Rare painting found in cottage sells for £60,000 in Shropshire

Dives and Lazarus, by Dirck van Delen, attracted international interest at Halls in Shrewsbury.

The painting, featuring figures banqueting at a dining table, was sold to the London trade and set a record price for Halls' new fine art salerooms.

It was discovered in a cottage in the Welshpool area by the head of Halls' art department, Allan Darwell.

The painting was identified by art historian Bernard Vermet, from the Foundation for Cultural Inventory in Amsterdam, as one of van Delen's earliest works.

It was bought by the elderly vendor's father from London art dealers in the 1930s and for many years hung at a family property in Gloucestershire.

Mr Darwell believes it had been hanging in the country cottage near Welshpool for several decades undiscovered.

Dated to the 1620s, the painting is believed to depict the parable of an unnamed rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus. Dives is not a name, but a word for "rich man".

Jeremy Lamond, Halls' fine art director, said: "We are delighted that the painting, which required some conservation work, made such a good price at auction and attracted so much international interest. The vendor is also delighted with auction result.

"Other artists to feature prominently at the auction included leading British impressionist painter Mark Senior (1862-1927), whose three works sold for a combined total of £46,800. 'Blue Sky and Summer, Runswick' sold for £29,500, 'Spring, Ellerby' made £11,000 and 'Willows Autumn' made £6,300."

A fourth painting consigned to the auction by the same Yorkshire art collector, an oil painting titled 'A View in London', by Maurice Blieck (1876-1922) sold for £4,500.