SIGNED pictures by a world-famous artist will go under the hammer next week.
Two prints of John Constable paintings that once hung in his parish church will be auctioned in Colchester.
They will be sold by St Mary's Church, East Bergholt, and auctioned off at Reeman Dansie's East Anglian art sale on Wednesday.
Bidding starts at £1,500 per print, with estimates of up to £2,500.
Auctioneer Daniel Wright told the Gazette: "This is quite an interesting sale which celebrates the tremendous wealth of artistic achievement that we have in this region."
Engraver David Lucas made the 1831 mezzotints from two Constable works: The Mill Stream, Willy Lott's House, and Golding Constable's House, East Bergholt.
Their value lies in the inscriptions and signatures added by Constable himself.
Constable gave them to family friend Ms Arnott, and they remained in the Suffolk church for decades.
Mr Wright added: "These have hung largely unnoticed in the church ever since."
The sale comes as 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of Constable's birth.
Mr Wright said: "East Bergholt Church is where he did a lot of his very long courtship with his beloved wife, Maria."
"The interesting thing about these is they're both inscribed and signed by Constable himself.
"They're just mezzotints and there are many versions of these known, but it's the Constable signature which is the magic here really."
Nearly 200 years on, the prints are showing their age.
Mr Wright said: "You can see they're a little deteriorated – there's a little bit of damp."
"The church probably wasn't the best environment for them, so they thought they might as well realise the asset."
The works are part of Reeman Dansie's twice-yearly East Anglian art auction, which features artists linked to the region from the 18th century to today.
Read more
-
New species welcomed at one of Colchester Zoo's most popular habitats
-
Pensioner choked to death two days in to care home stay – now his son wants answers
-
Essex father pleads guilty over son's death in Cyprus hotel fall
-
'We are all going to need time to process' - the village rocked by two tragedies
The three-day sale starts Tuesday, September 29, with lots including jewellery, silver, ceramics, furniture and furnishings.
The East Anglian section will take place on the second day.
For details of the East Anglian Fine Art and Antiques auction, visit reemandansie.com.
One of Constable's most famous paintings, The Hay Wain depicts a rural scene on the River Stour between Essex and Suffolk.
Constable's pictures of Dedham helped revolutionise landscape painting, reinforcing his significance to the region's artistic heritage.
Share