THE BIGGEST surprise of Parker Fine Art Auctions’ sale on March 10 was £20,000 paid for an early 19th-century view of Farnham.

Two determined bidders placed a total of 72 bids starting at £280 for the work by a relatively unknown artist J. Fisher (pictured).

The view is of Castle Street from The Borough, looking towards Farnham Castle (originally built in 1138), and the streetscape remains largely unaltered today.

The picture carries additional significance as it contains a view of the old Market House – the building on the right with a bell tower – which was demolished in the 1870s. But its provenance remains something of a mystery.

Vicky Saunders, from Parker’s, told the Herald: “The artist is unknown to us. We’ve done some digging and can’t find anyone listed with those dates.”

She added the piece was “brought in for sale by someone who lives outside the area, but who thought it would do best in Farnham”.

Both bidders were private collectors of local material, both of whom had purchased before from Parker Fine Art Auctions, based in East Street.

An abstract painting by contemporary artist Maggi Hambling sold for £4,400. In 2018 Maggi created a stir when her statue of a naked Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th-century “foremother of feminism”, was unveiled.

The auction also included a collection of nine prints by Lowry. Group of Children, a group of typical ‘matchstick’ figures, sold above estimate for £2,100. The original painting dates from 1966.