19th century roses painting sells at auction for six-figure sum

13:17 15th December 2010

A painting of roses that once belonged to a king has sold in London's famous Sotheby's auction house for £265,000.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) reported that the Four Seasons Rose (Rosa bifera officinalis) watercolour was painted by artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute in the early 19th century, when the popularity of roses was at its pinnacle.

Redoute took advantage of this by selling his work to King Charles X of France in 1828.

It later became part of the collection of Frederick, the second baron of Hesketh and was passed down into the Fermor-Hesketh family, which is now selling off a great number of pieces.

As well as the rose watercolour, 50 other Redoute originals have been sold at auction, while a number of rare books, manuscripts and drawings have gone under the hammer too.

Among these were letters relating to the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots and a first folio belonging to none other than William Shakespeare.

However, the auctioneers and sellers will be more pleased by the sale of a rare copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America, which sold for £7,321,250 and became the most expensive printed book ever sold at auction.

In other news, the RHS recently reported that the National Botanic Garden of Wales is to grant free entry in January.