Consigned from a deceased estate, this 19th century oil of a popular Venetian view topped Mitchells’ (20% buyer’s premium) June 1 auction in Cockermouth, Cumbria.
The 17in x 2ft 7in (44 x 79cm) oil on canvas depicts a sunlit canal scene, dotted with boats and gondolas, with the domes of the Punta della Dogana, Venice’s old customs building, rising up from the haze beyond. Despite one area where a strip of paint had been lost, the canvas had survived in good condition with no signs of restoration work.