Poynter's The Ionian Dance auctions for $455,000

Sir Edward John Poynter's "lost" canvas, The Ionian Dance, has auctioned for £301,250 ($454,750) at Bonhams, supplying the highlight of the auction house's July 10 19th Century Paintings sale.

The Ionian Dance
Sir Edward John Poynter's 'lost' canvas, The Ionian Dance

Having last appeared at auction in 1915, The Ionian Dance remained in a private collection until the present sale, where it sold securely within its £300,000-400,000 ($450,000-610,000) estimate.

A fairy painting by popular Victorian artist John Simmons also put in a good performance, making £97,250 ($146,642) - a 62% increase on its £60,000 ($89,500) high valuation and a new world record price for the artist at auction.

John Simmons fairy painting
John Simmons' captivating painting depicts a scene from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Following the sale, Bonhams' 19th century paintings expert Charles O'Brien commented: "With 80% of lots sold and a sale total of just under £2.8million we were thrilled with the result yesterday."

The art market continues to attract international investment.

A list of the top 200 international art collectors was recently published by ARTnews.

In total, half of the top 200 collectors make their primary home in the US, while 19 reside in Germany, 12 in Switzerland, 10 in the UK, eight in France and five each in Canada and Belgium.

Here at Paul Fraser Collectibles, we have a wide range of art and photography collectibles in stock, including this remarkable Pablo Picasso autographed postcard of Absinthe Drinker, which remains in excellent condition.

For more art auction updates and in-depth market analysis, sign up for Paul Fraser Collectibles' free weekly newsletter.

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