne
Thence by descent

Comprising:
(prints one to sixteen are based on the following works)
(i) Vertical Light, March 1957
(ii) Small Horizon with Orange, Lime, Lemon and Cherry, June 1957
(iii) Piano 1943
(iv) Eight Drawings for Paintings 1976
(v) Lime and Yellows in Orange, June 1976
(vi) Blue with Line, Umber, Dull Red and Orange in Violet, January 1976
(vii) Katherine Christmas, December 1976
(viii) Thirteen Drawings for Chris Prater, April 1970
(ix) Susanna Christmas, December 1976
(x) Mini January VIII 1974
(xi) Two Greens with Violet and Blue
(xii) Mini Mini 21, September 1972
(xiii) Red in Umber with Orange and Ice-Green, January 1977
(xiv) Mini February V 1974
(xv) Ten Drawings for Paintings 1977
(xvi) June Mini 5 1968
(xvii) Small Screenprint - Yellow Diagonal 1978
(xviii) First Vertical Screenprint 1976
(xix) Small Screenprint - Violet Diagonal 1978
(xx) Second Vertical Screenprint 1976
Frontispiece: Eagles Nest Zennor

Other examples of this portfolio are held in the collections of the Tate, London; and Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.

Patrick Heron was one of Britain's most significant post-war artists, celebrated for his mastery of colour and form. While best known for his vibrant abstract paintings, his printmaking practice was equally important in his artistic evolution. Over the course of his career, Heron produced a remarkable body of prints that not only echoed the compositional and chromatic concerns of his paintings but also pushed the boundaries of screenprinting as a fine art medium.

Heron engaged with printmaking intermittently throughout his career, which allowed him to explore the properties of colour in ways distinct from his paintings. The medium provided a controlled environment where he could layer colour with precision, experimenting with transparency, opacity, and the interaction of pigments.

'Shapes of Colour 1943-1978' 1978 represents a retrospective exploration of his evolving visual language over three decades. The interplay of sharp and soft edges, a defining characteristic of his paintings is also represented in his prints. Some areas of colour meet in crisp, well-defined boundaries, while others dissolve into one another, creating subtle transitions that enhance the sense of depth and movement.
(Hannah Ryan, Senior Prints & Multiples Specialist)

© Patrick Heron/Copyright Agency, 2025