1 ABOUT A BOY

Estimate: £150,000–£200,000

Artist George Clausen drew praise for his depictions of country life, including his studies of rural childhood. The Bird’s Nest, a 1902 oil painting, depicts a boy cradling his trophy; taking birds’ nests was traditionally viewed as an innocent pursuit. However, in 1894, the Wild Birds Protection Act outlawed this activity, which perhaps led The Times art critic who reviewed Clausen’s 1902 show to deliver harsh words, not for the artist but for his subject. Full of warm praise for Clausen and the picture itself, the critic felt compelled to label the boy ‘a young law-breaker’ who ‘deserves anything but the kind treatment awarded him by Mr Clausen’. Hammer: £370,000 * 020 7293 5000; sothebys.com