08/06/2023 General News
A painting donated by Rishi Sunak to Richmond’s popular community arts venue – The Station – will be included in our Fine Art & Antiques Sale on Saturday, 17 June.
Depicting Richmond Castle high above the River Swale, the oil painting is the work of the award-winning contemporary landscape painter Alice Boggis-Rolfe. It carries a price estimate of £1,800 - £2,200, and the money raised will support The Station.
The painting was originally given to Mr Sunak, MP for Richmond, by Broadcaster Sky to mark the Sky Arts channel becoming free-to-view. With Sky’s blessing, the Prime Minister decided to donate the painting to The Station, which is housed in the town’s former Victorian Railway Station and incorporates a 3-screen cinema, gallery space, café bar and retail outlets.
The work was displayed earlier this year at The Station’s Spot on the Wall exhibition.
“I thought it most appropriate that The Station – a centre for the arts in Richmond – should benefit from Sky’s generosity, and people in Richmond should have the chance to see the work too,” said Mr Sunak.
“The Station recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. It is looked after by a charity which does an excellent job of running the centre, and I hope there will be keen interest in this beautiful work by one of the UK’s leading artists.”
Chris Brown, General Manager of the Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust, the registered charity that owns and operates The Station, said: “We are extremely grateful to Rishi Sunak for donating such a magnificent piece of artwork. We hope that people who love the town and wish to support and safeguard its vibrant community assets will participate in the auction, wherever they are in the country.
“Elstob Auctioneers are kindly waiving all fees associated with the sale, so 100% of the proceeds will go straight back into The Station and supporting other at-risk buildings in Richmondshire.”
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a fabulous piece of art by one of the UK’s up-and-coming artists. Alice Boggis-Rolfe regularly sells out at exhibitions and has collected several prestigious art awards, including the Winsor & Newton First Prize for a Young Artist and The William Sloane Medal.