Venice painting by Richard Parkes Bonington could fetch £3.5 million at auction

The oil on millboard will be publicly exhibited this month for the first time in over 35 years.

Richard Parkes Bonington painting of The Rialto, Venice (Christie’s Images LTD/PA)

A painting by Richard Parkes Bonington of the Rialto in Venice, Italy could fetch up to £3.5 million at auction.

Created in the spring of 1826, the oil on millboard was sold to its current owner in 1988 and will be publicly exhibited for the first time in more than 35 years later this month.

The artwork, showcasing the view of the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal, belongs to a small group of en plein air oil studies of Venice made by the artist who died aged 25 in 1828, two years after his creation.

The painting is a highlight in Christie’s Old Masters Part I sale, taking place on July 2, which is on public view at Christie’s headquarters in London from June 28 to July 1.

The collection spans six centuries of European art, with pieces that include one of George Stubbs’s Mares And Foals paintings and a portrait of a gentleman by Dutch artist Frans Hals.

The sale is led by Titian’s Rest On The Flight Into Egypt, thought to have been painted in the 1500s, which is expected to fetch between £15 million to £25 million at auction.

Clementine Sinclair, Christie’s head of London old master paintings said: “Works by Bonington rarely come on the market and this luminous, painterly view of Venice, which was executed when he was in his mid-20s, is a particularly beautiful example, showcasing his talent for capturing subtle light effects and atmosphere with his deft and economical brushwork.”