Perfectly preserved behind glass in its original frame, this 101/4in by 2ft 41/4in (27 x 72cm) view attracted £7750 from a London dealer. The same private vendor, who was about to move to New Zealand, also supplied a similarly scaled view of Valetta Harbour by moonlight by the native Maltese artist Luigi M. Galea (1847-1917), which fell to a Scottish
bidder at £2400, just below the upper
estimate.
In a haven of tranquillity…
Topographical views of Valetta Harbour, Malta, continue to be one of the most solid performers in the salerooms. The latest quality example to turn up in the provinces was this signed Girolamo Gianni (1837-1887) oil on card, right, offered at the Chichester rooms of Stride’s (15% buyer’s premium) on February 28 with an estimate of £4000-6000.
