A picture by Bloomsbury Group painter Roger Fry (1886-1934) drew strong bidding at Holloway’s in Banbury on February 27.
The well-sized 2ft 1in x 2ft 7in (63 x 79cm) oil on canvas titled Garsington 19, below, depicts three unidentified women in the gardens of Garsington Manor near Oxford, the home of Bloomsbury Group socialite Lady Ottoline Morrell, who turned it into a refuge for conscientious objectors during the First World War.
With an inscription probably referring to the date 1919, and a Fine Art Society label, it flew well above its attractive £2000-3000 guide to sell for £16,000 to a UK buyer, one of six phone bidders on the lot.