19th Century British Art

This sector includes Romantic painting, Victorian art, British Orientalism and Pre-Raphaelite art.


The Stencil-Maker by Mortimer Menpes

Mortimer Menpes travel pictures bring demand at West London sale

18 June 2025

The artist Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) was something of a jack of all trades. But contrary to the old adage he was a master of many.

Eliot portrait on display in the museum

George Eliot portrait discovered at regional auction eight years ago comes to hometown museum  

12 June 2025

A rediscovered portrait of author George Eliot will go on display at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery.

Hot Wells from St Vincent’s Rock by JMW Turner

Turner prize: Rediscovered painting bought for £400 now estimated at up to £300,000 at Sotheby’s

10 June 2025

The first oil painting ever exhibited by JMW Turner (1775-1851) in his lifetime will be offered at Sotheby’s this summer.

img_42-1.jpg

Classic works at auction by ‘the first significant British painter of nudes and still-lifes’

09 June 2025

Two paintings of trademark male nudes by British artist William Etty (1789-1849) emerged in a US saleroom as part of the collection of a university lecturer.

img_41-2.jpg

Forever blowing bubbles: 19th century picture floats into US auction

09 June 2025

Painted in 1857, 'Young Boy Blowing Bubbles' by John Thomas Peele (1822-97) pre-dates by a generation Sir John Everett Millais’ 1886 oil Bubbles (A Child’s World) made famous in advertisements for Pear’s soap.

Family in Kashmir by Mortimer Menpe

Menpes pictures with Eastern subjects emerge in West London

03 June 2025

The artist Mortimer Menpes (1855-1938) produced a varied range of work over his career but a group of 15 works offered at Olympia Auctions this month has a particular focus on his views from his wide travels.

img_22-1.jpg

Topographical views of the East and India land impressive sums

05 May 2025

Result for album of watercolours underlines the current demand in salerooms for such subjects

John Frederick Lewis watercolour

‘Jewel-like’ Harem scene by John Frederick Lewis adds allure to Bonhams sale

25 April 2025

A market-fresh Orientalist scene by John Frederick Lewis (1804-76), unseen in public for a generation, led the latest sale of 19th Century and British Impressionist Art at Bonhams.

img_24-1.jpg

Child prodigy Mendelssohn on song in saleroom

14 April 2025

String of portraits offered by south London auction house included sketch of the 12-year-old musical prodigy

Keith

Keith Vaughan flies out the door in online sale

11 April 2025

Keith Vaughan, Claughton Pellew, Etienne Krier and Gerald Leslie Brockhurst prove popular in Abbott & Holder's latest edition of The List.

img_24-1.jpg

Heads up for overseas bidders active at Oxford auction

31 March 2025

Two very different works offered in Oxford now have new owners from Australia and continental Europe

img_25-1.jpg

Thorburn’s kingfisher makes a £14,000 contribution

31 March 2025

As readers may recall from previous articles on these pages, when it comes to the works of the great ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) depictions of game birds tend to be the most commercial subjects.

Joseph Cartwright watercolour

Cartwright’s Corfu scene brings demand in Scottish auction

25 March 2025

Among the works on paper attracting interest at the early spring auctions was a 19th century study that emerged at a sale in Dumfries.

John Constable sketch

John Constable sketch sells for £320,000 at Tennants

18 March 2025

A previously unrecorded John Constable (1776-1837) sketch attracted strong bidding at North Yorkshire saleroom Tennants this weekend.

Kingfisher by Archibald Thorburn

Rare Kingfisher sighting as Archibald Thorburn watercolour brings demand in Essex auction

18 March 2025

As ATG readers may recall from previous articles, when it comes to the works of the great ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) depictions of game birds tend to be the most commercial subjects.

img_33-1.jpg

List for life: London gallery’s highlights since 1942

17 March 2025

Established in 1936, London gallery Abbott and Holder first published one of its now established ‘Lists’ in 1942. The firm now publishes these monthly, online, providing a way to introduce 100 new works of art to its existing stock.

img_20-1.jpg

Barry Humphries – an entertainer and collector who could have been an artist in his own right

03 March 2025

Works painted by the man behind famous comic characters are sold at auction alongside those he acquired

img_22-2.jpg

Aubrey Beardsley takes an unusual photo finish

03 March 2025

As well as eight books and manuscripts by Aubrey Beardsley (1872-98) at Christie’s sale of the Barry Humphries collection – plus one photo of the illustrator and author too – the auction included a rare self-portrait.

img_59-1.jpg

ATG letter: Painting that depicted the royal fan of lockmaking was highly praised

24 February 2025

Regarding the painting that shows Louis XVI at his favourite occupation of lock-making by Joseph Caraud (Auction Reports, ATG No 2681), this was exhibited at The French Gallery, 120 Pall Mall, London in April, 1867, number 34.

Christie's auction

Five highlights from Christie’s auction of the Barry Humphries collection

20 February 2025

“Hello Possums”. Bidders were greeted by Dame Edna Everage’s imitable phrase as Christie’s auctioneer Piers Boothman took to the rostrum to offer the extraordinary collection of the late Barry Humphries (1934-2023).

Categories

News