LONDON.- A beautiful watercolour of Kirkby Lonsdale Churchyard by Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775-1851), that had not been seen at auction since 1884, sold yesterday (Wednesday 25th January 2012) for £217,250 as part of the 19th Century Paintings sale at Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London. The sale total was £1,871,925. Turner painted the lyrical English landscape of the River Lune from the churchyard of St Mary’s Church in Kirkby Lonsdale, with a group of children playing in the foreground. A view admired by the influential critic and artist John Ruskin (1819-1900) who wrote, “whatever moorland hill, and sweet river, and English forest foliage can be seen at their best is gathered there; and chiefly seen from the steep bank which falls to the stream side from the upper part of the town itself. …I do not know in all my own country, still less in France or Italy, a place more