A private collection of wildlife paintings by one of the United Kingdom's most celebrated wildlife artists has sold for £21,190 at auction, with every piece selling well above pre-sale estimates. The works by Terance James Bond, a Suffolk-born artist renowned for his detailed and lifelike bird illustrations, were auctioned by Cambridge-based Cheffins auction house on Wednesday.
Bond, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 79, was particularly famous for his incredibly detailed and realistic depictions of birds. The collection that went under the hammer belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Graves from Bedfordshire, who had been building their collection over a period of 40 years. The couple first met Bond during a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) charity event in the 1980s and continued purchasing his works over the decades.
As the Graves family prepared to downsize their home, they decided to auction their extensive collection of Bond's paintings. Patricia Cross, an associate at Cheffins auction house, expressed delight with the results, stating that "every piece sold well above" the pre-sale estimates. She noted that the strong prices achieved were "a testament to Bond's talent and popularity amongst collectors."
Several pieces in the collection achieved particularly impressive prices, with three paintings breaking the artist's previous auction records. The standout piece of the collection was a stunning depiction of a bald eagle set against a snow-covered landscape, which sold for £2,800 – significantly above its pre-sale estimate of £500 to £1,000. Another remarkable work, a study of a great grey owl in a snowy setting, fetched £2,600, while a charming painting of a robin sold for £1,100.
Bond was a self-taught painter who was born in 1946 and grew up on a farm near Sudbury in Suffolk. Later in his life, he lived at Little Paddock in Wickerstreet Green, Kersey, near Hadleigh. His own garden served as a constant source of inspiration for his work, as it was designed as a haven for wildlife, providing him with endless opportunities to observe and study the birds that would later appear in his paintings.
The auction attracted significant interest from art collectors, with many Suffolk-based collectors participating alongside buyers from across the country. Cross noted that the widespread participation demonstrated Bond's enduring appeal and the high regard in which his work is held throughout the art community. The successful sale reflects the continued strong market for wildlife art and the particular appreciation for Bond's meticulous approach to capturing the natural world in his paintings.
