Berriew record eclipsed by £326,000 painting

A record held by an antique table discovered at a Berriew farmhouse back in 1998 was smashed at Shropshire's leading fine art auction house yesterday (Wednesday).

The Pugin table, which was designed for Leighton Hall, near Welshpool sold for £180,000, which was the record price achieved by Halls. That was until yesterday when a previously unrecorded work by popular 18th century English equestrian artist John Wootton (1682 -1764) fetched a stunning £326,000 at auction.

The oil painting was consigned by a private art collector from Worcestershire to Halls and titled ‘The roan shouldered Arabian with an Arab groom and dog and a landscape and ruins in the background’. It measured 51 by 46 inches and was keenly contested by two bidders from £38,000 upwards.

After 25 minutes of bidding, the painting was eventually secured by a UK bidder, who wishes to remain anonymous.

“We are absolutely stunned and delighted for the vendor and the buyer,” said Halls’ fine art director Jeremy Lamond. “The hammer price sets a new house record for the fine art department at Halls, which previously stood at £180,000 for a table by Pugin.”

Halls’ paintings specialist William Lacey revealed the Wootton painting, which was in original condition, had been owned by the same Worcestershire family for more than 100 years.