Day Sale Surprises
December 6 2024
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
There were some rather strong results in both the Christie's and Sotheby's Old Masters Day sales in London during the second half of this week.
Amongst the pictures that soared was this 'Follower of Holbein - Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger' (pictured above), a painting which had formerly been in the collection of Charles I, which realised £327,600 (all prices inc. premiums) over its £40k - £60k estimate. The catalogue note, which goes into the question of dating and provenance, is worth reading. Another strong price was achieved by Pietro Antonio Rotari's The Meeting of Alexander the Great and Roxana, behind a trompe l'oeil curtain which made £189,000 over its £50k - £80k estimate and Alessandro Turchi's The Abduction of Helen which realised £126,000 over its £60k - £80k estimate.
At the Sotheby's sale, where there were also quite a few strong prices which soared past their top estimates, it was a nineteenth century painting by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer which claimed the top spot of £1,020,000 over its £200k - £300k estimate. Other surprises were a pair of scenes ascribed to the Circle of Carlo Maratta which made £144,000 over their £15k - £20k estimates and a A fowl piece with Alexander Pope’s villa at Twickenham by Pieter Casteels III which achieved £180,000 over its £26k - £36k estimate.
