1. E.Charlton Fortune
The Señora’s Garden,circa 1918
oil on canvas
Sold for $722,500
Bonhams knows art...

2. +1 877 848 9448 – info.us@bonhams.com
International Auctioneers and Appraisers – bonhams.com
©2013 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved. Bond No. 57BSBGL0808 Principal Auctioneer: Malcolm Barber. NYC License No. 1183017
At Bonhams,we never judge a book byits cover,or a
painting byone side alone.Bythe time this masterpiece
byE.Charlton Fortune reached the auction block,
Bonhams experts knewit inside and out.
Having set the world record for Fortune and sold
many of her top works,our specialists used their
intimate knowledge of her style and history to put
the painting in context for collectors.
The work also benefited from Bonhams’ resources
as a global business. Discovered by our experts
in London, The Señora’s Garden returned home to
California to realize $722,500 on April 30th,2013.
With fine art,starting at the back of each painting
helps us see the big picture. And keeps our results
coming out in front.
Bonhams specialists noticed that
this canvas by E. Charlton Fortune
is painted beyond the tacking edge
along the left side, showing that the
painting was resized. The original
frame and exhibition labels suggest
this was done by the artist herself.
The color, patina, and aging of the
frame and canvas are consistent
with a painting dated circa 1918.
A mix of original and replacement
canvas keys along with modern
mounting hardware reveal a
recent restoration.
This Stanford White style carved oak
ripple moulding perfectly matches
the frames of several other Fortunes
sold at Bonhams, indicating the
artist’s preferred format.
A minimal label leads Bonhams
researchers to the 1921 “Autumn
exhibition of modern art: the forty-
ninth,” in London. Dicksee & Co.
are listed in a period London Post
Office Directory as “Fine Art Agents,
Packers and Conveyancers”.
Bonhams specialists recognize this
handwriting as the artist’s, and the
label as a 1920’s San Francisco Art
Association Exhibition design.
Examined under ultraviolet light,
the surface of the painting shows
no retouching, but a close inspection
reveals tiny, scattered spots. The
Bonhams team recognizes these as
miniature splatters from house paint,
and has the painting cleaned to
remove the offending marks.
A rare example of the artist’s card.
Bonhams experts use Fortune’s
handwriting and many other
factors to confirm the painting’s
authenticity. Originally priced
at $500, this work would have
rewarded a patient investor when
it sold this year for over $720,000.
Notes in chalk refer to the
1921 Liverpool exhibition.
...back to front.