Paintings by lesser-known Pre-Raphaelites took the honours at the latest Victorian art sales held at Sotheby’s (25/20/12.9%) and Christie’s (25/20/12.5%).
The latter was topped by a painting of an exotically attired mandolin player executed by James Smetham (1821-89), a follower of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82).
The 19½ x 16in (49 x 41cm) oil on canvas was last on the market in 1970, when it sold for £900 to the Pre-Raphaelite expert, Jeremy Maas. Although subsequently believed to be a joint collaboration between Smetham and Rossetti, Christie’s catalogued it as solely by the latter.