Pick of the week

I apologise -indulgent . I Frys' portraits of English watercolour school artists. Often, one admires both draughtsman and sitter, thus essentially getting two for one. There were numerous bundles of artist portraits in these sales and I was spoilt for choice. Most sold well. Probably the best as a single drawing was), 1827, by George Richmond, but that went way over my budget at £6,930. I concentrated on only one lot, a 5¼in-diameter pencil drawing of the topographer and antiquary Thomas Hearne (1744–1817), inscribed on the reverse by his friend Henry Edridge (1768–1821). I would have been happy enough to secure this alone at £1,260, but it came with a 3in by 3in ‘ink portrait of a gentleman, traditionally identified as J. M. W. Turner, R.A., by Sir Francis Grant (, 1803–1878)'. I'm all for tradition. with Shirley’s support he resigned and took the gamble of opening their own gallery in Jermyn Street. For 20 years, it was at the centre of a flourishing market. Cyril died in 2010 and Shirley last January, so these sales were a nostalgic treat for those who knew that world.