Affluent Gentlemen Playing Chess

For this episode of Top eBay Chess Items by Price, I had the choice between featuring a Capablanca scoresheet or a painting. Since I had a Capablanca item a month ago in Capablanca to His Son, I went with the painting. The item pictured below, titled 'GEO FOX OIL ON CANVAS OF CHESS PLAYERS Lot 6; Part of a live auction event', started at US $250.00 and eventually sold for US $600.00 after 13 bids.

The description added,

LOT 6 : Seller's Estimate: USD 1,000 - 1,500 • George Fox (BRITISH, 1876 - 1916) oil painting on board depicting two affluent gentleman playing chess in an interior setting. Signed to lower right. Verso of canvas stamped 'PREPARED BY C. RROBERSON & CO.' Mounted in a gilt wooden frame. Measures approx. 12" height x 16" width + 3" frame (30cm x 41cm + 8cm). Total weight approx. 3.5 kilograms.

The painting is missing from Tableaux ayant pour sujet les échecs, indicating that it is not very well known. Just as in a recent post, A One Person Bidding War, the 13 bids were all from a single bidder. I now understand this to be characteristic of a live eBay auction. The bids were undoubtedly entered by the auction house.