A newly-discovered self-portrait by Sir William Orpen is one of the high-points of an art sale being held by Phillips on Bond Street in London later this month. Showing the painter as a rakish young man in a top hat, the full-length picture is expected to make £50,000-£60,000 on Tuesday, November 25th.

The painting appears never to have been exhibited publicly, although it was photographed in Orpen's studio in 1928 and at some stage the artist gave it to his friend, Cara Copeland. Since then, the work has remained in private hands. Also in this sale is a Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Sir John Lavery. A sculpture by Rodin, The Age of Bronze, which was owned by Lavery, is depicted in this picture. It has an estimate of £15,000-£20,000, but whoever buys the painting will be getting two pictures for the price of one since investigation has revealed a second canvas beneath the Lavery, possibly by an American artist called Gari Melchers. More recent Irish artists are also represented in this auction. There is, for example, a still life by William Scott (£35,000-£40,000), two canvases by George Campbell - one an abstract collage (£2,000-£3,000), the other an oil called Autumn, Donegal (£2,500-£3,500) - plus pictures by Gerard Dillon, Daniel O'Neill and Norah McGuinness. One of John Luke's rare canvases is due to be sold by Phillips, too; the almost abstract Slieve Binnian, Mourne Mountains, dating from 1939 has an estimate of £20,000-£30,000.

A recently-found self-portrait of Sir William Orpen. It is expected to fetch £50,000-£60,000 at a Phillips auction in London on November 25th