SPECIALIST lawyers at a Bradford-based legal practice are advising on the sale of a major art collection built up by a former partner at one of its predecessor firms.

LCF Law has been appointed to advise on the inheritance tax surrounding the disposal of the collection amassed by the late Cyril Reddihough following the death of his widow.

Mr Reddihough was a former senior partner at Last & Reddihough, a Bradford and Ilkley law firm which later became Last Cawthra Feather, which rebranded to LCF Law in 2014.

Mr Reddiough, who died in 2001, owned paintings and sculptures by key figures in British Modernist art along with work by his lifelong friend and internationally acclaimed abstract artist Ben Nicholson, who he first met in 1927.

Other works are by Nicholson’s first wife Winifred, his second wife, Dame Barbara Hepworth, as well as Sir Henry Moore, Christopher Wood, Alfred Wallis and Mary Newcomb.

Part of the collection has recently been auctioned at Bonhams in London, which sold 42 paintings and sculptures from the estate. The works were expected to sell for around £2 million but achieved £3.7 million.

The top lot of the sale was Henry Moore’s 1945 work Reclining Figure which sold for £1.55 million.

Ann Christian, a partner in LCF Law’s personal law team, which offers services including wealth protection, inheritance planning, wills and probate, said: “The collection that Cyril Reddihough assembled during his lifetime is truly amazing and demonstrates his ability to identify art that would eventually become extremely desirable, at a time when some of Nicholson’s work wasn’t always being well-received by the wider public.

“It’s an honour to be involved with his work, especially because of his past links to LCF Law and I’m delighted that the collection has been so popular with art enthusiasts from across the world.”

Bonhams director of Modern British and Irish Art, Matthew Bradbury described it as a landmark collection and testimony to Cyril Reddihough’s great taste.