RONALD WILLIAM KIRBY (1928–2001) (ARR) An unframed watercolo...

Estimate

£2,000 - £3,000

RONALD WILLIAM KIRBY (1928–2001) (ARR) An unframed watercolour. ‘A Waxworks Fire’, probably based on the fire at Madame Tussauds in 1925. Signed on the painting Ronald W Kirby and dated 1944 lower left and also Ronald w Kirby above the painting upper left. Title lower middle with additional wording. 76cm x 56cm
RONALD WILLIAM (JOSH) KIRBY (1928-2001) was a British artist best known for his covers for Sir Terry Pratchett’s DiscWorld series of books, for which he designed 26, the first being ‘The Colour of Magic’ in 1983. His prodigious talent was such that he was enrolled in the Liverpool City School of Art 1943 at the age of 14 where he gained his nickname ‘Josh’ in recognition of his portraiture skills which were likened to those of Sir Joshua Reynolds. His surrealist capabilities were evident at the time he was a student and this lot comes from a portfolio of his early work in the 1940s. During his professional life he lived in Shelfanger, only a short distance from Diss.