Auction Central - Is It A Gainsborough or Not??
Candy Pollard

Cornwall Auction Generates Interest, Intrigue Amongst Art Collectors Around the World – “It could be a bloodbath.”

Ever hear the story about the chap who bought an old painting at a yard sale because he wanted the frame, only to find out that the painting he was going to discard was actually a lost master that was worth thousands of dollars?

Ever want to be that chap?

That same question is running through a lot of people’s minds as an auction being held in Cornwall puts up a painting for bids – a painting that many think is worth quite a bit.

It looks like a Gainsborough, feels like a Gainsborough, the records say it’s a Gainsborough, but is it?

Thomas Gainsborough (1727 - 1788) is an English landscape and portrait painter, one of the great English masters (perhaps most famously known for his Blue Boy portrait). His paintings regularly command a high price and are sought after by art collectors.

The Cornwall auction has a painting that is attributed to him – however it is not signed (which is not unusual for Gainsborough paintings). This is where the fun begins – how do you authenticate a painting that is hundreds of years old?

Cornwall auctioneer Theresa Taylor, a Canadian champion auctioneer, says interest has been building and she simply does not know what to expect when the hammer falls.

“I have been swamped with calls about this painting”, says Taylor. “ Collectors believe it’s a Gainsborough, and people genuinely think that this may be an incredible opportunity to pick up a great piece of historical art at a great price. I have been told that an unsigned Gainsborough sold at auction in 2004 for $45,000.” The Begg family bought the painting in 1930 at a London Gallery, and the sales receipt indicates it is a Gainsborough.

Recently, a gentlemen from Ireland sent additional information about the portrait. He has informed Taylor that the portrait is of the 1st Viscount de Vesci (1735-1804) of Abbey Leix, Ireland. The family was very prominent and wealthy in Ireland, and is related ancestrally to the late Princess Diana.

There have been inquires from France, England, across Canada and the United States. One dealer quoted; “There is going to be a blood bath before the gavel falls” as bidders fight for the right of ownership.

Theresa Taylor has been commissioned to sell by public auction the estates Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Begg and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Joseph McCleary. The Begg family was considered among the cream of genteel Toronto society at the turn of the twentieth century. “Glenburn” built 1923 at 205 Lytton Boulevard was the family home. A portion of the estate was donated as parkland, to the city of Toronto, which is now referred to as “Begg’s Garden”. Mr. Herbert Begg was director of several insurance companies, president of Shaw & Begg Limited and Wellington Fire Insurance Company. He was also influential in the destinies of a group of other companies.

The private art collections of Herbert Begg has not been on the market for a century and the auction contains works by Charles Moreau, Carl Henry Von Ahrens, John Arthur Lomas, Walter Denby Sadler, Charles Barque, Oliver Clair just to name a few.

But art is not the only gem in this show. The auction includes a wide selection of jewellery that includes platinum, diamonds, three carat sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and Victorian period gold pieces. Maureen Trudel-DeCelles, GIA , appraiser for the estate jewellery stated that: “ Here is a collection of estate jewellery that was nearly all custom ordered. The design work is truly incredible, and only the best of gems were set.”

The auction also includes vintage custom couture clothing - Victorian period right up to the Jackie O era. The balance of the estate is made up of a very eclectic collection of Antique furnishings, Sterling, Porcelains and Glass spanning Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian eras collected by one family over the last century.

The auction takes place at 10 am on Saturday June 14, 2008 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 6732 Purcell Road – just outside of Cornwall, Ontario.

www.theresataylor.com

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