A SMALL fine art dealership in Holt is planning to invest in its future after its partners uncovered a rare drawing of an Australian aborigine resistance leader who was sent to prison.

Somerset & Wood Fine Art, of the Midlands in Holt, have just sold an extremely rare Aboriginal drawing for £162,500 at Christie’s auction house in London.

The culturally important drawing, ‘Toulgra’ by Nicolas Martin Petit was discovered in a collection of unrelated works before being sold at Christie’s last Friday.

For a small start-up business, the find and sale is fortune-changing. The value of ‘Toulgra’ is far greater than the work Somerset & Wood usually deal in – around £45, with the highest values at £1,000.

The sale will mean the company can grow its exclusive online business, reaching more clients and achieving its goal to make original art affordable for all.

Somerset & Wood was founded in 2015 by Olivia Nicholls and her partners Ayumi Ellingham and Julia Gabbay. They had previously worked in a mix of art, web and design illustration.

The partners spotted the drawing after buying a substantial collection of pieces from an online auction and decided to investigate its history and value.

The previous ownership of the drawing is unknown and it is possible that it has changed hands several times without the owners being aware that it was extremely rare and potentially valuable.

Olivia Nicholls, Director at Somerset & Wood Fine Art, said: “We were stunned and delighted to discover the identity of this very special drawing.

“We could see the quality of its draughtsmanship immediately, but it was only on contacting the Australian Department at Christie’s that we realised its true importance and value. It has clearly been on a remarkable journey – as have we.

“For a new and fast-growing company, finding Toulgra means a lot to us. It might mark a new departure for the business in terms of value, but our ethos remains: to make original art accessible to all, particularly those who may be intimidated by more traditional galleries, while not compromising on quality and depth of research.”

Dating from around 1800, the drawing depicts the young Aboriginal resistance leader Toulgra, nicknamed ’Bull Dog', who went on to become the first Aboriginal convict – interned at Norfolk Island, one of the colony’s harshest penal settlements.

Why the drawing should surface unexpectedly in England, over two centuries after its creation, is in part explained by it being the work of the French artist Nicolas-Martin Petit, one of two draughtsmen on an exploratory voyage to Australia sponsored by Napoleon.

Petit’s drawings, which have a directness and sensitivity unlike any previous images of Aboriginal people, were reproduced in a published account of the expedition, and are now in the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle in Le Havre.

However, it is a mystery why this drawing, hitherto unknown, became separated and found its way to the West of England.

Olivia Nicholls added: “So many artworks have a fascinating and often unexpected story to tell. We feel privileged that we have been able to become part of that story for this important drawing.

“Our website caters for everyone from academics and serious collectors to the novice buyer looking for something which will look great on their wall. We’re grateful to ‘Toulgra’ for giving us the opportunity to tell and grow our own story.”