Constable painting of Waterloo Bridge that has been rediscovered sells at auction for £2m
A RECENTLY rediscovered Constable artwork has fetched nearly £2.3million at auction.
Constable's painting of Waterloo Bridge
The sketch is an early version of The Opening of Waterloo Bridge – one of the romantic artist’s most famous paintings – which is displayed in the Tate Britain.
Bidding soared to to £2,289,000 for the piece, while Dedham Vale with the River Stour in Flood, another work by the painter, who is famous for his landscapes, sold for £1,809,00.
The lots were part of the Old Masters evening sale at London's Sotheby's, which sold more than £25 million worth of art yesterday.
Fake or Fortune viewers STUNNED by Constable valuation
It was a great night for British paintings
Joseph Wright of Derby's An Academy by Lamplight from 1769 set an auction record for the artist when it sold for £7,263,700.
Alex Bell, worldwide co-chairman of Sotheby's Old Master paintings department, said: “It was a great night for British paintings.
“The fantastic result achieved by the Wright of Derby – a picture that epitomises the Enlightenment in Britain – is a real testimony to its quality and importance.“
River Stour in Flood, another work by the painter, sold for £1,809
Nearly half of the works in the sale were from the Renaissance period, while Italian, German, Dutch and Flemish paintings sold well.
Mr Bell added: “It was unusual to have so many early Italian, German and Netherlandish works in one sale and they were particularly well received.
“Their graphic quality and strong colours clearly appeal to today's aesthetic. There are some exciting dynamics at play in our market, with new buyers from across the geographical spectrum entering the field”.