Parker Fine Art Auctions kicked off the year with a strong sale of Old Masters, drawing bidders from around the world.

The highlight of the sale was a religious work by the Italian Renaissance painter Palma Vecchio, titled The Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene.

The painting, which was confirmed as a work by Palma Vecchio just days before the sale by Philip Rylands, author of a book about the artist, sold for a hammer price of £42,000.

This was "beyond expectations", said a spokesperson for the auction house.

Palma Vecchio, who worked alongside Titian and Bellini in Venice in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, is widely considered to be the greatest artist after Titian in that area.

The painting, which is oil on panel and dates from around 1514, was one of several Old Master works that drew strong bidding.

Another notable Old Master work in the sale was a painting of The Virgin and Child, thought to be by the 15th century Italian artist known as The Master of Roncaitte.

Once thought to be the work of Jacopo Bellini, a founder of the Renaissance style of painting, the painting was confirmed as the work of The Master of Roncaitte by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1998. It sold for £8,500.

The sale also featured works by contemporary British artist John Yardley, including The Return - Venice, which sold for £1,600.

Parker Fine Art Auctions was founded in 2020 by Buffy Parker and Henny Smith, both of whom have many years of experience in fine art and auctions. The company holds monthly auctions of fine art and period frames at their saleroom in Farnham. Their vendor’s fee is just £10 per lot, regardless of the sale price. See www.parkerfineartauctions.com or call 01252 20 30 20.