REPORT FROM THE PICTURE SALE on October 10th 2008

The top price in The Cotswold Auction Company's recent picture sale held at The Bingham Hall in Cirencester went to a delightful small oil painting on card by Olga Bariatinsky.  Measuring only 22 cm high this charming study of two children standing in a summer garden beside tall white lilies was the subject of much scrutiny by those attending this specialist sale.

Olga Bariantinsky, sold £2,100

The artist is not particularly well known and this picture was estimated below £1000, however interest was so strong that it took £2,100 on the day.  A far more celebrated and collectable artist also commanded a lot of attention at the auction - this was an oil by Terrick John Williams (1860-1936) 'On the Giudecca, Venice', a typical Venetian canal scene, and this work took £1750.

Terrick Williams, sold £1750

One of the more speculative pictures was in the style of Murillo (1618-1682)
This 17th century Spanish artist is well known for his studies of street-life of the period and this painting showed a group of boys playing dice with a mother and child looking on.  This picture sold within estimate at £1000, while £780 was paid for an attractive three-quarter length portrait of a 16th century gentleman in armour. 

Circle of Murillo, sold £1000

One of the lots which was the object of much attention was the study of a horse by the well known H.W. Reville.  This was a picture of 'Pioneer', a
dapple grey horse with his rider, signed and dated 1884, which had been shown by The Cotswold Auction Company at the Beaufort Country Fair earlier in the Summer.  Members of the public visiting The Cotswold Auction Company stand were invited to guess the likely auction price of this work of art - guesses ranged from a few hundred pounds up to £36,000!  As much as the auctioneers would have like to sell at the top of this range, a much more realistic price was achieved at £780 and the lucky winner informed that they were now the proud owners of a magnum of champagne!

Portraits featured largely in this sale, many coming from the Adams family, the well known potters from Staffordshire who worked with Josiah Wedgwood in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.  The portrait had been entered by a direct descendant of the family and featured Michael Adams (1772-1829) of Fenton Hall together with his wife Sarah (1774-1846) amongst others.  This pair realised £620 while another pair of Adams family portraits sold for £340 and another single portrait for £260.

Unattributed seascape, sold £620

Seascapes always catch the imagination of bidders and another speculative unsigned oil painting featuring a sailing vessel in a storm was bid over the estimate up to £620, while a historical picture of massive size measuring 126 x 195 cm, unframed and with several tears nevertheless found a buyer at £580.  This was a copy of Ruben's 'Queen Tomyris before the head of Cyrus'  A large decorative unframed oil featuring ormolu mounted porcelain bowls of cherries beneath rows of perched yellow birds came under the hammer at £550, a more traditional 17th century Continental still-life with fruit and silver made £640 and a 20th century watercolour by the prolific and popular Edward Wesson of 'Glastonbury' was bid up to £430.

An interesting selection of collectables in this sale brought bids of £280 for an early English brass muffinier, £240 for a small Russian and silver- clad icon, £420 for a 19th century leather writing box with four 19th century face screens and £260 for a quantity of Continental faience.