An Edwardian painting of a London street scene sparked a global bidding war before selling for £7,500 – 10 times its pre-sale estimate – at Hansons Auctioneers’ Richmond saleroom.
The oil painting, titled Piccadilly from the Ritz by George Hyde Pownall (1866-1939), had been given a guide price of £500-£700 before the sale on May 29.
But the vanished cityscape, including early motor cars mingling with horse-drawn carriages,excited would-be buyers from around the world before selling to a bidder in America.
Hansons London’s director, Chris Kirkham, said: “Pownall’s work was an atmospheric sceneof a bygone era, so we weren’t too surprised when it romped past its guide price.
“It might look nostalgic in theme, but it reflects a crucial time in the capital’s history, before the West End’s redevelopment, when horse buses and gaslights were the order of the day.”
The Ritz opened in 1906 and, with the design of the motor car in the foreground unmistakably early Edwardian, the painting appears to date between 1906 and 1912, he added.
With his loose brushwork and impressionistic interest in light, a reassessment of Pownall’swork now places him alongside painters like John Atkinson Grimshaw and James Abbott McNeill Whistler.
Nottinghamshire-born Pownall was known not only for his painting but as a musician being a well-known tenor in London in the 1890s.
He was a member of the Westminster Cathedral choir for 10 years as well as working as a pianist for the vaudeville orchestra at St George’s Hall, Marylebone.
He quit the capital in 1914 emigrating to Australia, firstly to Sydney for three years, before settling in the St Kilda district of Melbourne where he painted the expanding city.
Chris Kirkham continued: “Small, atmospheric oils like these are very collectable at the moment.
“Pownall’s cabinet-sized paintings are easy to hang, decorative and instantly recognisable. Buyers today often prefer such works over huge Victorian canvases.”
“Because he worked extensively in both London and Melbourne, his work can attract buyers from two markets. Australian institutions and collectors especially value his city scenes.”
Auction Details
Auction: Hansons London Silver, Jewellery, Watches & Collectables Auction
Auction date: 29th May 2026 | 10am
Location: Hansons’ London Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
