Building a Victorian picture collection can be a fine art

From gallery and museum to saleroom and private collecting, well selected art of the Victorian era is in its ascendancy. Yet there are opportunities for the discerning to purchase not only a work which should please the eye but give a healthy return in the long term.

Harrogate’s Mercer Art Gallery unveiled its stunning Atkinson Grimshaw: Painter of Moonlight exhibition last week, the first devoted to this major Victorian artist for over 30 years. This is a chance to assess the evolution of his work from early Pre-Raphaelite to the easily recognisable moonlight studies. It has been generously sponsored by the noted dealer, Richard Green.

Coincidentally, London’s Victoria & Albert Museum has the blockbuster exhibition, The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900 until July 17. This places much mid to later Victorian art in its rightful context.

The range and quality of art produced 1837-1901 – the era of Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria – is diverse with buyers increasingly selective. Condition, rarity and provenance are key to success.

“Quality and not necessarily the artist is the most important consideration,” says Gary Sutcliffe of Sutcliffe Galleries in Harrogate, adding, “it is always better to buy a good example by a little recognised artist than a poor example by a well-known one.”

There are over 11,000 artists discussed in the seminal Dictionary of Victorian Painters by Christopher Woods. It is still possible to come across an exceptional work by an artist whose work has rarely appeared on the art market.

“The current market provides great opportunities for new and established collectors to buy good quality Victorian art with estimates from £10,000-£50,000 at a heavily discounted level,” reveals Brandon Lindberg, Christie’s senior specialist.

Whilst buying is predominantly British and American, he is seeing increasing interest from emerging markets such as China and Russia.

Christie’s suggest that now is a chance to pick up a well-painted still life of fruit. Edward Ladell’s study of peaches, grapes, hazelnuts and a plum with a wine glass and casket sold seven years ago for £38,400 at Sotheby’s but one of grapes, peaches, cob nuts with a casket and glass on a marble ledge realised only £18,750 at Christie’s last year.

Several subjects command little interest today: still life of dead game, sporting art, middle market landscapes and art of a religious nature. One exception to the latter has been Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. The same painting, The finding of Moses, sold for US$2.752 million in Christie’s New York in 1995 and US$35.92m at Sotheby’s New York last year.

By comparison, urban landscapes are “very popular”, according to Ian Walker of Harrogate’s Walker Galleries who is also chairman of the distinguished British Antique Dealers’ Association.

Walker says there is great interest in the moonlit street and dock scenes by the Leeds artist John Atkinson Grimshaw (1836-1893), whose prices have risen some 80 per cent in 10 years.

A similar interest in the same theme has taken place in France. Walker tips four artists who typify this genre and portray the Belle Epoque in Paris with great feeling: Jean Beraud (1849-1936), Luigi Loir (1845-1916), Edouard Cortes (1882-1969) and Eugene Gallien-Laloue (1854-1941).

An opportunity to see a good range and discuss with experts arises at next week’s important Harrogate Antique & Fine Art Fair, which opens on April 28.

Dealers exhibiting include Rowles Fine Art (with Victorian art and French painters like Cortes and Gallien-Laloue), Walker Galleries, Willow Gallery and Haynes Fine Art. The latter offer Atkinson Grimshaw’s Late Autumn.

Grimshaw at auction has also escalated in price. Christie’s sold Glasgow Docks (60.5 height x 91.4cm) for £86,250 in 2001 whilst Sotheby’s achieved £481,250 for Glasgow – Saturday Night (59.9cm height x 90.9cm) in 2008.

Seascapes continue to be in strong demand, notably among those owning boats. If the regional interest of the Yorkshire and north-eastern coast is added in, collectors seek such good Northern artists as:

n John Wilson Carmichael 1800-1868

n Frederick William Jackson 1859-1918

n Robert Jobling 1841-1923

n Henry Redmore 1820-1887

n John Ward of Hull 1798-1849.

Carmichael has risen about 35 per cent in the last decade.

Seascape watercolours should also be considered, notably work by George Weatherill (1810-1890) and other members of the family including Richard and Mary. Look out also for Henry Barlow Carter (1803-1868) and early works by members of the Staithes group of artists.

Over the last 10 years, Staithes artists have shown a good rise from being the ‘poor relative’ of the now famous Newlyn School.

Good portraits depend significantly on their provenance. If there is the documentation to show an artist’s invoice and insurance certification over the years, it helps enormously – rather like a classic car service book. A notable rising star is Sir George Clausen. Archie Parker, director and specialist in 19th century paintings at auctioneers Dreweatt’s, says Clausen’s portraits made £10,000-£40,000 ten years ago and “in the current market are making £70,000 up to £500,000.”

Look, too, for portraits by Philip de Laszio which are “still undervalued,” says Simon Toll of Sotheby’s.

Whilst sentimental and historical scenes have fallen out of fashion apart from important examples of museum quality, there is a firm collecting interest in the exquisite watercolours of Myles Birket Foster and the leading artist of the ‘cottage genre’, Helen Allingham (1848-1926). Walker estimates both to have risen around 25 per cent in the last decade.

High prices are still being achieved by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood who sought to return to the spirit of the era of Raphael. The likes of Burne-Jones, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Holman Hunt and Millais practised a truthful portrayal of natural forms and effects.

Since few can pay such prices, Toll says look for their followers: John Melhuish Strudwick, Rodham Spencer Stanhope and Evelyn de Morgan.

Apart from the Pre-Raphaelites, Lindberg says demand remains “very high for major works” by the most important Neoclassists – such as Frederic, Lord Leighton – and the later ‘Romantic Painters’ (such as John William Waterhouse).

Finally, look afresh at English landscape painting which Sutcliffe says is “underpriced”. He likes artists like George Turner, a good William Mellor and the Williams family.

n The Harrogate Antique & Fine Art Fair is at the Harrogate International Centre April 28-May 2 from 11am-6pm (9pm on April 28 and 5pm on May 2).

n Following last week’s story about wedding insurance, we have been asked to point out that the Confetti company is still operating. The business went into administration briefly last year before being bought by North-West businessman George Buchan. A spokeswoman said customers were provided the best possible service during the very brief period between the old and new ownership. We are happy to set the record straight.