Up into the sky! Bird paintings take flight at Yorkshire-held auction of British, European and Sporting Art

                                                

Bullfinch - in demand

BIRD paintings were strong performers at a sale last Saturday of  British, European & Sporting Art.

For instance, a study of a male Bullfinch by the Scottish artist Edwin John Alexander (1870-1926) achieved a hammer price of £1,200 against a pre-sale estimate of £300 and £500.

Another strong performer was the painting by Lincolnshire artist George Edward Lodge (1860-1954) of a family of Red-legged Partridges originally commissioned for H.F. Witherby's Handbook of British Birds.

This fetched £1,800 - more than three times higher than the pre-sale guide price of £400-£600.

On the downside, a work, entitled Frozen Out, by Robert W Milliken (1920-2014) fared less well.

It is an intriguing study not least because it depicts two Redpolls perched alongside a quartet of Grey Partridges.

Milliken  was president of the Northern Ireland Ornithology Society and a member of the Northern Ireland Birds Record Committee. 

His painting was expected to fetch between £250 and £400, but, after lacklustre bidding, the hammer came down at £220.

The sale was conducted by auction house Tennants at their saleroom in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. 

High price for Red-legged Partridges

Redpolls hunkering down with Grey Partridges