Last year Olympia Auctions sold a series of lots to raise funds for Westminster Abbey, The Wallace Collection and The Grange Festival in Hampshire. Among them was this portrait of a boy and whippet by Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723). It was hammered down at a mid-estimate £5000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium) on May 6, with part of the proceeds benefiting The Wallace Collection.
Part of the proceeds and some of the commission from various consignments will be donated to the department’s acquisition fund.
It follows last year’s fundraising campaign by Olympia which raised more than £75,000 for three institutions: The Wallace Col l e ction (£ 48,7 1 5), Westminster Abbey (£21,553) and the Grange Festival (£5714 with further consignments this year).
Thomas Del Mar of Olympia Auctions said: “We were delighted by the extremely positive response to the fundraising campaign last year.
“The Metropolitan Museum of Art, like all institutions, has been severely impacted by the pandemic with resources focused on day-to-day running. As one of the world’s leading museums in the field of arms and armour, we wanted to support its ongoing acquisitions and are pleased to be raising funds for this specific area.”
The Met collection of arms and armour has been formed over the past 125 years. It comprises approximately 14,000 objects, of which more than 5000 are European, 2000 from the Near East and 4000 from the Far East.
Visit olympiaauctions.com for more information.
