ORPEN'S Self-Portrait.
A self-portrait by Sir William Orpen made a hammer price of £115,250 at the first day of the three day Cowdray Park sale in west Sussex on September 13. The oil on canvas, entitled Self Portrait: Hand and Gloves Resting on Cane had been estimated by Christie’s at £150,000-250,000. It had been acquired from the artist by Mrs. Gertrude Kinnell, sister of Annie, later 1st Viscountess Cowdray, as a gift in 1927.
Many of the items in the first day of the sale made way over the estimate. Christie’s had estimated that the three day sale would realise around £5 million, but as it turned out the first day brought in £5.7 million. One possible reason for this is the Downton Abbey effect. Most of the items in the auction were collected between 1909 and 1929, the exact period in which the hugely successful television series is set.
(See antiquesandartireland.com posts for August 6, 10 and 17)