Gainsborough masterpiece and the family silver make up sale of contents of Cowdray Park
Viscount Cowdray is selling off a Gainsborough masterpiece, the family silver and much of the contents of Cowdray Park almost a year after the stately home was first put on the market.
The mansion, which has an asking price of £25million, will be open to the public for the first time in the smartest jumble sale in decades with books, clocks, carpets and even a pair of prams on offer for prices ranging from £100 to £250,000.
As much as £10.3million could be raised from a British paintings auction in addition to £4million from the on-site sale contents and £1.35million from the family silver.
A full-length Gainsborough portrait worth up to £6million is amongst five paintings from the Pearson family collection that will form the first of three sales by Christie’s.
Portrait of Miss Read, later Mrs William Villebois is expected to fetch a record £6million for the artist when it is sold at auction on July 5 in London.
The painting has not been seen in public for more 75 years and is one of the most important Gainsborough works to remain in private hands. It was commissioned by Sir Benjamin Truman, the celebrate brewer, of his granddaughter and is dated around 1775-7.....