Rare painting of Jane Austen to be sold at auction - PHOTO

The "most famous image" of Jane Austen will be sold at auction later.The James Andrews painting, an engraving of which is to appear on the new £10 note from 2017, is listed for £150,000-200,000 at Sotheby's, London, BBC reported.The watercolour was commissioned by the novelist's nephew in 1869 to accompany a biography of her.Dr Gabriel Heaton, of Sotheby's, said the painting had been "crucial in transforming her from a novelist into a national figure".The Reverend James Edward Austen-Leigh, Austen's nephew, asked artist James Andrews to create the painting based on the only confirmed portrait of Austen made during her lifetime - a sketch by her sister Cassandra which is in the National Portrait Gallery.He felt the sketch of his aunt did not do her justice, and he used Andrews' painting for his book Memoir of Jane Austen.'Embodies the character'Dr Heaton called the painting the "most important likeness of Jane Austen ever likely to appear on the open market"."Seeing the most famous image of Jane Austen, for the first time, in a domestic sitting room was an astonishing experience," he said."This delicate watercolour is so much more than a piece of literary portraiture - it is part of our cultural history."He said the portrait gave readers "an image with which they could identify and which even seemed to embody the character of her work".Austen's novels include Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.Also on sale at the auction will be a silver charm bracelet based on designs by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.The bracelet is listed with an estimated price of £15,000-20,000 and all proceeds will go to Rowling's children's charity Lumos.Of the charms on the bracelet, 11 are inspired by the Harry Potter stories and one is the charity's butterfly logo.ANN.Az