Two ships in a gale, a drawing by Willem van de Velde the Younger, £5500 at Roseberys.
Executed in black chalk, pen, and brown ink, it measured 4¾ x 7¼in (12 x 18cm) and was described in the catalogue as ‘full of movement and drama, with boats thrown about by the waves of the turbulent sea below’.
It had previously made £1350 at Christie’s South Kensington in 1997 before entering the collection of the late designer Anthony Powell (1935-2021). Following his death, it appeared at Christie’s again in July last year but was unsold against a £3000-5000 estimate.
It came to Roseberys’ saleroom in south London in good condition overall despite some slight browning of the sheet and some minor foxing spots. With the auction house giving it a lower estimate of £1500-2500 for the sale on July 19, it attracted a number of bidders, one of whom, a dealer based in the Netherlands, secured it at £5500.
