Thorburn Partridges Soar to £192,000 at Bonhams 19th Century Paintings Sale

LONDON.- An Archibald Thorburn painting of The Covey at Daybreak – Partridges made £192,000 (27.1.11) at Bonhamsauction of 19th Century Paintings – the third highest price ever paid for a Thorburn at auction.

The painting was an exceptionally stunning and unusually large work for the Scottish artist, who had a life-long love of birds and was admired for his skill at producing accurate renderings of British wildlife. He gained a strong reputation among the great sportsmen of the day, including the Edward VI and George V, for his accuracy and attention to detail with regard to the form, colouring and the plumage of the various game birds.

The top lot of the sale was a melancholy and atmospheric depiction of Glasgow Docks by John Atkinson Grimshaw which doubled its lower pre-sale estimate to sell for £204,000. John Atkinson Grimshaw was renowned for his depictions of city scenes, and this painting of the misty morning in the Victorian docks of Glasgow is a fine example.

Other good results in the sale, which totalled £1,222,320, include a bustling Parisian street scene, by Basile Lemeunier which fetched £102,000 (estimate £20,000-30,000) and a painting by Philippe Lodewijk Sadee which sold for £78,000 (estimate £25,000-35,000).

Charles O’Brien, Head of 19th Century Pictures at Bonhams comments, “Thorburn was one of Britain’s most talented ornithological painters and we are delighted with the wonderful price achieved for The Covey at Daybreak – Partridges. We were also thrilled with the result for the John Atkinson Grimshaw and the general success of the sale which demonstrates the enduring strength of the market for the best in Victorian art.”

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