Chorley's saw high competition for works by descent from the private collection of the 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, (1784-1851) in its auction of A Political Inheriatance. "It was no surprise that a single-owner sale of noble provenance and with Royal connections was such a success. It was particularly pleasing that every section of the sale had its star lots, from an Old Master ‘sleeper’, all the way to a gold box presented to the 3rd Earl by King Leopold I of Belgium."
There was much excitement at Chorley’s on Tuesday (April 23, 2024), as the auctioneers saw high demand for works from the private collection of the 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, (1784-1851). Many of the works were once housed at the family seats of Pitchford Hall, Shropshire and Buxted Park, East Sussex and provided us with a historical snapshot of the relationships and line of descent through a noble family, (as well as several interconnected 18th and 19th Century families and ancestors). The 3rd Earl of Liverpool, Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson (1784 – 1851) was the younger son of Charles Jenkinson, the 1st Earl of Liverpool. The 1st Earl who held various political posts for a period of forty years, was a confidante of George II and was one of the architects of the Stamp Act that led to the Boston Tea Party and ultimately American independence.
The collection which totalled £715,356 and was 98% sold, comprised of a quintessential English collection of family portraits with impeccable provenance, alongside Georgian furniture, porcelain, silver and enamel boxes. Undoubtably the surprise of the day was the strong competition for a wonderful oil on panel titled Nocturnal Landscape by a follower of Aert van Der Neer (1603-1677). Aert van Der Neer was a much-revered landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, whose forte was the painting of stunning winter landscapes with flowing rivers and small night scenes, lit by atmospheric fires and wonderful streams of moonlight. This work, with it moody lighting and beautifully captured scene proved so popular that it sold for £64,100 against an estimate of £800-£1,200 an extraordinary 80 times its pre-sale estimate (lot 78).
Another star of the sale was a French gold and diamond Royal presentation portrait snuffbox that the family found accidentally in a bathroom cabinet. It was given by King Leopold I of Belgium to the 3rd Earl of Liverpool. The Earl was Lord Steward at the time and accompanied Queen Victoria to Belgium in circa 1843. It sold for a staggering £58,972 against a pre-sale estimate of £10,000-£15,000 (lot 343). The stunning box depicting Louis Philippe I, King of France was by Alexandre Raoul Morel (Fl. 1833-1850) and showed his standard mark for gold, (Paris 1819-1838). The oval portrait miniature on ivory was by Francois Meuret (1800-1887) after Winterhalter. Around the portrait were sixteen old mine cut diamonds and the box was further decorated with scrolling foliate decoration with rosettes to the corners (lot 241).
A striking addition to the sale was a George II gilt gesso serpentine console table, with a base fashioned as a proud eagle, holding the table-top. It was created in the manner of William Kent, with the top unusually decorated with and gesso decoration, with ribbon-tied fronds, oak leaves and shells. The statement piece went over its estimate, achieving £32,050 against an estimate of £4,000-£6,000 (lot 229).
Among other Royal related items from the collection was a pair of George III silver candlesticks by the revered English goldsmith and silversmith Paul Storr, dating from 1815, which carry the presentation inscription 'The Gift of His Majesty King William the Fourth to the Hon'ble Nigel Kennedy 1836'. The candlesticks are in the form of columns and feature decorative trailing ivy. The sconces sport leaf borders and the circular bases are detailed with anthemion and floret borders. The pair sold for £23,076 against an estimate of £7,000-£10,000 (lot 196).
Among the paintings was a group of eight portraits by Lady Catherine Julia Vernon Harcourt (1811-1877), which sold collectively for £31,863 (lots 213,214,215,216,268,269,270,271). A portrait of Anne Evelyn (1767-1790) by the great society portrait painter George Romney (1734-1802) proved popular, selling for £33,332 against an estimate of £12,000-£18,000 (lot 33). The painting holds a tragic story, with Anne having died at a young age after her gown caught fire. Women's garments for the upper classes were notoriously difficult to get on and off and very tragically this event resulted in Anne Evelyn's death in 1790 at the age of only 23.
Commenting on the successful sale today, Thomas Jennerfust, Director at Chorley’s, said:
“It was no surprise that a single-owner sale of noble provenance and with Royal connections
was such a success. It was particularly pleasing that every section of the sale had its star lots,
from an Old Master ‘sleeper’, all the way to a gold box presented to the 3rd Earl
by King Leopold I of Belgium”.
ANTIQUES TRADE GAZETTE: Royal Box discovered in bathroom cabinet Discovery tops Single Owner Sale
