Christie's Results
June 22 2020

Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's recent online old master paintings sale in NY made $2.95m (including fees) with approximately 69.7% of lots sold.*
This is marginally more that the $2.89m Sotheby's made the previous week although 12.6% down on lots sold.
A few of the most impressive results (all prices inc. fees): a limoges plaque by either Jean or Joseph Limousin made $225,000 over $30k-$50k, a sixteenth century Netherlandish School Head of Christ made $162,500 over $15k-$20k, a rather dark Jacob de Backer made $399,000 over $80k-120k (pictured).
In a previous post I highlighted a beautiful Fragonard portrait of a child that Christie's had up for private sale with an asking price of $125,000. The same picture was included in the sale and made $50,000.
It was this painting of a man holding a recorder that intrigued me the most. Catalogued as 'French School' it seems likely to be some sort of forgotten self-portrait. I showed it to a learned recorder player last week who informed me that the gentleman probably wasn't a genuine player due to the fact his hands are the wrong way around.
* - This is an approximate number, as Christie's remove unsold lots from their website. 97 out of 139 lots are shown as sold.