An early version of the William Powell Frith painting The Derby Day, which hung in a New England beach hut for 50 years, has made a world record for the artist.
The painting of an 1850s horserace sold for £505,250 at Christie’s, London, on 15 December.
Frith’s completed The Derby Day hangs at the Tate Britain gallery in London.
The version just sold hung in the unlocked shed until a friend of the owner suggested it might be of value.
This news story was first published in the current issue of H&H (5 January 2012)
