Novelist Jilly Cooper's Favourite Art Works to Auction

Art belonging to novelist Jilly Cooper will come to auction at Christie's tomorrow in its Modern British and Irish Art sale.

Cooper, who died in October last year, and her husband Leo began collecting art in the 1960s when she bought her first painting, a Betty Usman for £15, after getting drunk at a party. "When I sobered up, I didn’t know how I was going to survive until my next pay cheque," she said, describing collecting art as "much more fun than stocks and shares".

Highlights include one of Cooper’s favourite paintings, Diana in the Corn (circa 1932) an oil on canvas by William Nicholson, depicting Winston Churchill’s granddaughter (estimate: £40,000-£60,000), John Minton's drawing London River (estimate: £4,000-£6,000), and John Nash's watercolour Rural Landscape (estimate: £1,000-£2,000). Other lots include drawings by Charles Sargeant Jagger and C.R.W. Nevinson

Her literary agent, Felicity Blunt, said she recalled Cooper’s yellow-stone house as warm and welcoming, filled with grandchildren, animals and paintings.

Cooper is best known for her Rutshire Chronicles series including Riders! and Rivals which have recently been made into popular television series.