A late 17th century painting was the star lot at an auction featuring the contents of a Lake District hotel – selling for £26,000.
The refurbishment of the Langdale Chase Hotel in Windermere saw its contents go under the hammer at Mitchells Auctions in Cockermouth.
The large, unframed portrait of a Catholic nobleman wearing armour of the Order of Santiago, was in a doorway at the hotel giving rise to some damage to the canvas caused by the door handle and passing guests over many years. However, it did not deter bidders and the painting was eventually sold to a buyer in Spain.
Two other paintings from the hotel also reached top prices. An oil on canvas of an extensive rocky coastal landscape with a shipwreck in the manner of Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) sold for £3,600 and a portrait of a lady wearing a yellow dress with a landscape beyond by a follower of Peter Lely (1618-1680) made £2,400.
Also from from the Langdale Chase Hotel were two substantial fire surrounds, both measuring about three metres high. The 19th century Gothic Revival fire surround in carved oak made £3,600 and a 17th century and later Baroque heavily carved oak fire surround made £2,200.
The sale also included important post war artworks consigned by local vendors. A modernist oil on board painting of Hayle Harbour by Bryan Pearce (1929-2007) of the St Ives school, originally purchased directly from the artist in the 1960s, sold for £7,000.
An oil on board landscape by the contemporary Lake District artist Pat Cleary, featuring sheep and crags did extremely well selling for £2,600. An oil on canvas painting by June Bennett (1935-2013) Path Through the Cornfield dated 2011 made £1,200 and another painting by the same artist, Fishing Boats in a Harbour, sold for £850.
The highest selling lot among the collectors’ items was a signed first edition of Sir Winston Churchill, The Second World War Volume 1 The Gathering Storm” with an authentic Churchill signature, sold together with a framed photograph of Churchill dated 1947 which made £4,800.
A collection of mid 20th century football programmes sold for £3,200 and a rare antique leaping lion automaton by Roulette & Decamps, originally bought from Hamleys in London went for £1,800.
Top selling lot amongst the jewellery were an 18ct gold two tone solitaire diamond ring with 2.10 carats sold for £4,200. A 9ct gold cigarette case made £1,400. The sale also featured several fine clocks, the most valuable being a 19th century French Boulle marquetry longcase clock sold for £4,000.
Mitchells will be holding its first ever Transport and Maritime Sale as a timed online auction from December 15 to January 8. The sale will include everything from car mascots, badges and vintage car registration plates to road signs, travel books, cruise-related novelties and railway lamps, including a Victorian Furness Railway three aspect hand lamp with an estimate of £2,500-£3,500.
