
Rachael Swann
Senior Sale Coordinator
'These otherwise unremarkable characters obtain a freedom of expression having been transplanted - apparently unaided - to the unfamiliar medium of life among the clouds.' (Quentin Blake, on the Airborne series, Hastings, 2020)'
We are delighted to present 'Airborne: A Fundraising Sale for the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration', which comprises of 53 lots by the much-loved illustrator Quentin Blake, depicting his characters in various modes of flight. Whether travelling by wings, or inflated as a balloon, the people and creatures in this sale are lifted into the air, and go about their daily lives amongst the clouds. All of the pieces in the auction have been donated by the artist, and will be sold in aid of the Quentin Blake Centre of Illustration. Founded by Quentin Blake in 2002 as House of Illustration, Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration is the UK's first and only charity for illustration – art that tells storeys. In 2019 the charity acquired New River Head, a former waterworks in Clerkenwell, London, which is in the process of being restored, and will open as Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration in 2026. Each of these drawings, ranging from a knitting angel, to a floating dog, will help to support a wonderful cause.
53 lots available
Senior Sale Coordinator
Associate Specialist
Cataloguer