A flurry of bids emerged for this late-17th century canine study at Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood of Exeter (23% buyer’s premium).
The auction house catalogued the artist as coming from the circle of Paul De Vos (1595-1678), the Flemish Baroque painter who specialised mainly in compositions of animals and hunting scenes. The 18 x 22in (46 x 56cm) oil on canvas showing a mix of talbot hounds and boar hounds in ornate collars against a plain background was taken to £9200 on October 16, over five times the top guide. Daniel Goddard, director at BH&L, described the work as “a very decorative example” in a “very tidy and well-presented” condition that greatly appealed to bidders.