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16th century portrait excels in November Fine Art sale
Posted On: 29 Nov 2021 by Hugo BusbyThe star lot of Busby’s November Fine Art sale was undoubtedly 362, a 16th century portrait on board of Sir Francis Willoughby.
The star lot of Busby’s November Fine Art sale was undoubtedly 362, a 16th century portrait on board of Sir Francis Willoughby, attributed to the Elizabethan court painted George Gower.
Born in Dorset, Willoughby was an industrialist, making is fortune in coal mines on his Nottingham estate at Wollaton in the 1560s and 70s. It was then that he employed the architect Robert Smythson to build his stately home of Wollaton Hall, and commissioned this and other portraits by George Gower.
The portrait attracted much interest from both trade and private bidders, with telephone bidding on the day leading to a hammer price of £52000.