Fine Arts: Results can stun when a sleeper awakens interest

There is no bigger thrill than unearthing a hugely underestimated work of art, something borne out by a number of transactions at Fonsie Mealy’s most recent sale

Flight into Egypt, a painting catalogued as Italian School, after F Barocci with an estimate of €2,000-€3,000, made €30,000

Nothing racks up the excitement of a live auction like the sleeper, and we’ve had a few in recent Irish sales.

At Fonsie Mealy’s sale of the Howth Castle Library Thesaurus Graecorum by Joannis Stobaei sold for €29,000 against an estimate of €500-€700, and at Sheppard’s The Legacy of the Big House sale Flight into Egypt, a painting catalogued as Italian School, after F Barocci with an estimate of €2,000-€3,000, made €30,000.

Sleepers are the ...