This page shows you exactly what you receive when you submit an item to The Galleries Guide. The report below is a realistic demonstration of our Complete Report format — including an auction estimate, insurance replacement value, market appraisal, condition assessment, and comparable sales evidence. The item and values shown are illustrative.
Oil on canvas, circa 1840–1860. Attributed to the British School.
This Complete Report provides all three standard valuation types for a single item. Auction estimate reflects expected hammer price range at a recognised UK saleroom. The replacement value is the insurance figure — what it would cost to replace this item with one of equivalent quality at current retail/specialist dealer prices. The market appraisal represents the fair market value between a willing buyer and seller in the open market today.
Fig. 1 — Illustrative sample. In a real report, your submitted photographs appear here.
| Title | Portrait of a Gentleman in a Dark Coat |
| Attribution | British School (unattributed) |
| Period | circa 1840–1860, Victorian era |
| Medium | Oil on canvas, relined |
| Dimensions | 76 × 63 cm (30 × 25 in), framed |
| Frame | Original gilt wood frame, gilding worn at corners |
| Signature | No visible signature detected |
| Provenance | Family collection, acquired by descent |
| Category | Fine Art & Paintings — British Portraits |
AI Identification Notes
The submitted work is consistent with mid-Victorian British portrait painting conventions — dark, subdued background, three-quarter pose, formal attire. Style and brushwork suggest a competent regional portraitist rather than a prominent named artist, a common category in UK salerooms. The relined canvas and visible craquelure pattern are consistent with the attributed date range.
Based on submitted photographs, the painting presents in good overall condition for its age. The canvas has been relined at some point, which has stabilised the support and contributed to good overall structural integrity. There is light craquelure throughout, consistent with age, and minor paint loss in the lower right quadrant (approximately 1 cm²). The varnish layer shows some yellowing and uneven application suggesting a past restoration. The original gilt wood frame shows wear to the gilding at the corners but is structurally sound.
Condition impact on value: The condition is consistent with expectations for a mid-Victorian portrait of this category and has a neutral effect on the valuation. Professional cleaning and revarnishing could enhance presentation and potentially improve auction estimate by 10–15%. Frame conservation is advisable but not required before sale.
The following sales have been identified as the most relevant comparables from UK and international auction records. All figures shown are hammer prices excluding buyer's premium.
| Description | Saleroom | Date | Relevance | Hammer Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British School (c.1850) — Portrait of a Gentleman, oil on canvas, 72 × 60 cm, relined | Sworders, Stansted Mountfitchet | Mar 2025 | High | £1,600 |
| Attributed to British School (c.1845) — Portrait of a Seated Gentleman in Dark Coat, oil on canvas, 80 × 65 cm | Cheffins, Cambridge | Nov 2024 | High | £2,100 |
| British School (mid-Victorian) — Portrait of a Professional Gentleman, oil on canvas, unframed, 68 × 55 cm | Bonhams, London | Sep 2024 | High | £1,400 |
| Victorian School — Three-quarter Portrait of a Gentleman with Cravat, oil on canvas, original gilt frame, 78 × 64 cm | Golding Young & Mawer, Lincoln | Jun 2025 | Medium | £2,400 |
| British Portrait School (c.1855) — Gentleman in Black, oil on canvas, gilt frame | Tennants, Leyburn | Apr 2025 | Medium | £1,900 |
All hammer prices exclude buyer's premium. Sources: Sworders, Cheffins, Bonhams, Golding Young & Mawer, Tennants sale records via the AI engine's integrated market database. Data as at May 2026.
The item was classified using AI image analysis and the details provided at submission. Classification identified the work as a mid-Victorian British School portrait, oil on canvas — a well-defined and frequently traded category in UK salerooms, enabling strong comparable sales coverage.
Condition was assessed from the submitted photographs using visual pattern recognition trained on conservation standards. The condition grade of B+ (Good/Very Good) reflects minor age-related issues that do not materially affect saleability.
Comparable sales were drawn from the platform's integrated database of UK and international auction results and filtered by: medium (oil on canvas), subject (portrait, male), attribution (British School, unattributed), size range (within 25% of submitted dimensions), and sale date (within 36 months). Five high- and medium-relevance comparables were selected.
The Auction Estimate of £1,200–£2,400 (mid-point £1,800) was derived by weighting the five comparables against condition, size, and framing, with the mid-point reflecting a balanced expectation given current demand for this category.
The Replacement Value of £3,200 applies an appropriate replacement cost premium to the auction mid-point, reflecting specialist dealer and gallery retail pricing for a comparable work in equivalent condition. This is the figure recommended for insurance purposes.
The Market Appraisal of £2,200 represents the fair market value — the price at which this item would be expected to change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither under compulsion, both with reasonable knowledge of the market.
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