HUDSON, N.Y. — There were two significant paintings by English maritime artist Robert Salmon (1775-1845) of views in Greenock, Scotland, highlighting the fine arts category in Stair’s April 25 Fine sale, and they rose to achieve top lot status in the firm’s $1.2 million sale of 308 lots. “The Custom House Quay, Greenock, Scotland,” 1820, was bid to $47,382, including buyer’s premium, an oil on canvas signed with initials “RS” and dated lower right. A ship’s portrait, “The Pomona of Greenock Riding at Anchor,” 1818, oil on canvas, 23 by 37 inches, elicited a successful bid of $35,840, also with premium. Stair’s director of fine arts Lisa Thomas said, “I’m not surprised at all that they did well. They’re both really interesting, beautiful paintings. It’s an area of the market that’s a little undervalued right now. The buyers of this sort of material have sort of aged out of acquiring, it’s a slightly older buyer base. Younger collectors tend to veer more towards the modern.” Thomas said Salmon, though English, painted a lot in Scotland. “He painted multiple scenes at Greenock Harbor, where these two paintings were of. The Customs House painting that we sold was from 1820, which was just two years after the Customs House was completed.” The overall fine sale offers British, European and American fine and decorative arts bridging centuries of styles and aesthetics across many collecting categories. More highlights will be discussed in a later review.