Category: Auctions
Turner's Auction Acquisitions
December 17 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's have published an interesting article online by Melissa Chaplin, head of their archives in London, on the acquisitions JMW Turner made at auction. Click on the link to read the full article.
Old Masters soar at Stern Sale
December 16 2025
Picture: Christie's Paris
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
There were some Old Masters that performed rather well in the recent Les Stern: une famille de collectionneurs sale at Christie's Paris last week. Works by Hubert Robert, Fragonard and Maria van Oosterwyck soared past their top estimates, with a pair of Robert landscapes reaching €3,720,000 (inc. commission) against their estimate of €300k - 400k.
Fondazione Perugia acquire Perugino Pair
December 12 2025
Picture: Dorotheum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Fondazione Perugia have unveiled their latest acquisitions at the Palazzo Baldeschi in Perugia, a diptych of Christ crowned with thorns and The Virgin given to Perugino. The pair were purchased at the Dorotheum last October where they made €842,799 (inc. commission) over their €600k - €800k estimate.
Old Masters Soar in Australia
December 11 2025
Picture: Leonard Joel
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Australia that a sale of Old Masters from the Robert Compton Jones Collection in Woollahra, New South Wales, produced some rather impressive results on Monday. Paintings given and attributed to the likes of Jacopo di Cione, Neri di Bicci, The Master of Frankfurt, Francesco Guardi and Matthias Stomer performed well against their estimates. Click on the link above to view the sale.
Norwegian Bank Foundation acquires $9.2m Beckmann
December 11 2025
Picture: DNB Savings Bank Foundation
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has kindly been in touch with news that the DNB Savings Bank Foundation has acquired Max Beckmann's Der Wels. It will now go on permanent loan to The National Museum in Oslo. The picture realised $9.2m over its $5m - $7m estimate at the Sotheby's New York The Cindy and Jay Pritzker Collection Evening Auction back in November.
Beale Sleeper Soars
December 10 2025
Picture: Capitolium
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Social media was awash yesterday with news that the following Mary Beale head study catalogued as 'Artist of the 17th - 18th Century' soared past its €500 - €700 estimate to achieve €78,000 (hammer) at Capitolium in Italy yesterday.
Curiously, a similar head study, catalogued as 'Attributed to' Beale, failed to find a bid within its £15k - 25k estimate at Sloane Street Auctions last week (having previously sold as a 'sleeper' for £16,380 at Chiswick Auctions earlier in the year).
Day Sale Surprises
December 5 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Several pictures that performed well in the Christie's Old Masters to Modern Day sale included the following Neapolitan School, 17th Century Allegory of Painting, which realised £120,650 (all prices inc. commission) over its £6k - £8K estimate. A Follower of Rembrandt portrait also made £101,600 over its £20k - £30k estimate, and a very fun 16th century Brussels School hawking party £120,650 over its £12k - £18k estimate.
Down the road at Sotheby's no particular unattributed pictures soared past their estimates. Although, there were several very strong results against estimates achieved by pictures by Guercino, Sebastian Vrancx, Willem Claesz Heda, Simon Luttichuys and Eglon Hendrik van der Neer.
Duke of Norfolk purchases Duke of Norfolk at Sotheby's
December 5 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Arundel Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Norfolk, have announced the acquisition (on Instagram) of Hans Eworth's portrait of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1538–1578) in the recent Sotheby's London Old Masters sale. The picture, formerly in the Rothschild Collection and kept at Waddesdon Manor, realised £3,212,000 over its £2m - £3m estimate.
Sotheby's London Results
December 3 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction realised £30,670,450 (all prices inc. commission) tonight with a sell-through rate of 76.66%.*
The big lots managed to attract bids within and at the top of their estimates, including the Hans Eworth, Rembrandt, Rubens, Turner and Brueghel the Younger, as the total above demonstrates. Lots that performed well against their pre-sale estimates were the triptych from Sherborne Almshouse which soared to £5,664,000 over its £2.5m - £3.5m estimate, the Teniers Village landscape which made £215,900 over its £80k - £120k estimate, the Eglon van der Neer Mousetrap which realised £254,000 over its £80k - £120k estimate and the early German portrait of an architect which realised £317,500 over its £100k - £150k estimate.
* - Not lots were withdrawn.
Christie's London Results
December 2 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Christie's London Old Masters Evening Sale achieved £12,712,000 (all prices inc. commission) tonight with a sell-through rate of 67.74% / 63.63% including withdrawn lots.
The selling lots did hit most of their expected values. The highlights that performed well against their pre-sale estimates were Gerrit Dou's Flute Player which realised £3,832,000 over its £2m - £3m estimate, two of William Hodges' Indian scenes did well realising £571,500 and £139,700 over their estimates respectively, a theatrical Charles-Antoine Coypel which made £482,600 over its £250k - £350k estimate and a rather evocative Bonington marine which realised £889,000 over its £400k - £600k estimate.
Rediscovered Rubens reaches €2.9m
December 2 2025
Video: ABS CBN News
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned rediscovered Rubens Crucifixion realised €2,940,799 (inc. commission) over its €1m - €2m estimate at Osenat in Versailles yesterday.
Russian Pictures Soar
November 26 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
One of the corners of the market that is performing consistently well these days are Russian pictures and decorative arts. The Sotheby's London Fabergé, Imperial & Revolutionary Art sale realised £14,164,231 (all prices inc. commission) yesterday. This is actually more than several of the Old Master Evening sales in London over the past few years. The six fully-attributed works by Ivan Aivazovsky, the master of the marine genre, soared past their combined high estimate of £5.05m to achieve £6.16m in total. These pictures were sourced from European private collections including those from Italy and Sweden (according to the catalogue notes).
Bachelier Pre-empted by Musée de Picardie
November 26 2025
Picture: artcurial
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from journalist Alexandre Lafore on 'X' that the Musée de Picardie pre-empted the following Descent from the Cross by Jean-Jacques Bachelier from yesterday's sale at Artcurial in Paris.
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard Self Portrait coming up at Tajan
November 26 2025
Picture: Tajan
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from the auction house Tajan that their upcoming sale on 17th December 2025 will feature Adélaïde Labille-Guiard's Self Portrait (spotted via @neiljeffares on 'X'). Undertaken in pastel, and dated 1782, it was exhibited at the Salon de la Correspondance that very year just before she was elected to the Academy. The work will be offered carrying an estimate of €300,000 - €500,000.
Gaspar de Crayer acquired by Museo de Bellas Artes Valencia
November 25 2025
Picture: levante-emv.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain that the Museo de Bellas Artes Valencia have acquired a full-length portrait of an unknown lady by Gaspar de Crayer. The work was acquired at the Ansorena auction house, as part of the State's right for first-refusal, for €40,000. The picture is the first by the artist in the museum's collection and had been in several Spanish aristocratic collections during its long life. Here's the write up from La Tribune de l'Art.
Guido Reni Rediscovery soars to €10.1m
November 25 2025
Picture: Artcurial
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned rediscovered Guido Reni of David and Goliath soared to €10,100,000 (hammer) over its €2m - €4m estimate at Artcurial in Paris this afternoon. More news when it appears.
Update - The price including commission was €12,386,600.
Michelangelo's Foot at Christie's New York in 2026
November 24 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's New York have shared news that they will be auctioning off the recently rediscovered study of a foot by Michelangelo which appears in the Sistine Chapel frescos.
According to their press release:
Very rarely new drawings have been rediscovered and added to Michelangelo’s graphic corpus over the decades. Almost all of Michelangelo’s known studies, excluding architectural drawings and the sketches of marble blocks Michelangelo used to send to his quarry masters, are now in public collections. Only about ten sheets, including this newly discovered drawing, are in private hands. Furthermore, no recorded study for the Sistine Chapel has ever come to auction — until now. [...]
Unknown until now, the sheet belongs to an important group of red-chalk figure studies that Michelangelo made from live models in preparation for the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. These drawings are widely considered Michelangelo’s finest achievements in the medium.
The drawing will be offered on 5th February 2026 carrying an estimate of $1,500,000-2,000,000.
Klimt breaks Record in Lauder Sale
November 19 2025
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's New York set a new record last night for the most expensive work of 'modern art' sold at auction. Gustav Klimt's Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer (Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer) realised $236.4m (inc. commission) over its $150m+ estimate. The Leonard A. Lauder, Collector Evening Auction realised a total of $527.5m with all lots being sold.
Equally impressive prices were achieved down the road, with the Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale realising a total of $471,728,400. The separate The Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis sale realised an additional $218,066,600 with the highlight being Rothko's No. 31 (Yellow Stripe) which realised $62,160,000 over its 'estimate on request' price tag.
Sotheby's London Day Sale
November 19 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings Day Auction has been uploaded online. The sale will take place on 4th December 2025.
As usual with such sales, I won't point out what may or may not be of interest.
Bonhams December Sale
November 15 2025
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Bonhams London Old Master Paintings sale has been uploaded online. The auction will take place on 3rd December 2025. The top lot of the sale is this rather glorious Venetian picture by Guardi which carries an estimate of £200,000 - £300,000.
