The 22 x 17in (57 x 44cm) oil on panel had spent much of its life at Wroxton Abbey, a Jacobean house in Oxfordshire, and part of its appeal lay in the condition.
“The paint layer, particularly on the exquisite lace, retains its textured surface some 400 years after it was painted. Such good condition is rare for something of this age,” said Bonhams’ director of Old Master paintings, Andrew McKenzie.
It last sold among the rest of the contents of the abbey in 1933, where it was purchased by the vendor’s family. At Bonhams it was secured at £370,000 – more than six times the top estimate. This is a big price hike for Larkin, according to the Art Sales Index, with the previous record a premium-inclusive £110,500 for a work on paper of a marine fortress at Sotheby’s in July 2013.
Other Bonhams highlights included The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist by the rare Florentine mannerist painter Jacopo Zucchi (c.1540-90). Deemed a fine example, it made a record price for the artist, achieving £260,000 against an estimate of £50,000-70,000.
Elsewhere, a 16th century Italian portrait of a lady holding a Maltese terrier by the Brescian School made £33,000, almost seven times its high estimate of £5000-7000.
