Pictures and Prints
Manner of El Greco, which had lain hidden in an attic, sold successfully for £98,000
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. We regularly hold specialist picture auctions with lots receiving enquiries and bids from around the world.
This combined with live internet bidding has resulted in some huge prices achieved, such as a small oil painting on a panel in the manner of El Greco of a Saint which came out of an attic. A real Antiques Roadshow discovery moment, it featured in our international trade paper and generated great pre-auction interest. On the day, a fierce bidding war got underway with the hammer falling to a London gallery at £98,000.
Another painting which sold very well, came out of a cottage where it had hung for many years. The owner had previously been advised by one of the large international auction houses at £20,000. Again, we featured the painting in our trade paper which drew in many dealers and collectors to the sale where the hammer came down at £61,000.
If you think you have a masterpiece hanging on your wall, whether you have inherited a watercolour, or if you have a pile of pictures hidden away in the attic, contact Richard Bromell at our salerooms 01935 812277 or send images to rb@charterhouse-auction.com
All of our auctions use live internet bidding platforms to ensure that every lot, whether it is worth £20 or £500,000, reaches the widest possible market and sells for the best price possible. In the run-up to an auction, we receive 100s of emails requesting further information for lots in the sale. Attached to these email replies, we regularly send well over 1,000 digital images, such is the huge interest generated in our auctions.
For further information about pictures at Charterhouse, please contact Richard Bromell ASFAV at rb@charterhouse-auction.com, or at the office on 01935 812277.
A Merry dog
At home, I am fortunate to have several pets – two dogs and a cat.
Betty the cat is the one who rules the roost, and yes, we are all a little afraid of her, especially when her tail starts to swish side to side or her ears are pinned back.
She is prone to attacking her hoomans without provocation, with her favourite place to catch us out being on the staircase – she does love to bite an ankle or two, but despite this, we all love Betty.
Truffle, our miniature Dachshund, can often be seen at the salerooms. Her chief role is “Head of Security” and she loves nothing more than to bark at something, or nothing. She is fearless, even with Betty or the two Rhodesian Ridge Back dogs which live next door, size is not a word in her vocabulary.
And finally, we have Lulu the Working Cocker Spaniel. Lulu is “Head of Customer Service”. She greets everyone with muddy paws at work first thing after her morning walk and always with a very waggy tail.
Over the past 35 years, I have always owned Spaniels. My Dad always had Spaniels, and I was hooked by the breed at an early age.
First up was Coco, a Show Cocker, then Biggles a Working Cocker, followed by William the rescue Springer Spaniel and now Lulu.
At home, I probably have more pictures of the dogs on display than I do photo’s of the kids.
I am also fortunate to have several watercolour drawings of Biggles painted by a friend who would dog-sit when we had busy auctions or went away on holidays. I’m very grateful to her as he was a well loved dog, and like all our animals over the years, sorely missed today.
Last year, I was asked to value the contents of a Somerset property for probate. Not unusual as this is what I do most days, but what struck me was the similarity of the contents to that of my own home, probably with the exception it was not full like my house.
She had clearly been an animal lover before she passed away. There was a vast array of animals in art dotted throughout the house, but for me, one picture stood out heads and shoulders above the rest – a painting of a dog.
A typical Victorian painting on canvas, the dog is not painted by a leading artist of the day such as Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, but more likely by the owner or even a friend of the owner.
The dog, called Merry, is painted sitting patiently, maybe waiting for a tasty treat.
We know the name of the dog is Merry as there is an inscription to the middle of the canvas “Merry at 8”
Quite whether Merry was called Mary or was even a happy present at Christmas we will never know, but Merry is now looking for a new home and is being sold in our auction of Pictures & Sporting Items on Thursday 17th September.
Estimated at £200-300 I am sure Merry will have many admirers at the auction and will be quickly re-homed after the sale.
Charterhouse are now accepting further entries for our busy program of autumn auctions, with viewing for this auction all this week, with auctions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Richard Bromell and the team at Charterhouse, The Long Street Salerooms, Sherborne are available for valuations on single items, collections or complete house contents on 01935 812277 or via enquiry@charterhouse-auction.com
The Victorian oil painting of Merry at 8 being sold by Charterhouse on Thursday 17th September in Sherborne £200-300
