PICTURES and prints from the 16th Century to the present day were in demand at Lawrences’ April auction in Crewkerne and some strong bidding, particularly from bidders on the internet, ensured that the vast majority sold very well.

A faded but still lively subject of the York racecourse at Knavesmire by celebrated Georgian satirist Thomas Rowlandson made £4,140. Two exceptionally fine works by the Italian Orientalist artist Giulio Rosati, showing carpet traders in an Arab square, made £19,500. The appeal was their freshness to the market, their flawless condition, their commercial subject matter and the scarcity of good works by him at auction in Britain.

An atmospheric late 18th Century Welsh landscape ascribed to Joseph Wright of Derby and with 50 years’ of provenance in a Derbyshire collection was bought for £4,600 and a dashing portrait of an unknown gentleman in mid-late 17th century dress was attributed to John Michael Wright; this made £5,600. A bright and summery 1940s oil painting by George Charlton of people and boats on the waterfront at Cowes made the fourth highest price for the artist at £2,130. Two further hints of summer also did well: a small oil of beach huts by celebrated Welsh artist Donald McIntyre raced to £4,140 and a sun-soaked oil painting of boats in the harbour at Cannes by William Lee Hankey came from a Somerset private collection and was chased to £5,360.