THREE pieces of rediscovered artwork thought to have been produced by the world-renowned artist John Constable are set to go up for auction.

The work will be sold at Chiswick Auction’s British and European Fine Art sale next month after they were unearthed from two private collections in the UK.

Experts have researched all three masterpieces and say they are unequivocally Constables.

Two of the pieces of work, which are portraits of the artist’s uncle and wife, are thought to have originally been part of R B Beckett’s own personal collection.

The author was a well-known friend of Constable and was understood to have edited several of his letters.

The oil-painting of Constable’s uncle, Abram Constable of Wormingford, has not been seen for more than 70 years and is predicted to be worth nearly £50,000.

The second portrait depicting Constable’s wife, Maria Elizabeth Bicknell, is believed to have been produced towards the end of her life with experts saying the type of paper drawn on indicates it was crated sometime in the 1820s.

Estimates suggest the drawing could fetch up to £12,000 at auction.

The final piece up for sale is another pencil-drawing which is believed to show the landscape near to Framlingham Castle,

Constable’s love of the East Bergholt landscape and his other drawings of the historic castle has made researchers confident of the location.

The drawing had previously been sold by Sotheby’s in the 1940s before becoming part of a private collection.

It is estimated to now be worth £8,000.

Suzanne Zack, head of sale, British and European Fine Art at Chiswick Auctions, said: “It has been so exciting to have been shown these fascinating portraits from the collection of the late R B Beckett which have remained in the family unseen by the public since the 1950s.

“These portraits have such personal significance to Constable being his uncle and wife Maria. They give us a real feeling of the close relationship between the artist and sitter and add to the appreciation of Constable’s life and work beyond the great landscapes that he is best known for.”

The paintings will be up for auction on June 19 at Chiswick Auctions in London.