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For more than 40 years Tom and Rosamund Jordan were leading specialists in the Staithes Group of painters, a pioneering group of artists drawn to the village of Staithes in the late 19th and early 20th Century, attracted to the area by the towering cliffs, stormy seas, the clarity of light and eminently paintable cottages and harbours.

The Jordans, who were equally passionate about Staithes, were champions of this pioneering group of artists, and more than 100 works from their collection will be offered in a single owner sale at Tennants Auctioneers on July 15.

Included are works by the likes of a Mark Senior, Owen Bowen, Arthur A Friedenson and Frank Henry Mason, with examples of their work depicting the North Yorkshire Coast and Moors and works from their later travels.

For a short spell, Staithes was an important artistic centre at the forefront of the British Impressionist movement.

Loaded Hay Wagon and Haymaking Before a Sun Drenched Coast by Arthur A Friedenson – estimate: £1,000-1,500.

The Staithes School artists were greatly inspired by the French Impressionists, working en plein air to capture fleeting moments of light, air, and water, albeit with an edge of harder, northern grit.

The artists lived amongst the fishermen and women, often lodging in their homes.

Not only did this provide a much-needed boost to the local economy, but it allowed them to understand the hardships of the fishing community, and depict them with realism, insight, and empathy.

Highlights of the collection include:

Seascape by Len Tabner – estimate: £3,000-5,000.

– Loaded Hay Wagon and Haymaking Before a Sun Drenched Coast by Arthur A Friedenson (1872-1955) (estimate: £1,000-1,500 plus buyer’s premium)

– Bringing Home the Cows by Owen Bowen (1873-1967) (estimate: £1,500-2,500)

- Mending the Nets by Ralph Hedley (1848-1913) (estimate: £800-1,200)

- and Trawler at Sea by Frank Henry Mason (1875-1965) (estimate: £700-1,000).

The collection also includes select works by later Yorkshire artists, notably three works by Len Tabner (b.1946), known for his elemental depictions of seascapes, particularly those of the North Yorkshire coastline around his home.

These are led by a Seascape depicting Old Nab, a rock formation near Staithes, on offer with an estimate of £3,000 to 5,000.

Part II of the Jordan’s collection will be sold later in the year.

Collection of more than 100 Staithes Group works set to go up for sale