Edward Moran's (1829-1901) Summer Morning, New York Bay has provided the surprise top lot at a major art auction in Connecticut.

The 1873 work sold for $300,000 at the October 24 sale, beating its $90,000 high valuation by a resounding 233.3%.

Edward Moran's Summer Morning, New York Bay sold for $300,000

The British born artist, who moved to Philadelphia at the age of 15, has proved a major draw at auction of late, with his Hot Springs Of Gardiner's River, Yellowstone making $690,600 in 2008.

The strong provenance of the nautical scene boosted its appeal, having remained in a Kansas family's possession for the last 110 years.

An estimate-beating performance was also produced by Arthur Wesley Dow's (1857-1922) 1912 The Glory of Shiva, Shiva Temple, Grand Canyon oil work, which sold for $120,000 against a $75,000 high valuation.

New Hope school landscape painter Edward Willis Redfield's (1869-1965) Sleigh Days made $168,000, slightly above the $150,000 high estimate.

There was also a strong showing from Franz Richard Unterberger's (1838-1902) Canal in Venice.

The Austrian's oil sold within estimate for $180,000.

Dow’s estimate smashing The Glory of Shiva

The auction house's Sandra Germain said prior to the sale: "We only conduct two sales a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. For every consignment we accept we probably turn away 20 artworks, so this auction represents a wide range of top-quality pieces."

There was less good news for Mary Blood Mellen's highly anticipated Ship at Sea.

The Hudson River school artist's newly discovered marine work had come to auction with a $200,000-300,000 estimate but failed to meet its reserve.

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