IT is impressive that so many auctioneers have managed to react so efficiently to the current inconveniences. The reports so far indicate that, for all the difficulties and dangers of bidding without physical inspection, enough people are willing to chance their arms to make online operations practical, at least in the short term.
I have praised Sworders of Stansted Mountfitchet in the past for giving a condition report for every lot. The firm is not alone, but perhaps more will be encouraged to follow it now, as it lessens the risks in viewless bidding. Sworders also sometimes illustrates the backs of paintings, which, as I remarked a couple of weeks ago, is important to serious picture buyers.
There was a good example of this in Sworders’s March 10 and 11 sale, in which the cataloguers told us about the reverse of a 51½in by 37½in portrait of a French nobleman in armour (Fig 2), described as ‘Circle of Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659–1743)’. They noted that there were no labels and the canvas had been relined. ‘Seen under UV light, some small scattered retouching in places throughout, however, there is no sign of any large repairs or damage.’ It had come from a country dealer and was ‘presented in a stable condition, ready to hang’.
Denne historien er fra April 22, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra April 22, 2020-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
