London – This July, Bonhams presents Modernism at Mill Cottage: The Stuart and Claire Henderson Collection, a landmark online sale celebrating the finest names in 20th century British Modern Art. Running form 4 – 15 July, the sale offers over 200 works from one of the UK's most discerning private collections.

The Hendersons began collecting following an influential visit to Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, a space long associated with Modern British Artists and the St Ives School. Since then, their collecting has grown to encompass exemplary works by artists central to defining Britain's Modernist movement, spanning St Ives Abstraction, Neo-Romanticism, and the radical post-war sculpture movement known as the Geometry of Fear.

Christopher Dawson, Head of Department, Modern British and Irish Art, said, "This sale perfectly captures the quiet power, and individuality of British Modernism. What makes the Henderson Collection so special is the thoughtful way it brings together works that speak to each other – from Alfred Wallis' raw Coastal scenes to William Turnbull's bold, sculptural forms. It reflects not only impeccable taste but a deep understanding of what makes British art from this period so enduringly relevant."

Leading this sale is the charming, quintessential example of Alfred Wallis' celebrated coastal scenes, Trawler Passing a Lighthouse, which carries the estimate £70,000 - 100,000. A former mariner with no formal artistic training, Wallis began painting at 70, using humble materials like house paint and cardboard. His distinctive depictions of Cornwall's harbours and trawlers captured the attention of leading Modernists such as Ben Nicholson, and Christopher Wood.

Another highlight is a patinated bronze sculpture by William Turnbull, Mask, with the estimate of £50,000 - 70,000. Turnbull's extraordinary life began in 1920s Dundee, as the son of a shipyard worker. Following destitution at a young age, and later a career in the military, Turnbull enrolled at the Slade School of Art, to study painting. Increasingly disillusioned with the department's nostalgic and reactionary curriculum, the artist transferred to the sculpture department and ultimately left London in 1948 for Paris. Turnbull would later be included in the British Pavillion at the 1952 Venice Biennale, nominated by Herbert Read.

Also on the block is Dame Barbara Hepworth's (British, 1903-1975) Four Hemispheres, estimated at £20,000 – 30,000. Hepworth was a member of The St Ives School along with the likes of Russian Constructivist Naum Gabo, and her erstwhile husband, Ben Nicholson. Nicholson and Hepworth settled in St Ives at the outset of the Second World War in 1939, and established an outpost there for development of abstract avant-garde art. Four Hemispheres reflects Hepworth's enduring fascination with geometry, nature, and balance.

Other highlights in this sale include:

Kenneth Armitage, (1916-2002), "Seated Woman with Square Head", estimated at £30,000 - 50,000

Dame Elisabeth Frink R.A., (British, 1930-1993), "Warrior", estimated at £18,000 - 25,000

Bryan Wynter (British, 1915-1975) "Freshet", estimated at £25,000 – 35,000