Constable painting fetches £200,000 at auction

A John Constable painting has sold for £200,000 at auction in Guernsey

Artwork that was missing for more than 40 years has sold at auction in Guernsey for £200,000.

The oil sketch by John Constable was discovered in a private collection in Guernsey.

The sketch depicts Willy Lott's House at Flatford, which appears in The Hay Wain, the most famous work by the 19th Century English landscape painter.

Art auction expert Jonathan Voak had estimated the sketch would fetch between £80,000 and £120,000.

People attended the auction virtually and in-person

He said: "These days with the internet, large numbers of bidders could be simply waiting to take their opportunity and bid online

"It's a great opportunity whether for a private collector or a museum, because it certainly is a museum quality painting."

The painting sold to a solo buyer in Guernsey to add to their private collection.

The buyer, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the painting "evoked a strong emotional response" in her, and that art continued "where life is transient".