Category: Auctions
Leonardo Bear makes £7.5m Hammer
July 8 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Leonardo's drawing of a Bear came in just under its £8m - £12m estimate today and hammered down at £7.5m. The total including fees adds up to £8,857,500. This was a little less than expected, especially considering the enormous amount of media coverage the work generated. We'll wait and see if it ends up anywhere interesting...
Christie's Results
July 8 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Tonight’s Old Master Paintings Evening sale at Christie’s brought in a total of £44,520,740 with 75% of lots sold.
The top lot of the sale was Bellotto’s View of Verona came in just under its estimate to realise £10,575,000 (all figures include fees) against its £12m - £18m estimate. Other highlights included Frans van Mieris's Music Lesson which made £3,502,500 over its £700k - £1m estimate; A head study by Rubens which realised £982,500 over its £250k - £350k estimate; a head study by Van Dyck which realised £225,000 over its £70k - £100k estimate; Artemisia Gentileschi’s Venus and Cupid made £2,442,500 over its £800k - £1.2m estimate; Ferdinand Bol’s portrait of a Lady made £1,198,500 over its £400k – £600k estimate; Michaelina Wautier’s head of a boy made £400,000 over its £60k - £80k estimate; and Romney’s group portrait of Dorothy Stables made £742,500 over its £300k - £500k estimate.
One of the most dramatic moments of the evening was the withdrawal of the Duke of Grafton’s Van Dyck portrait of the Earl of Strafford. It is quite surprising if it didn’t generate enough interest, as this is a beautifully painted picture with an illustrious provenance.
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Comparing results, it seems that Christie’s managed to scoop the most commercially attractive pictures this season. Looking at the lots that didn’t sell at both auction houses, one might suggest that Netherlandish landscapes are having a rather tough time at the moment. This might have been a feature of these particular sales, as there were quite a few on offer at the same time.
One also wonders if and how the UK’s new relationship with the EU has affected results. I’m certain the business managers at both auction houses are making investigations into this question as we speak. However, the strong results we did witness shows that London’s leading position for Old Masters in Europe is by no means over.
Sotheby's Results
July 7 2021
Picture: Sotheby’s
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby’s Old Master Paintings Evening sale in London seemed to have had a relatively tough night bringing in a total of £17,208,300 (inc. fees) with 57.1% of lots sold.
As usual, the lots that did sell achieved impressive prices. Some of the highlights (all including fees) included Van Dyck’s Family of Cornelis de Vos which realised £2,435,000 over its £1m - £1.5m estimate, a Follower of Cranach Venus made £201,600 over its £60k – £80k estimate; a painting of a Jester attributed to Massys made £523,200 over its £40k – £60k estimate; an Isenbrant Crucifixion made £644,200 over its £200k - £300k estimate. Turner's seascape of Purfleet helped save the day by hitting its low estimate (hammer) and bringing in £4,794,000 (with fees), which represented 27.8% of the total realised by the entire sale.
It was noticeable that many of the Northern landscapes and still lifes from the Schuybroek Collection, mostly purchased at auctions during the 1970s and 80s, failed to find buyers.
All eyes on Christie’s sale tomorrow.
Andrew Graham Dixon on Christie's Leonardo Bear
July 2 2021
Video: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
After television art historian Andrew Graham Dixon's successful video with Sotheby's last year, it seems that Christie's has now asked him to have a look at the upcoming drawing of a Bear's Head by Leonardo da Vinci.
Members of the public who want to see the drawing, between 3 - 8 July, will have to book in advance to do so.
Turner's Seascape Brought to Life
July 1 2021
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The battle between which auction house can create the most immersive sweeping view video continues.
Sotheby's have released the following film giving an evocative representation of Turner's Purfleet and the Essex Shore as seen from Long Reach. The painting will feature within their evening sale on 7th July 2021 carrying an estimate of £4m - £6m.
Will these sorts of presentations become a staple of the summer and winter sales?
Rediscovered Constable Poetry Watercolours Up for Sale
June 29 2021
Video: Gorringe's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Gorringe's auction house in East Sussex will be offering up an interesting book in their sale today. This particular edition of Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard happens to contain three watercolours by John Constable. Constable was asked to contribute illustrations for a printed edition, commissioned it seems by editor John Martin.
As the catalogue note explains:
All three of Constable’s original completed watercolour designs are included in this specially bound quarto volume of the second ( 1836) edition of Martin’s Elegy, together with fourteen more by other contributors. He clearly went to a great deal of care and trouble over them, making preliminary sketches in watercolour for all three , now mainly held in public collections. 5 He may have produced these as sample designs for Martin to approve. Alternatively, he may have wished them to serve as guides when working up his finished designs, thus mirroring his practice of using same scale sketches for his oil paintings.
The edition will be offered for sale today with a rather punchy estimate of £100k - £150k.
Update - The lot didn't manage to find a buyer. Although of historical interest, one imagines the high estimate might have been rather unrealistic.
Fragonard Philosopher makes €6.3m
June 28 2021
Video: artcento
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned rediscovered Philosopher by Fragonard realised an impressive €6,300,000 (hammer price) / €7,686,000 (with commission) over its €1.5m - €2m estimate on Saturday. It has been suggested that the picture has been purchased by a French private collection. This is a sure sign as any that high quality old masters, even of unassuming subjects, can still command very high prices. The excitement of a rediscovered painting must have also helped in this case, one imagines.
The Bonnie Prince Charlie by Domenico Dupra, featured in the same sale, smashed through its estimate of €6k - €8k to realise €155,000.
John Glover Sketchbook heads to Australia
June 25 2021
Picture: abc.net.au
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has very kindly pointed out this news story from Australia. A sketchbook by the artist John Glover (1767-1849), which made £81,000 pounds over its £4,000 estimate at Ewbank's last month, has been reported to have entered a private collection in Australia. The sketchbook contains sheets of a tour made in Scotland during the early nineteenth century. Interestingly, Glover's work is particularly prized in Australia, as he moved to Tasmania in 1831 where he produced several important views of the surrounding landscape.
The Transformation of a Sleeper
June 24 2021
Picture: @auctionrada / Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Twitter's @auctionradar has pointed out the transformation of a sleeper that appeared on the continent last year. The painting on the left, catalogued by a provincial European auction house as 'Lombardy School 17th Century', eventually realised €148,000 over its €1,100 estimate last December. The same painting has since been cleaned and authenticated by Prof. Alberto Cottino as an autograph work by Fede Galizia (1578-1630). It will be offered for sale by Sotheby's next month with an estimate of £400k - £600k.
Getty Museum acquires Pastel from Christie's Women in Art Sale
June 21 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has acquired a pastel of Madame Charles Mitoire with Her Children (1783) by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard. The art work achieved €644,000 (inc. fees) over its €100k - €150k estimate at the Women in Art Sale Christie's Paris.
Both Sotheby's and Christie's inaugural female artists sales seem to have achieved some rather impressive results. The Sotheby's sale totalled £4,570,100 (inc. fees), and the Christie's sale realised a total of €3,090,750 (inc. fees). With these rather encouraging totals, we'll wait and see if these sales become a regular feature.
Fragonard and Bonnie Prince lead Petit Epernay Sale
June 21 2021
Picture: cabinetturquin
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Two paintings to watch this week are the aforementioned Fragnoard philosopher and a Portrait of Charles Edward Stuart by Domenico Dupra that are coming up for sale on Saturday 26th June 2021 at Antoine Petit - Hôtel des ventes d'Epernay. The pictures are estimated at €1.5 - €2m and €6k - €8k respectively.
London Day Sales
June 21 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A brief post to point out that Christie's and Sotheby's have published their upcoming old master paintings 'day sales'.
Christie's London will be holding their online Old Master Paintings & Sculpture sale between 18 June - 9th July 2021.
Sotheby's London will be hosting their Old Masters Day sale between 2nd - 8th July 2021.
As always, there are many interesting pictures to choose from. I won't spoil any of the fun!
Swedish Sleeper Alert!
June 18 2021
Picture: uppsalaauktion.se
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News on Twitter (via. @mweilc) that the above portrait catalogued as 'Circle of Van Dyck' made 5,200,000 SEK (roughly the equivalent of €509,972) over its €4k - €6k estimate at the Uppsala Auktionskammare in Sweden yesterday. Whispers on Twitter suggest that the bold handling is reminiscent of Rubens's brush.
Bonhams Sale
June 18 2021
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams London have uploaded the online catalogue their upcoming Old Master Paintings sale which will be held on 7th July 2021.
Lots of interest pictures as ever. I won't spoil the fun by pointing out the most interesting lots.
The 'Hekking Mona Lisa' makes €2.9m
June 18 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned 'Hekking Mona Lisa' made a total of €2.9m (inc. fees) over its €200k - €300k estimate at Christie's Paris today. This total has smashed through the recent amounts raised for copies of comparable quality in 2019. I'm sure a few collectors might be digging around their stores for such copies in their own collections during the next few months...
Update - As it so happens, look at these two Leonardo copies (1) (2) coming up in the Sotheby's sale day sale...
Sleeper Alert!
June 16 2021
Picture: cambiaste.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News on Twitter (via @auctionradar) that the above Penitent Magdalene catalogued as 'Neapolitan School, 17th Century' sold for €380,000 over its €30k - €40k estimate earlier today at the auction house Cambi Auction House in Italy.
"...this evil proceeds from thy proud hart then take her: Devill."
June 16 2021
Picture: Trevanion Auctioneers
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Shropshire based auction house Trevanion are leading their upcoming June sale with what must be one of the most curious mid-seventeenth-century British paintings to come onto the market in recent years.
Created in c.1650, when the country was in the midst of what might be described as a puritanical dictatorship, this moralising painting shows two women whose faces are decorated with black patches in the form of kabbalistic symbols. The extended catalogue note provided explains more about the various potential meanings.
Most curiously of all, the canvas bears the inscription 'I black with white bespott y white with blacke this evil proceeds from thy proud hart then take her: Devill'.
With 90 'watchers' and bids about to break through its top estimate of £4,000, this lot will be one to watch.
Update - The painting was sold for £220,000 (hammer price) to a telephone bidder. Let's wait and see if it ends up anywhere interesting...
Sotheby's Evening Sale
June 15 2021
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published the online catalogue for their upcoming Old Master Paintings sale on 7th July 2021.
It seems that this summer's sale has a very strong Flemish flavour to it, particularly in relation to landscapes and still lifes. A few highlights include a lavish floral still life by Jan Brueghel the Elder estimated at £2.5m - £3.5m; a still life by Fede Galizia estimated at £400k - £600k; a Willem Kalf still life estimated at £800k - £1.2m; a Willem van de Velde coastal scene estimated at £400k - £600k; and two Boucher Landscapes estimated at £250k - £350k and £150k - £200k respectively.
As to be expected for AHN, another highlight of the sale must be Van Dyck's portrait of The Family of Cornelis de Vos estimated at £1m - £1.5m. The catalogue entry is rather interesting, particularly in relation to the composition and later attempts to update the clothing of the sitters. Make sure you zoom into the fine brushwork evident in the painting of the children. The loose painterly finish has that immediacy that we all know and love from the artists's oil studies and sketches, a delight to behold!
British paintings are also well represented, including a JMW Turner seascape estimated at £4m - £6m; two portraits from the Duke of Hamilton's collection including a Henry Raeburn portrait of the 8th Duke estimated at £200k - £300k and the aforementioned triple portrait of Emma Hamilton estimated at £400k - £600k; a fine Benjamin West of Prince William, later William IV, from the Digby collection estimated at £200k - £300k.
Chistie's London Evening Sale
June 14 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have published their online catalogue for their upcoming Old Master Paintings sale on 8th July 2021.
On a first glance, it seems that there are some really very choice pictures on the block. Amongst the highlights are Van Dyck's portrait of the Earl of Strafford estimated at £3m - £5m; Bernardo Bellotto's view of Verona estimated at £12m - £18m; Georges de la Tour's Saint Andrew estimated at £4m - £6m; A large banquet still life by De Heem estimated at £3m - £5m. There are many very strong pictures in the £400k - £1m range, including a fine Wright of Derby being sold by the Earl of Portsmouth (pictured). Other pictures I think worth pointing out are a Rubens head study, a Frans van Mieris music lesson and a serene Portrait of a Lady by Ferdinand Bol being sold from Lowood House.
Also worth a mention is the Marquess of Cholmondeley's The Prince Entering the Briar Wood by Edward Burne-Jones estimated at £2m - £3m. This important British nineteenth-century painting is being sold from Houghton Hall in Norfolk and was purchased as recently as 2001. Any admirers of Royal pageantry will know that as Lord Great Chamberlain the Marquess gets to carry the Her Majesty's crown during occasions such as the State Opening of Parliament.
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As an aside, if you would like to know what Thomas Lawrence's fabulous Portrait of Lady Wallscourt playing the guitar sounds like, then I must recommend guitarist Jamie Akers's recording LE DONNE E LA CHITARRA. This CD examines some of the previously underappreciated women performers and composers for the guitar in the nineteenth century.
Women in Art at Christie's
June 8 2021
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Alas, I'm still rather tied up with some pressing work that is due this Friday. I can only apologise. However, I thought I would point out some of the interesting upcoming sales instead.
Christie's Paris have published their upcoming Women in Art Sale which will be held on 16th June 2021.
On the old masters front, which have a particularly French twist, we have pictures by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Anne Vallayer-Coster, Lavinia Fontana, Angelica Kauffmann, Maria Giovanna Battista Buzano Clemente and Adélaïde Labille-Guiard.
My favourite is the above still life by Louyse Moillon, which really has something about it in my view.
