The Ones That Got Away!

I spotted a triptych of oil-on-board paintings for sale at the Curr & Dewer auction house in Dundee on 27th October this year.

The subject matter of mediaeval scenes was ideal for Balintore. My first impression, however, were that these were somewhat crude, particularly in the handling of faces, so I was about to pass them by.  I did a final check of the dimensions and they were large, each 80 cm x 88 cm so are of sufficient scale to make an impact in Balintore's larger rooms.

the paintings at Curr & Dewer

It was time to re-evaluate. The image of the castle was better than the other two - and reminiscent of the French illustrator Gustave Doré whom I adore.

Arthurian castle by Gustave Doré

And in fact getting three large images of the right scale and subject matter for a castle is quite rare. The impact and impression here were more important than the detail, and these pieces had a consistent vintage style (1960's?). The much yellowed varnish was an advantage: providing a patina of age. Does anyone know the provenance of these paintings? They were clearly a commission of some sort.

No-one was bidding on these (estimate £60-£80) so I put on a bid of £80, assuming I had a good chance. They sold for £85 in the end. I was more disappointed than usual to lose out, but with the uncertainty on the quality I had resisted a higher stake.

Today (7th November) I visited the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre at Abernyte, and spotted the pictures for sale at £350 - a mark-up of 400%. I could have kicked myself. In the flesh the pictures looked even better than I had hoped, and if I had viewed them in person I would assuredly have bid more.

the paintings at the Abernyte Antiques Centre

Of course, the dealer now selling them, "Ruby Antiques", could have still have bid even more than me. However, the private buyer is at an advantage over the dealer for individual purchases, as they do not need to fret over a workable resale value. Ruby Antiques has identified the images as Robert the Bruce - who knew?

The market is fairly niche for these images as they will dominate a space, and little will coordinate with them. The great thing about Balintore is that it is incredibly forgiving with objets d'art: things that would look tacky or shabby in a normal home somehow fit the castle's broad church.

it's all about the price tag

The trip to Abernyte, was ironically prompted by a pick-up at the auctioneer Iain M. Smith at the nearby Perth Airport. I had bought 6 large German hunting prints for £28! Sets are good for decorating, and at this price the risk is low. Mind you, despite the genuine period authenticity, I would swap these for the oil paintings any day. :-)

German hunting prints