Joseph Farquharson painting on sale for the first time in 75 years could fetch £50k

A painting by Scottish artist Joseph Farquharson is going on sale for the first time in 75 years – and could fetch up to £50,000.

Salmon Fishing on the Dee will be auctioned off during Bonhams Scottish Art sale in Edinburgh on 11 October.

While Farquharson is well known for his Sheep paintings, he considered Salmon Fishing on the Dee a masterpiece and chose to exhibit it at the Royal Academy in London.

Auctioneers said the painting is expected to sell for between £30,000 and £50,000.

The Scottish Art Sale will also feature works by the Scottish Colourists who were active in the early twentieth century. 

Highlights include Yachts, an oil on canvas (1927), by John Duncan Fergusson RBA with an estimate of £80,000 – £120,000.

Corrie, Arran, an oil on canvas by John Maclauchlan Milne will also be on offer with an estimate of £20,000-30,000. 

Works by George Leslie Hunter, Anne Redpath and Joan Eardley will also be featured.

‘Nowhere is the Victorian passion for visiting the Scottish Highlands and partaking in country sports more well known than in Aberdeenshire on Deeside,’ said Charles Graham-Campbell, director of Bonhams Scotland.

‘There may be stories and pictures of shooting and stalking but very few paintings depicting the sport of Salmon fishing, aside from some trophy paintings.

‘Bonhams is delighted to offer a major work on the subject by Joseph Farquharson, ‘The Painting Laird’. 

‘As an Estate owner in the area, Farquharson was familiar with the Royal Family and other members of the gentry, casting a fly over the River Dee” continues Graham-Campbell.’

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