Sir Edwin Landseer's Neptune sells for $927,500 at Christie's

Neptune, a painting of a Newfoundland dog by Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), has made £566,500 ($927,361) at Christie's Victorian & British Art sale.

The auction took place on December 12 in London, with the painting achieving a 13.3% increase on its £300,000-500,000 ($491,400-819,000) estimate.

Landseer painting Neptune Christie's
Landseer is regarded as the most significant animal painter of the 19th century

Landseer was one of the most significant British painters of animals in the Victorian era. He was immensely popular in his own lifetime, so much so that at the height of his career in the mid 1830s there was a three-year waiting list for his services.

The painting features a dedication from WG Gosling, the dog's owner and the commissioner of the painting: "This picture of my favourite dog Neptune was painted for me Edwin Landseer in 1824." 

"He was born in Newfoundland 1816 and died, supposed by poison, in 1824, at the time this picture was nearly finished. He was a dog take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again".

Landseer was famously associated with the Newfoundland breed - with one particular variant being named after him.

The painting has been sold before, achieving a figure of £330,189 ($540,651) in 1994 - equating to annual growth of 2.8% pa.

Evening, a painting by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898), achieved £506,500 ($829,141) - up 1.3% on a £500,000 ($821,500) valuation.

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