You may have got the impression, reading about the whole rhino head which is available at Railton's upcoming auction, that it's not a very subtle affair. But the rhino head is not the piece which is expected to take top lot status.

That honour belongs to a painting by John Atkinson Grimshaw. The auctioneer recently sold another, and as they were so successful with the last one, (it broke a record) a farmer who has had one on his dining room wall for over 40 years has decided to consign the painting.

It is a fabulous atmospheric scene of Liverpool docks, and could be another recordbreaker (and certainly a strong investment).

Atkinson Grimshaw shows the sunny delights of Liverpool

To be precise, it is an oil on canvas, Liverpool moonlight dock scene - street with carriages and figures with open shops, signed and gilt framed. A typical atmospheric Grimshaw scene, it shows the clock outside the shop reading 7pm, with doors still open on a damp moonlit night.

There are couples and children in the gloomy atmosphere. The current vendor thinks that his father purchased it in the 1960s from Stacy-Marks, and it will go under the hammer here with a listing of £100,000 - £150,000 (up to $241,500). Railton's auction takes place on March 19^th with online bidding available.