FARNHAM.- An oil on panel Study of a Man on a Rearing Horse catalogued as ‘Circle of Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)’ fetched £72,500* at Parker Fine Art Auctions in a sale of Fine Paintings and Frames today (Thursday, May 13, 2021) in Farnham, Surrey. The framed painting, which measured 13.75” x 9.75” (35 x 24.7cm) had come from a private collection and was bought by a member of the trade bidding on the phone.

Auctioneer Buffy Parker commented: “What a great start to the sale – this is a house record for us. Although the painting was damaged, the main areas weren’t affected and obviously that didn’t put people off bidding.” It received 87 bids in total.

The second highest price of the sale, comprising 600 lots, was a large painting of Capel Soar in Gwynedd - believed to be the most remote chapel in Wales - by Iconic Welsh artist Sir John Kyffin Williams (1918-2006) which sold for £40,000 against an estimate of £20,000-30,000. The painting was sold with a delightfully illustrated letter from the artist who is giving thanks for some “sweet-meats” and bemoans the fact that having eaten them he will be unfit to play in the Welsh rugby team! After much interest online as well as numerous phone bidders, it sold to a bidder via The-Saleroom.com.

The oil on canvas, which measures 50.8 x 111.7cm and is signed with initials and inscribed on the reverse, was exhibited at the National Museum of Wales in 1987 in a Kyffin Williams Retrospective exhibition. It was part of a collection of paintings and prints by leading 20th century artists offered for sale by a private consignor - all bought or commissioned direct from the artists, who were family friends. Other works in the collection were by artists such as Lowry, John Piper, Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, Donald McIntyre and George Little.

Among the frames in the sale, an extremely large 18th Century English School frame sold for £13,750 – achieving a house record for a frame. The important carved giltwood Carlo Maratta frame measured 96.5” x 74” (245.2 x 188cm). Also of note was an important late 18th Century English School carved giltwood frame with a tongue design, which measured 79.5” x 70” (202 x 177.8cm) and sold for £5,750. Both frames, the property of a noble family, were bought by buyers via The-Saleroom.com.