Simon Toll is an expert on Victorian art who is overseeing the sale of an unprecedented private collection of 240 Victorian and 20th century British paintings and drawings. The collection was assembled by Sir David Montagu Douglas Scott and his wife over generations but had been largely hidden until recently. Toll notes that the art in the collection appeals to many different levels and can be sweet or quite serious in nature. He hopes the sale will convey that there is something for everyone in the eclectic collection.

1. Simon Toll spends much of
his life studying the nuances of
Victorian art, and he’d like to clear
something up: Victorian pictures can
appeal to many different people, on
many different levels. Sure, the works
can be sweet and admired for their
pathos and beauty, such as Sophie
Anderson’s beloved depiction of a little
girl (above) in No Walk Today. The art
can also be quite serious, an allegorical
or literary subject laden with hidden
meaning, as in the version of Christ in
the House of his Parents, where Sir John
Everett Millais portrayed Jesus and his
family as commoners in a woodshop.
The work drew much criticism at the
time; Charles Dickens branded it
blasphemous.
Toll spends his days in a canvas
world rich with color and complexity.
He spent a decade researching his book
on the once obscure Victorian artist
Herbert Draper, now regarded as one
of the era’s premier painters. The
irony is not lost on Toll that he
now presides over the sale of an
unprecedented private collection
of Victorian and 20th century British
art that, essentially, was hidden
for generations.
The art includes some 240 paintings
and drawings collected by Sir David
Montagu Douglas Scott (1887-1986)
and his wife, Valerie Finnis. Until
recently, the most celebrated works
were seen only in books or exhibitions.
Some 150 pictures are Victorian,
but the collection spans many styles.
“The Scotts didn’t buy things because
they were fashionable or valuable.
They bought things that appealed to
their eye," Toll says. "Hopefully that
will be conveyed to people who view
our sale. I truly think there will be
something for everybody.”
The
expert
Simon Toll, Head of Sales, Victorian
and Edwardian Art for Sotheby's London
W o r d s pa u l a s to ry
Highlights of the collection are on international
tour through October, and the sale is November
14–19 at Sotheby’s London. www.sothebys.com
RE S I D E s o t h e b y sRE A L TY . c o m1 2
i n s i d e r k n o w l e d g e
Dr. and Mrs. Henry C. Landon’s
passion for American art has
spanned four happy decades
P h oto g r a p h y c h r i s s ta n f o r d
W o r d s n i c k w r i g h t
The
collector