A standout portrait entry to Essex saleroom Sworders (23% buyer’s premium) on September 11 was this 4ft 2in x 3ft 4in (1.26 x 1.01m) oil on canvas portrait attributed to Francis Cotes (1726-70).
Celebrated for his work in pastels and oils, Cotes was a founder member of the Royal Academy of Arts, rivalling Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough in portrait painting before his untimely death aged 44.