Category: Auctions
Rediscovered Fragonard Coming Up in Paris
December 8 2023
Picture: gazette-drouot.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News via La Gazette Drouot that an unpublished work by Fragonard will be offered later this month in Paris by the auctioneers Boisgirard - Antonini. The painting of a Young Girl in a Hat, which has just been freshly cleaned by Laurence Baron-Callegari, will be offered on 21st December with an estimate €400,000 - 600,000. As usual with pictures in French collections, the discovery in this case was uncovered by the Cabinet Turquin.
Christie's Results
December 7 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Today's Christie's London Old Master Paintings Part I sale realised a total of £21,906,820 (inc. fees) with 31 out of 40 lots being sold (75.6% sell-through rate).*
The top lot in their sale, a very fine pair of Canalettos, hammered at £8.2m (£9,740,000 inc. fees). Although I was wasn't able to watch the auction as it happened (please correct me if I am wrong), this result appears to suggest that there were at least two bidders involved, and not just the single third-party IB guarantor as per yesterday's result down the road.
Several paintings performed very well against their estimates, including the curious Michael Sweerts which made £1,734,000 over its estimate of £400k - £600k and the Claude de Jongh view of Old London Bridge which realised £233,100 over its £60k - £80k estimate.
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It appears that this December both auction houses were rather neck and neck in terms of results, with Christie's securing a victory with a slightly bigger sale helped by a fine set of Rembrandt prints. The fiercely competitive nature of securing consignments, and the behind the doors deals involved in securing such business, means that we'll never have a true picture of which of the houses was more profitable.
Ultimately, the relative size of these sales to previous years may point towards how thin the market is currently, where London is concerned at least. This might mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things in the world of Old Masters though. With the New York sales fast approaching, and several big ticket pictures already announced, all eyes will be turned towards the next sale season at the end of January!
I'll post an update tomorrow regarding some intriguing results in the day sales, which can be equally fascinating in their own right!
* - As I included the single Rembrandt print in the Sotheby's total, I thought I would keep the several Rembrandt prints in this total also.
Sotheby's Results
December 7 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Yesterday's Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings Evening Sale realised a total of £19,423,500 (inc. fees), with 20 out of the 27 lots being sold (74% sell-through rate).
The auction's top lot, Rembrandt's Adoration of the Kings, hammered down to one bidder at £9.5m. We will presume this to be the third-party who placed the Irrevocable Bid indicated by the auction house in their catalogue and website. This is of course quite the transformation of a painting which sold as 'Circle of Rembrandt' for 860,000 euros back in 2021.
The majority of paintings which sold seemed to have performed well against their estimates.* The only painting to soar past its estimate was Francesco Renaldi's Portrait of a Mughal Lady, which realised £825,500 over its £300k - 500k estimate. The market for paintings of Indian subjects by foreign artists appears to be increasingly bouyant at the moment, both for landscapes and portraits (click here to see a particularly impressive price for a Thomas Daniell which sold at the beginning of this year). This certainly seems to be an area of the market to watch.
All eyes on the sale at Christie's which opens for bidding this afternoon!
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* - I should of course reiterate and disclose my affiliation with Sotheby's as a consultant.
Two Rediscovered Works by Pietro Lorenzetti Coming up for Sale
December 1 2023
Picture: news.artnet.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Artnet that two rediscovered works by Pietro Lorenzetti are coming up for at Tajan, Paris, on 13th December 2023. The pair were rediscovered by Eric Turquin, master and gatekeeper of French private collections it seems, and appear to have been in a private collection since they were acquired in around 1860. Saint Sylvester will carry an estimate of €1.5m to €2m and Saint Helena €400,000–600,000.
Royal Portrait Announced for Sotheby's New York
December 1 2023
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's New York have announced that they will be offering Diego Velázquez's Portrait Isabel de Borbón, Queen of Spain in their Old Master Paintings Evening sale on 1st February 2024. The full-length portrait, which comes with an 'estimate on request' price, was last sold in 1950 and has been with the present owners since 1978.
As usual, attendees of the Sotheby's London Old Masters preview (which opened today) will have a chance to see some of the upcoming highlights from New York which will include this painting.
Arundel Soars!
December 1 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London's Omberlsey Court sale produced some rather strong results the other day. By far the most intriguing was the following Portrait of Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel, given to the Studio of Daniel Mytens, which made £189,000 over its estimate of £8,000 – £12,000. The head looks rather nicely painted, perhaps someone has worked out its early provenance which might make it a far more interesting picture!
Sleeper Alert!
November 27 2023
Picture: ader-paris.fr
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News has reached us that the following painting catalogued as 'École ANVERSOISE vers 1620, entourage de Pierre Paul RUBENS' realised an impressive €108,800 at Ader in Paris last week. The catalogue note draws comparison to Van Dyck's Lamentation in the Prado, Madrid.
Château de Chantilly pre-empt Miniature
November 24 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Château de Chantilly have announced that they have pre-empted a miniature sold in the recent Christie's Paris auction. Jean Decourt's group portrait, showing Catherine de Medici surrounded by her family, realised a total of €22,680 (inc. commission) in the recent sale.
The catalogue note makes for an interesting read, and claims the following:
Further research is necessary in order to determine whether this miniature is an isolated work or, more likely, an illumination detached from a larger manuscript. The central positioning of Catherine de’ Medici, as well as her love for portraits, suggests that this miniature was likely commissioned by the queen mother herself. The unlikely gathering of the two brothers who were each kings of France and the absence of their younger siblings Francis and Margaret, reinforces the significance of this miniature as celebrating the ascension of Henry III to the throne in 1575.
Vigée LeBrun Self Portrait Coming up at Sotheby's New York
November 22 2023
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Exciting news that Sotheby's will be offering a Self Portrait by Élisabeth-Louise Vigée LeBrun in their upcoming January 2024 sales in New York. The so-called Self Portrait In Traveling Costume was completed in November 1816 when the artist had fled Paris and was travelling on the continent. The drawing, estimated at $700,000 - $1,000,000 is part of a single owner sale with works on paper amassed by the scholar Joseph Baillio. The drawing had been on loan to the MET in recent years, I wonder if they'll want to buy it back!
The drawing will be sold on 31st January 2024 in New York.
Bonhams December Sale
November 20 2023
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams London have uploaded their upcoming December Old Master Paintings sale online. Highlights include a curious screen by George Romney (pictured), an Allegory by Cornelis Schut, a handsome equestrian portrait by James Seymour, and a portrait in pencil by Samuel Palmer.
This auction will take place on 6th December 2023.
Sotheby's London December Day Sale
November 20 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have uploaded their upcoming December Old Master Paintings Day Sale online. As usual, I won't spoil the fun by pointing out some of the most interesting lots.
Bidding for this online sale will open on 1st December and close on the 7th December.
Christie's Part II
November 17 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A quick note that Christie's London have published the Part II of their December Old Master Paintings auctions online. Lots of very interesting things as usual, at very tempting prices, so I won't spoil the fun by pointing out anything in particular. The sale also contains many works on paper.
Sotheby's London Old Masters Evening Sale
November 16 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The December Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings Evening sale has just been posted online.
Alongside the aforementioned £10m - £15m Rembrandt is a wide selection of highlights, including an incredibly rare portrait by William Dobson, a still life by Louise Moillon, a Giulio Romano owned by Charles I, a set of early German panels by the Master of the Hildesheim Magdalene Legend, a portrait of a Mughal Lady by Francesco Renaldi, a cassone panel by Liberale da Verona and a Shakespearean subject by William Hogarth.
This live sale will take place on the evening of Wednesday 6th December 2023.
Christie's London Old Masters Part I Sale
November 13 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have uploaded their upcoming Old Master Paintings Part I Sale online.
The auction is headlined by the two aforementioned Canalettos, estimated at £8m - £12m. Other highlights include works by Pieter Brueghel II, Nicholas Poussin, a frightful last judgement by Jan Brueghel the Elder, and a curious Michael Sweerts.
The sale will be held on 7th December at 2.30pm.*
* - Regular auction watchers will know that Christie's have in the last year and a bit moved their headline Old Master 'Evening Sales' to the afternoon, hence the change of name too, perhaps.
Sleeper Alert!
November 10 2023
Picture: Nagel Auktionen
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News via @AuctionRadar on 'X' that the following painting catalogued as 'Manner of JMW Turner' realised €300,000 over its €2,000 - €3,000 estimate the other day at Nagel Auktionen in Stuttgart.
Regular followers of auctions will know how often pastiches of Turners turn up for sale. Whoever was bidding on this one must have (we hope) felt quite sure it was something important!
Andrew Graham-Dixon on Sotheby's Rembrandt
November 7 2023
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have produced the following video with Andrew Graham-Dixon exploring their upcoming Rembrandt Adoration of the Kings which features in the December Old Master Paintings sale season.
Sleeper Alert!
November 3 2023
Picture: gazette-drouot.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News has arrived that the following painting catalogued as 'Altmeister 17./18. Jahrhundert Portrait' realised around €66,000 at Antikauktion Krefeld back in September. Let's see if appears anywhere interesting.
Sotheby's Paris November Sale
November 2 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's Paris have just uploaded their upcoming Tableaux et Dessins 1400-1900 sale.
Highlights from the sale include works by Johann Richter, François Boucher, Frans Floris and a set of four landscapes Attributed to Philippe de Momper.
Bidding for this online sale will open on 7th November 2023.
Christie's Paris November Sale
October 30 2023
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's Paris have uploaded their upcoming November Maîtres Anciens : Peintures - Sculptures - Dessins online.
Amongst the highlights of the sale is a Charles-Antoine Coypel, with Rothschild provenance, which will be offered at €200,000 - 300,000. Other works by Jean-François de Troy, Jan Brueghel the Younger and Pieter Claissens the Elder are also featured.
The accompanying online hasn't been uploaded yet, but will appear here when it does!
Sotheby's publishes Rembrandt Catalogue Online
October 30 2023
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published a full PDF of its 58+ page catalogue dedicated to Rembrandt's The Adoration of the Kings in their upcoming December sale. The catalogue contains vast amounts of research, both art historical and technical, which explains how and why work has been upgraded to the master in full.
