Cheffins have enjoyed some extremely strong sales of Old Master and 19th century pictures throughout 2024, attesting to the enduring strength of the market for traditional works based upon both their aesthetic and historic appeal.
17/12/2024 Fine Art, Paintings, Drawings & Prints
Cheffins have enjoyed some extremely strong sales of Old Master and 19th century pictures throughout 2024, attesting to the enduring strength of the market for traditional works based upon both their aesthetic and historic appeal.
For those reasons, historical portraiture is a market that remains extremely strong. A superb example of the work of Sir Godfrey Kneller (pictured below), depicting a young Edward Richard Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke made £18,000 (estimate £12-18,000) in the first Fine Sale of the year.
A fascinating double portrait of Kings Charles I and Sir Edward Walker, previously owned by Sir Edward Walker himself, sold in June for £6,500, whilst a portrait by John Riley of William Chiffinch, Master of the Hawks to Charles II, flew off to make £9,000 in September.
Pictures of travel, exploration and topographical interest have also been increasingly popular in recent times, and 2024 saw some significant sales at Cheffins in this field. Despite being by an unidentified hand, an interesting 19th century view of Mexico (pictured below) sold for £9,500 in the summer. In the same auction, a tiny but captivating sunset view of Constantinople, by the Maltese born artist Joseph Schranz, realised £7,000, whilst in March a highly decorative Orientalist depiction of a textile merchant’s shop by Jan-Baptist Huysmans made £11,000. A significant price was also achieved for a view in Lebanon by the ever-popular Edward Lear, which soared away to make £7,500 (est. £1,500-2,500), one of several strong prices for Lear this year. Cheffins will be offering another significant study by the artist, a view on the Dead Sea, in the first Fine Sale of 2025. Closer to home, a moonlit view of Twickenham by Henry Pether fetched £11,000.
A 19th century view of Mexico, unidentified artist.
2024 also showed that the market remains buoyant for continental Old Master paintings of exceptional quality. Cheffins ended the year on a high with a fascinating, highly decorative preparatory study from the workshop of Sir Peter Paul Rubens (featured image above) fetching £32,000 (est. £15-25,000). The year also saw strong prices for works by other Dutch and Flemish painters, such as a winter scene by Andreas Schelfhout (£14,000) and still lifes by Gaspar Peeter Verbruggen II (£8,000) and Paul Theodor van Brussel (£7,500).