A preparatory study for The Meeting on the Turret Stairs attributed to Sir Frederick William Burton made 24,000 at hammer.
A preparatory study for The Meeting on the Turret Stairs by attributed to Sir Frederick William Burton (1816-1900) sold for a hammer price of 24,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s sale in Castlecomer today. It had been estimated at 7,000-10,000.
From an Irish private collection the watercolour study for Hellelil and Hildebrand dates to 1864. A manuscript note on the back is inscribed: “Original study by Sir Burton for a picture which is in the National Gallery, Dublin, the study was given by Sir Burton to his couisn Dr. C.E. Fitzgerald who gave it to G.P.”
In 2012 the National Gallery’s work was named Ireland’s favourite painting in an RTE poll. The work is based on a medieval Danish ballad about the love between Hellelil and her budyguard Hildebrand and features a fleeting moment of intimacy.
When her father discovered the attachment he orders her seven brothers to kill Hildebrand. After he has killed her father and six of her brothers she intervenes to save the life of her surviving sibling. Hildebrand dies of his wounds and she decides she cannot live without him.
The top lot was a round brilliant cut diamond solitaire of 4.53 carats which made 42,000. The sale realised in excess of 340,000 on the hammer with 82% of lots sold.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for May 24, 2012)