Written by Mindy Zimmerman Monday, 29 August 2011 00:26

Bonhams Knightsbridge to sell "The Golden Arrow" by Terence Cuneo

LONDON.- Bonhams are to sell "The Golden Arrow" by Terence Cuneo in their Modern Paintings auction on 20th September 2011 at Bonhams Knightsbridge. The painting is estimated to sell for £40,000-60,000. The Golden Arrow was a luxury boat train that ran between London’s Victoria station and Dover. Passengers would then take the ferry across the Channel to Calais and complete their journey from there to Paris by another train, the Fleche d’Or. The train was initially entirely for first-class passengers, before later being expanded. Between September 1939 and April 1946 it ceased to run because of the war, and later in 1951 it had a new set of Pullman cars built as part of the celebrations of the Festival of Britain. The train made its final journey in September 1972.

The Southern Railway operated a number of famous named trains, including the Brighton Belle, the Bournemouth Belle, the Golden Arrow and the Night Ferry (London - Paris and Brussels). The West Country services were dominated by lucrative summer holiday traffic and included named trains such as the Atlantic Coast Express and the Devon Belle. The company's best-known livery was highly distinctive: locomotives and carriages were painted in a bright Malachite green above plain black frames, with bold, bright yellow lettering. The Southern Railway was nationalised in 1948, becoming the Southern Region of British Railways.

Famed for his paintings of trains, horses and military action, Cuneo (1907-1996) was also distinguished for being the official artist of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. A statue of him stands at Waterloo Station.

Emma Corke, Director of Bonhams Knightsbridge Pictures Department, comments, “We are delighted to be offering this wonderful painting of such an iconic subject, which is sure to appeal to both train enthusiasts and Cuneo collectors.”

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~