Pictures
17th – 19th centuries
When the opportunity arises, Box House Antiques sometimes offers antique pictures, but no longer as the mainstay of the business. We tend to favour period portraits and landscapes to enhance a wide variety of interiors. Box House Antiques was founded back in the early 1950s on the buying, selling and restoring of Dutch-school antique pictures, when old pictures were available in abundance. The founder Mrs Leslie Butchart-Maas (married to a Dutchman) had been collecting since before WW2, and soon began working and consulting with the late Sir Anthony Blunt of the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her gallery formed part of her house, a great 'call' for the major London picture trade. Soon a few select items of antique furniture were added to the gallery, and to her surprise these sold very well. Antique furniture took precedence, but an interest in Old Master paintings remained. It was during the early 1960s that her son John joined the expanding business. His interest had always been in history so it was a logical and short step for him to take. The business grew very fast in the late 1960s, then on into the 1970s and beyond, until the controversial introduction by the auctioneers of the 'buyer’s premium' in 1975. Soon all the provincial auctioneers joined the bandwagon with the 'premium' rising to 25%-30% today. This huge windfall gave the auctioneers enormous advantages which they have not been slow to exploit. Today the antique pictures trade is mainly concentrated in London's W1.
