AN oil sketch by English landscape artist John Constable has been rediscovered in Guernsey and will be exhibited in Jersey before being put up for auction later this month.
The sketch, which is valued at £80,000 to £120,000, shows the house of Willy Lott at Flatford, which appears in Constable’s most famous painting, The Hay Wain. The work was found in a private collection in Guernsey and its whereabouts had been unknown for over 40 years after it was last recorded in 1979.
It was Jonathan Voak, paintings specialist at Martel Maides Auctions – who will be holding the sale at their premises in Guernsey – who recognised that the sketch, titled Willy Lott’s House, could be by Constable when it was first shown to him in 2019. From having the work authenticated by leading Constable experts it has taken nearly four years to bring the sketch to auction. The history of the painting has been traced back to when it was owned by the artist’s grandson, Hugh Golding Constable (1868-1949).
‘The re-emergence of this oil sketch will make an important contribution towards establishing the chronology of Constable’s work. It is dated June 1814 and provides an important point of reference against which other undated works can be compared,’ said Mr Voak. ‘This beautiful, freely painted, oil study is a rare combination of a work by a great artist that has both historical significance and aesthetic appeal.
‘This is an exciting opportunity for any museum or private collector to acquire a significant work by John Constable of his most iconic subject, Willy Lott’s House.’
The work will be on view at Art for Guernsey, St Peter Port, from Thursday 7 to Saturday 9 September and at Martel Maides Auctions, St Peter Port, on Saturday 16, Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September. In Jersey, the work will be at the Hotel L’Horizon, St Brelade, from Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 September.
The auction will take place at Martel Maides Auctions in Guernsey on Thursday 21 September. The valuation estimate is £80,000 to £120,000.
For further information visit martelmaidesauctions.com.
