A Penzance auction house is hoping to put Cornish art on the map after setting a world record for a painting by a member of the St Ives Society of Artists.

Hansons Auctioneers, located on the Quay in Penzance, sold the unframed painting of geraniums by Victor Bramley (1933-2014) for £900, well beyond its pre-sale guide price of £30 to £50.

Auctioneer Darren Ashley said: “We were delighted to set a record at auction for a work by the well-loved local artist Victor Bramley at our recent sale on July 11. It was all the more remarkable because there was damage to the canvas which meant his widow, who consigned the collection, had been about to throw it in the bin.”

Sheffield-born Bramley became a member of the St Ives Society of Artists in 1961, alongside iconic names such as Patrick Heron, Barbara Hepworth, Peter Lanyon and Terry Frost.

Several of Bramley’s depictions of well-known local land and seascapes appeared in the sale including a Up for Repairs, the sale’s second best-selling lot which hammered at £360 (against an estimate of £200 to £300), and The Lighthouse, Penzance, which sold for £305, beating its estimate of £100 to £200.

Bramley, the son of a butcher, left his industrial roots in 1959 to make a name for himself among the vibrant artistic community of St Ives at a time when the town was made up of fishermen and artists.

Darren continued: “We were proud to bring this extraordinary body of work to market here in Penzance, the town that meant so much to Victor throughout his life and we hope to continue to bring many more artistic treasures to light.”

Cornwall enjoys a long and proud artistic tradition largely thanks to its stunning landscapes and unique quality of light.