West Midlands surgeon’s stunning art collection goes under hammer in Shrewsbury
A collection comprising more than 350 paintings, prints and sculptures which belonged to a late West Midlands vascular surgeon will be put up for sale at a leading Shropshire fine art auction house.
The collection of Magdi Latif Obeid will be sold over two timed, online auctions from September 29 to October 17 and as part of a modern and contemporary art auction running from October 13-31.
The auctions will includes works by artists including Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, Willem Sternberg de Beer, Hercules Brabazon Brabazon, George Clare, William Leighton Leitch, John Henry Henshall and Frank Wooton.
Mr Obeid , who passed away in 2021, was a distinguished consultant general and surgeon from the West Midlands whose passion for art led him to compile a significant collection which he began in the 1980s.
His deep appreciation for British 19th and 20th century art saw his collection grow and he contributed works to a number of exhibitions at institutions such as the Barber Institute of Fine Art and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Mr Obeid had a particular interest in artists from the West Midlands, the Newlyn School and was also a keen collector of contemporary art, especially from exhibitions at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Having been raised in the Coptic Church he also acquired an interesting array of religious artworks and stained glass window designs.
“The scale and diversity of the collection exemplifies Mr Obeid’s profound love of art, which defined his collecting journey,” said Abigail Molenaar, art specialist at Halls Fine Art.
“It is always such a pleasure to handle a collection like this, one that has been put together from a sheer love of art and of collecting.
“Mr Obeid was a person who bought what he liked, sought out artists that he admired and brought together a really diverse and impressive collection.”
Mr Obeid was born in Khartoum, to Egyptian parents, and spent most of his career working in the West Midlands, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth and Dudley Road Hospitals, becoming a prominent specialist vascular surgeon.
Throughout his career, he made substantial contributions to the medical field, including serving on the intercollegiate board of examiners for general surgery and the council for the Association of Surgeons in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Interested buyers can view the collection at Halls Fine Art on the October 12 and 13. For further information, email Abigail Molenaar at fineart@hallsgb.com or call 01743 450 700.
