Cheffins auction house in Cambridge, UK, will sell the first archive of work by artist Tirzah Garwood to come to the market, in its Art & Design Sale on 22 May. The archive, estimated to fetch around £30,000, includes wood engravings, pencil sketches, and a sketchbook, and has been consigned by the granddaughter of artist Frederick Austin, a friend of Garwood and her husband Eric Ravilious. The sale coincides with the first major retrospective of Garwood's work, "Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious" at Dulwich Picture Gallery, which has helped revive interest in her career.
This sale matters because it marks a turning point in the recognition of Tirzah Garwood, who was long overshadowed by her husband Eric Ravilious. The archive, unknown to her family until recently, offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire works by an artist now being celebrated for her versatility across oil painting, wood engraving, marbled paper, and collage. The auction reflects a broader reappraisal of female artists in modern British art history, driven by institutional exhibitions and family efforts to preserve their legacy.