With over 500 lots spanning five centuries and a range of different media, Roseberys' July auction of Old Master, British and European Pictures is a true celebration of the variety and quality this category has to offer seasoned and beginning collectors alike.

Among the highlights of the sale is a newly discovered portrait miniature of George Washington, first President of the United States. This rare portrait, painted by Charles Willson Peale, is the first of its kind to appear on the British market, and we at Roseberys are thrilled to bring it to auction. The portrait is estimated at £15,000-25,000.

LOT 172: Charles Willson Peale, American 1741-1827- Portrait of George Washington

 Another rare find featured in the sale is a large English painted hanging dating from the late 15th century, which depicts the Assumption of the Virgin with Angels. The hanging is thought to have originated from Norfolk and previously appeared in Apollo Magazine, where it was discussed by the art historian Denys Sutton.

The auction also presents an opportunity to acquire quality oils and works on paper by well-known artists represented in international museum collections. One such highlight is a refined drawing of the town of Spa by Jan Brueghel the Elder, thought to have been executed during the artist’s visit to the town in 1612.

LOT 37: Jan Brueghel the Elder, Flemish 1568-1625- Street view at Spa

Another striking drawing included in the auction is a study of Don Quixote on horseback by the French caricaturist Honoré Daumier. Daumier revisited the subject of Don Quixote many times towards the end of his life and the study presented in our summer sale is a particularly strong and confidently rendered example of this important, recurring theme in the artist’s work.

 

LOT 510: Honoré-Victorin Daumier, French 1808-1879- Don Quixote on horseback

In addition to a varied selection of works on paper the auction also includes many striking oils. One standout lot in this category is a study of two putti by leading painter of the Neapolitan Baroque Francesco Solimena. The small but fine oil reprises a detail of the artist’s fresco at the church of the Girolamini in Naples.

 

 

Other highlights in oil include an Arcadian landscape with shepherds by the Venetian painter Giuseppe Zais, a crisp naval scene by the British marine artist Peter Monamy and several charismatic portraits from the workshops of Willem Wissing and Sir Peter Lely.

 

A lot which may pique the interest of collectors of Royal memorabilia is a Victorian album of sketches and ephemera, which was probably assembled by Augusta Hayter, daughter in law of Sir George Hayter, court painter to Queen Victoria. The album includes drawings by Hayter and other well-known Victorian artists, and also contains sketches by Queen Victoria herself.

LOT 289: A Victorian album of drawings and royal ephemera, containing drawings by Queen Victoria

Further nineteenth and early twentieth-century highlights include a portrait in coloured chalks by Frederick Sandys, known for his strong links with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a rare civilian scene by the Spanish military painter Josep Cusachs, and an early watercolour by Scottish Colourist Francis Cadell.

 

LOT 302: Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys, British 1829-1904- Portrait of Olive MacLehose

If you would like to learn more about any of the lots featured here, or any other lots in the sale, please get in touch with the department at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..