Let there be no doubt about it, suave as he was, with his bespoke suits, slicked-back hair and patrician good looks, David Nightingale Hicks (1929–98) was a committed revolutionary. Composing rooms of arresting opulence through his magisterial orchestration of cacophonous colors and patterns, Italian modern mixed with Louis XV furnishings and counterintuitive plays of scale, he forever rocked the stately world of interior design.
As a zealot of style, he took no prisoners. “Dedication to design means ruthless criticism and losing friends,” he once declared. He was not exaggerating. His wife claimed that he conceived his signature high-gloss brown walls as a result of her throwing glasses of Coca-Cola at him during their alarmingly frequent marital spats.
By the time he was 25, Hicks, who had attended London’s Central School of Art and Design and endured a couple of arid years in the art department of the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, had the crème de la crème of London society as clients — and he was being entertained by them! Within a few years, he was courting Lady Pamela Mountbatten, the daughter of Lord Mountbatten, the last British viceroy of India, and the uncle of Prince Phillip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband. They married in 1960 and acquired Britwell, a Georgian pile in Oxfordshire, which became the family seat, design lab and showplace.
The first truly modern interior Hicks ever designed was Lord John Cholmondeley’s penthouse overlooking Hyde Park, in 1967. The graphic boldness of the scheme — brightly colored walls outlined in dark hues and dynamic geometric-patterned carpets — echoed the energy and attitude of the hard-edge painting that was then at the fore. Here, as in all his interiors, he included what he called “tablescapes,” vignettes of artfully arranged objects and artworks that added interest and life to the room. They were soon widely copied. Another landmark interior came in the early 1970s, when he revived Baronscourt, a grand neoclassical house in Northern Ireland, by giving it an entirely contemporary decor.
In addition to his immense creative talent, Hicks had a keen entrepreneurial acumen and vision. While he could have made a fine business simply designing grand homes for the wealthy and titled, he expanded his studio to include offices, boutiques, restaurants, hotels and nightclubs. He had showrooms all over the world, and he embarked on licensing agreements for ranges of vividly hued, geometric-patterned sheets and towels, clothes, umbrellas and bags.
The British designer was as daring as he was debonair, deploying a brazen mix of colors and patterns that came to define the groovy-glamorous interiors of the Swinging Sixties.
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David Hicks Signed Victorian Scottish Highland Loch Mountain Oil Painting
By David Hicks
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title David Hicks Signed Victorian Scottish Highland Loch Mountain Oil Painting Key Details Artist: David Hicks, British, late 19th century, signed Title: The Scottish Highlands Medi...
Oil
"Fishing"
By David Hicks
Located in Warren, NJ
Oil painting on canvas measures 28x25x2 signed in good condition Comes on with light International buyers must cover shipping expense
Canvas
"David Hicks On... Bathrooms, Decoration With Fabrics, And Decoration- 5" w/ DH
By David Hicks
Located in Bristol, CT
(1) David Hicks on Decoration- 5 [168] pp. Britwell Books 1972 (2) David Hicks on Decoration- With Fabrics World Publishing 1971 (3) David Hicks on Bathrooms [151] pp. Britwell Boo...
Paper
"Golden Farmland, " Oil Painting
By Samantha Buller
Located in Denver, CO
Samantha Buller's (US based) "Golden Farmland" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a golden field leading to a small white farmhouse and...
Oil
"Flower Farm, " Oil painting
By Judd Mercer
Located in Denver, CO
Judd Mercer's (US based) "Flower Farm," is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a crop of flowers growing thickly as it spreads out along the ho...
Oil
Watchmen
By Tony Dagradi
Located in New Orleans, LA
[New Orleans, LA ::: b. 1952 - Queens, NY] BIO : TONY DAGRADI is an internationally recognized jazz performer, artist, composer, author and educator. For over three decades he has...
Paper, Varnish
$165,714
H 94.49 in W 85.44 in D 1.19 in
Oil on Canvas Painting Portrait of the Italian Noble Family of Zanardi Count
By Lucia Casalini Torelli
Located in Firenze, IT
This museum quality old master oil on canvas formal portrait painting depicting the family of the Count Zanardi is signed by the artist- the female painter Lucia Casalini Torelli- and published in a book dedicated to Casalini Torelli’s workshop and academy. This palatial masterpiece artwork comes directly from the ancient Villa Maraini Guerrieri - Palidano di Gonzaga (Mantua), an historic Italian heritage building owned by the descendants of the family portrayed for more than two centuries, until 1998. The big scale of this oil on canvas masterpiece painting states the relevance of Lucia Casalini Torelli as a painter. The present artwork is a formal family portrait painting that aim to introduce the characters depicted according to their social role in the society. The noble family is all gathered under a loggia overlooking a park, the landscape in the background is partially covered by a beautiful red cloth on the right side. The father stands up and holds the hand of his eldest son, proudly introducing his future heir. The son wears a light-blue dress and red boots, he is depicted in a serious pose holding a black tricorn hat under his arm and a rapier sword on his belt. The mother wears an elegant gold and dark green brocade dress, she is sitting with her youngest daughter on her knees while her second son is by her side. The little daughter wears a lovely long red and dress with white lace and holds an apple on her hand. The son stands next to his mother and is dressed in a brown priestly clothes. This palatial old masters piece was probably painted in 1740 due to the similarities with Cardinal Doria’ s portrait, now on display at the Doria Palace Museum, the official residence of the Prince of Genoa. The painting features original canvas (“prima tela”) and antique original patina, it is in excellent overall condition considering the age, use and its large scale. A formal detailed condition report and the results of the inspection with the UV lamp accompanied by photos is available on request. As well as for its exceptional quality and quite perfect state of conservation, this painting is particularly important and even more valuable both for the artist who painted it and for its absolutely exclusive provenance. Lucia painted the most prominent and powerful noble families of her time, the location of these paintings is unknown to the art market as it is extremely likely that the portraits are still kept in private collections. Furthermore, Lucia was one of the most appreciated artists of her time, so important that she was admitted as a member of the academy at a time when women were forbidden to attend these studies. In 1706, Felice Torelli...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500Sale Price|29% Off
H 16 in W 14 in
Victorian still lives of fruit and Plums on a mossy bank landscape
By Oliver Clare
Located in Woodbury, CT
This exquisite painting by renowned Victorian English artist Oliver Clare beautifully captures a vibrant still life of fruit on a mossy bank. The composition is a testament to Clar...
Canvas, Oil
$6,950
H 19 in W 22 in
19th century English still life of Strawberries in a landscape with butterfly
By Henry George Todd
Located in Woodbury, CT
Henry George Todd (British, fl. late 19th century) Still Life of Strawberries with Butterfly Signed and dated 1878, lower left Oil on canvas Presented in an ornate giltwood frame wit...
Canvas, Oil
$1,142
H 33.8 in W 28 in
German Female Artist, Study or Portrait of a Girl, Expressionism, Realism
Located in Greven, DE
Helene Rutkowski is an artist who was born in 1862. The maker's first piece to be offered at auction was "Baumbestandene Allee im Herbst" at Quentin Auction House in 2021. She worked in the style of Realism and Expressionism and her works remind one of Käthe Kollwitz. This beautiful drawing...
Charcoal, Handmade Paper
$2,430
H 10 in W 12 in
19th century English still life of fruit on a mossy bank landscape
By Vincent Clare
Located in Woodbury, CT
Vincent Clare (British, 1855–1930) Still Life of Fruit on a Mossy Bank Oil on canvas, signed lower right Circa 1870 Presented in a richly carved and gilded 19th-century style frame ...
Canvas, Oil
"Cloud Composition 1" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
By Jesse Mangerson
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 1" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
$6,832
H 27 in W 31 in D 3 in
Still Life of Flowers, Victorian Oil on Canvas, Framed, Signed Henry Livens 1890
By Henry Livens
Located in St. Albans, GB
Henry John Livens An antique painting. Framed oil on canvas. Signed by the artist Canvas Size: 20 x 24" (51 x 61cm) Framed Size: 27 x 31" (37 x 77cm) This stunning British Victorian...
Oil
"Cloud Composition 9" Original Realist Skyscape with Clouds
By Jesse Mangerson
Located in Denver, CO
"Cloud Composition 9" is a realistic capturing of a golden skyscape, created with oil paint on panel. This piece is framed at 9.5 x 9.5 inches and is ready to hang. Jesse Mangerson ...
Oil, Panel
$2,400
H 18 in W 24 in
"Hecate's Moon" (2025) Original Surrealist Lakeshore Landscape, Oil Painting
By Robin Hextrum
Located in Denver, CO
Robin Hextrum's "Hecate's Moon" is an original oil painting on cradled wooden panel. This piece is framed at 23.5" by 29.5". Artist Statement: This painting is part of my "Magical R...
Oil, Linen
$6,000
H 48 in W 60 in D 1 in
Magnolias in the Garden Oil Painting, 48" x 60" Realism Floral Art
By Susan Meeks
Located in Houston, TX
Magnolias in the Garden 48" x 60 " oil on canvas Look for Free Shipping at Checkout Susan is a native Houstonian. She is passionate about oil paintings, specializing in large scal...
Oil, Canvas
$2,034
H 23.63 in W 28.75 in
"White Gardens", Bold Impressionist Oil Painting of a Snowy Rural Landscape
By Yves Calméjane
Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
This painting is a quietly luminous depiction of a snow-covered garden in winter, rendered in oil on canvas at H 23.6 in x W 28.7 in. Bare deciduous trees dominate the foreground and...
Canvas, Oil
$3,600
H 16 in W 14 in D 2 in
1925 ARTS n CRAFT IMPRESSIONIST Garden Landscape Painting possibly KENTUCKY
By Frank von der Lancken
Located in New York, NY
Frank von der Lancken was a Brooklyn-born artist and teacher who chose to travel beyond the limits of New York to cultivate the arts across America. Indeed, by his death in 1950, von...
Oil
Sold
H 26.25 in W 8.25 in
Fine Antique Scottish Highland Loch & Mountains Landscape, Signed Oil Painting
By David Hicks
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: David Hicks, British late 19th century, signed Title: The Scottish Highlands Medium: signed oil painting on canvas, oak wood framed Size: framed: 27.5 x 23.5 inch...
Oil