The Facts
Bonhams will present its biannual 19th Century & British Impressionist Art Sale on 23 September 2026 at its New Bond Street galleries. The auction includes paintings and drawings by Sir Alfred James Munnings, John Ruskin, John Singer Sargent, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, and Dame Laura Knight, with many works appearing at auction for the first time. Leading the sale is Munnings' 'Portrait of Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor on Bill's Simondale II,' estimated at £200,000-300,000, which has remained in the Astor family by direct descent. Additional highlights include Henri Adolphe Laissement's 'Au Salon des Artistes Français en 1911' (£100,000-150,000), James Tissot's 'Départ du fiancé' (£150,000-250,000), and Ivan Aivazovsky's 'An Oxwagon Traversing a Ford on a Moonlit Evening' (£120,000-180,000). A public exhibition opens on 18 September 2026.
The Signal
The sale underscores Bonhams' strength in the British Impressionist and equestrian market, with the Munnings portrait offering exceptional provenance and direct descent from the Astor family. The inclusion of works fresh to the market, such as the Laissement and Tissot, signals sustained demand for historically significant pieces with strong narrative and exhibition histories. For collectors, the sale provides an opportunity to acquire works from distinguished artists with established market records, particularly in the 19th-century and British Impressionist categories.
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- Artists: Sir Alfred James Munnings, John Ruskin, John Singer Sargent, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Dame Laura Knight, Henri Adolphe Laissement, James Jacques Joseph Tissot, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky, Eugène Alexis Girardet
- People: Charles O'Brien, Waldorf Astor, William Waldorf Astor, Nancy Astor, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Rudyard Kipling, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw
- Auction Houses: Bonhams
- Locations: London
- Prices: £200,000-300,000, £100,000-150,000, £150,000-250,000, £120,000-180,000, £70,000-100,000
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