Simpson and Hardy works belittle estimates

THE estimate of £1,500-£2,000 for a large canvas of a black slave by English artist J. Simpson was far surpassed at last Wednesday's auction at the James Adam sales room in Dublin as the picture eventually sold tore £6,200. Almost as impressive, a hunting scene by Heywood Hardy, estimated to make £2,000-£3,000 sold for £5,000, while a pair of views of the Co Waterford coastline by William Pye (estimate £1,500-£2,500) made £2,800.

Theodore Weber's Shipping Leaving the Harbour sold for £2,700, a set of four hunting scenes by R.R. Scanlan realised £2,100, a 19th century English school painting of terriers playing in a stable interior made £1,800 and a portrait of a girl by Maurice Wilks sold for £1,045.