Following the success of the late Noel Coward as a playwright and musician (particularly for the song Mad Dogs and Englishmen), a recent art auction at Christies also confirmed his status as an artist.
The auction included many of Coward's own works, including The View from Firefly, as well as pieces from his personal art collection, including Fishing Village and Cornwall by Christopher Wood, all of which sold above estimates.
The auction raised £1.3m. It's an impressive figure for an amateur's collection, but obviously very small compared to Sotheby's auction in February which raised £186.44 million, with Monet's 1908 Le Grand Canal selling for £23.7m. It goes without saying then that in the investment arena, works of art continue to hold an important place.