A girl gathering flowers in a landscape by Fred Stead – £4600 at Bellmans.
Two works by Fred Stead (1863-1940) drew strong interest at Bellmans (22% buyer’s premium) in West Sussex thanks, in part, to here-to-be-sold estimates. They were being consigned from a deceased estate.
The artist, who was born in Shipley, Yorkshire, was a notable figure in his day, being awarded a scholarship to the Royal Cambrian Academy and later becoming chairman of the Society of Yorkshire Artists. He initially built a reputation as a portraitist, receiving commissions from wealthy Bradford patrons, but went on to focus on landscapes and figurative scenes from his native county, exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy.