THORBURN PARTRIDGES SOAR TO £192,000 AT BONHAMS 19TH CENTURY PAINTINGS SALE
An Archibald Thorburn painting of The Covey at Daybreak - Partridges made £192,000 yesterday (27.1.11) at Bonhams auction of 19th Century Paintings – the third highest price ever paid for a Thorburn at auction.
The painting was an exceptionally stunning and unusually large work for the Scottish artist, who had a life-long love of birds and was admired for his skill at producing accurate renderings of British wildlife. He gained a strong reputation among the great sportsmen of the day, including the Edward VI and George V, for his accuracy and attention to detail with regard to the form, colouring and the plumage of the various game birds.
The top lot of the sale was a melancholy and atmospheric depiction of Glasgow Docks by John Atkinson Grimshaw which doubled its lower pre-sale estimate to sell for £204,000. John Atkinson Grimshaw was renowned for his depictions of city scenes, and this painting of the misty morning in the Victorian docks of Glasgow is a fine example.
Other good results in the sale, which totalled £1,222,320, include a bustling Parisian street scene, by Basile Lemeunier which fetched £102,000 (estimate £20,000-30,000) and a painting by Philippe Lodewijk Sadee which sold for £78,000 (estimate £25,000-35,000).
Charles O’Brien, Head of 19th Century Pictures at Bonhams comments, “Thorburn was one of Britain’s most talented ornithological painters and we are delighted with the wonderful price achieved for The Covey at Daybreak – Partridges. We were also thrilled with the result for the John Atkinson Grimshaw and the general success of the sale which demonstrates the enduring strength of the market for the best in Victorian art.”
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
