OOPS! ESTIMATED £18,000-£20,000 SELLS FOR £1 MILLION. A pair of portraits by the French artist, Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) became the most expensive to be auctioned outside London on 1 February at Dreweatt Neate in Newbury, Berkshire
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - A pair of portraits by the French artist, Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) became the most expensive to be auctioned outside London on 1 February at Dreweatt Neate in Newbury, Berkshire,
The bust-length portraits, each measuring 16 x 13in, thought to depict the artists’ daughters are signed and dated 1766.
It is believed the pictures were painted by Greuze for a Danish nobleman and were hung in the Moltke Palace in Copenhagen before coming to Great Britain via London dealer, Arthur Tooth and Sons, in the early 20th century.
Adding further interest to the story is the fact that the paintings were sold by Ian and Mary Cameron, parents of the new Conservative Party leader, David Cameron. The Camerons’ are downsizing from their Berkshire home and had been selling off family heirlooms at their local auctioneers, Dreweatt Neate.
The bidding started way above the estimate at £80,000 and then jumped to £300,000 with 22 registered telephone bidders before being knocked down to London dealer, Richard Green, on behalf of an anonymous buyer at £900,000 - £1,050,000 after commission.
Auctioneers outside London are continuing to break more records and Dreweatt Neate Fine Art provides images to www.drummondread.com an interactive website dedicated to antiques and collectables. Conceived as an alternative to ebay and other wide-ranging websites, Drummondread.com offers the general public, dealers, traders and collectors alike a world-wide on-line community which is open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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