AN oil on canvas by Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955) achieved the highest price at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood’s (19.5% buyer’s premium) January 24-25 sale in Exeter.
After lengthy bidding on the phones, it sold for more than double its top guide at £48,000. Sharp, who regularly commands five-figure sums at auction, played a significant role in the development of 20th century British art through her use of light, colour and free brushwork.
A typical work executed in Sharp’s impressionistic style, A Summer’s Day depicts two young girls walking through a cornfield. The signed 2ft 6in x 20in (76 x 50cm) oil on canvas had been acquired by the descendant of the vendor from the 20th century dealer Arthur Howell (1881-1956).