The print is one of 100 of a painting of Balmoral Castle, a royal residence in Scotland, and is part of Bonhams’ “The Scottish Home” auction.
“In my time as an auctioneer I have never seen so many commission bids lodged prior to an auction,” said Hamish Wilson, senior valuer at Bonhams, referring to bids placed before a live auction. “I think that speaks for itself.”
Wilson told CNN on Wednesday that the interest might be due in part to the fact that Balmoral is where Queen Elizabeth II spent her final days before her death at the age of 96 last month.
“It has a new resonance in the nation and in the world,” he said, adding that interest may also be driven by the possibility that this is the first piece of artwork by a living monarch offered at auction.
“It’s a rare occurrence,” said Wilson.
The winning bidder will also receive a certificate of authenticity. Credit: from Bonhams
Charles made the painting in 2001, and the print is signed and dated in pencil, according to the auction listing. It will be sold framed and cased with a certificate, and was originally expected to fetch between £400 and £600 ($450 and $675).
Asked how much the print is expected to fetch now, Wilson responded: “How long is a piece of string? I wouldn’t like to say.”
Charles is known as a painting enthusiast and has described his hobby as “one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know.”
Earlier this year, an exhibition brought together 79 of his landscape paintings, including scenes from the French countryside, the Scottish Highlands and Tanzania, which is among his “favorite places to paint,” according to a press release from his educational charity, The Prince’s Foundation.
Charles’ work regularly depicts the royal family’s estates, including Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, and he has also produced watercolors in Turkey, Nepal and the Swiss Alps.
“I took up painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying,” he is quoted as saying. “Quite simply, I experienced an overwhelming urge to express what I saw through the medium of watercolor and to convey that almost ‘inner’ sense of texture which is impossible to achieve via photography.”
Charles became King following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on September 8. His coronation will take place on May 6 next year at Westminster Abbey in London.
Source: www.cnn.com