Category: Auctions
Hiscox Online Art Trade Rerpot (pt.2)
December 3 2020
Picture: Hiscox
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The insurance company Hiscox have published the second part of their 2020 Online Trade Report. The report is absolutely free to read.
Some of the most interesting facts contained within:
- A majority of millennial and new buyers have expressed increased confidence in buying art online since the COVID crisis.
- Eight out of ten new buyers have purchased art works online between March and September 2020.
- More than 55% of buyers have purchased art through online auctions, compared with 37% last year.
- Over two-thirds of respondents expressed that Instagram was their social media platform of choice for art.
Formerly Confiscated Sorolla Turns up at Sotheby's (?)
December 3 2020
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
In October I posted a story regarding a large painting by Joaquín Sorolla that had been confiscated by the Spanish authorities in Brussels. Antes de la corrida (Before the Bullfight) was painted in c.1900 and is a rare example of the artist's interest in the genre. The reports back in October suggested that it was seized due to an insolvency crime. It now looks as if the Spanish authorities have handed the picture back to its owner, as it is featured the upcoming Sotheby's European Art Sale carrying an estimate of £650,000 - £850,000.
Sixteenth Century Flemish Miniature Soars
December 2 2020
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here's a work of art that has received a lot of worthy attention over the past few weeks. This exceptional miniature on vellum, given to the Flemish artist Simon Bening, achieved £1,467,000 (inc. commission) over its £150k - £250k estimate yesterday at Sotheby's. Such quality and condition of a work this age is rarely ever matched. The catalogue note is a must read.
As a side note, it would have been interesting to know exactly how the decision was made to include the work within a Music, Books and Manuscript sale rather than a traditional Old Master Paintings auction. One might imagine that the appeal of such an impressive work would stretch beyond the usually boundaries of manuscript collectors. Alternatively, might a such a delicate work have been lost in a full blown Old Masters sale?
Bid for the Louvre
December 1 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Louvre in Paris has teamed up with Christie's for a particularly intriguing fundraising event called Bid for the Louvre. The museum is raising money for its social and educational programmes, including the funding of a new space called Studio which will open in Autumn 2021.
In order to raise money for these projects the museum will be auctioning off artworks especially donated by several contemporary artists including Johan Creten, Candida Höfer, Eva Jospin, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Pierre Soulages and Xavier Veilhan.
However, of greater interest to AHN are the unique experiences that the museum are putting up for sale. This includes the opportunity to bid for an opportunity to be present at the annual inspection of the Mona Lisa. In other words, the chance to get closer to the museum's most iconic work than any other member of the public in the past decades. Also mentioned is the possibility of a private tour of the roof tops of the museum.
No estimates or further details have been given as of yet, but I'll update the post as soon as they are. The online auction will run between 1st - 15th December 2020.
Update - Louvre Director Jean-Luc Martinez has given an interview with La Gazette Drouot giving more details about the scheme:
The 26 lots up for sale include not only works of art donated by contemporary artists with close ties to the museum, but also immersive experiences within the walls of the palace, like a night-time flashlight tour, a discovery of hidden gems in the Drawing Department and a private concert in the Caryatids Room. Some are world firsts, like attending the annual examination of the Mona Lisa outside its protective showcase with Jean-Luc Martinez, or following street artist JR onto the rooftops of the building. Lots contributed by the museum's patrons and partners also include a "within the walls" section, like an exclusive tour of the collections, followed in one case by dinner at the Michelin-star restaurant Le Meurice and an overnight stay in the luxury hotel. The Ritz is also offering an overnight stay, this time preceded by a pastry-making course at the Ritz Escoffier school.
Klimt Study Donated to Leopold Museum
November 27 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Vienna that an early study by Gustav Klimt has been donated to the city's Leopold Museum. The work had appeared last week at the Dorotheum auction house where it achieved €475,064 (inc. commission) over its €190k - €300k estimate. It was purchased by a private family who donated the work to the museum. The study relates to a fresco of The Altar of Dionysus which the artist completed in Vienna's Burgtheater.
Christie's December Online Sale
November 26 2020
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's have uploaded their December old master paintings & sculpture sale, the equivalent to the 'day sale' format. This London based auction will take place online between 26th November - 17th December 2020.
There are lots of fascinating pictures included. However, I don't want to spoil the fun by pointing out any in particular.
It is interesting to see that some of Sir Roy Strong's collection of Elizabethan and Stuart portraits are up for sale. The Daily Mail have been publishing some extracts of his upcoming published diaries covering the years 2006-2015. As ever, there are some very amusing art and museum related anecdotes within.
One thing I have noticed in this sale is that Christie's have started to include more pictures within their frames within the browse section. I personally think this is an excellent idea. It really does enhance the often bland experience of scrolling through endless thumbnails. Showing pictures in their elaborate frames can also have the beneficial side-effect of making slightly less obvious pictures look far more exciting.
Constable Sketches Found in Forgotten Album
November 23 2020
Picture: The Guardian
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Guardian have published a story regarding sketches by John Constable that were recently unearthed in a forgotten album. The album of drawings, watercolours, prints and poems had been compiled by the Mason family of Colchester. Created between the years 1794 - 1862, it contains several works by the young Constable including a sketch of his cousin Jane Anne Mason (pictured).
The album will be offered at auction by Sotheby's in December carrying an estimate of £24k - £28k.
Bonhams December Sale
November 23 2020
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Bonhams have publisher their upcoming December old master paintings sale. The auction will be held on 17th December 2020 in London.
Amongst the many interesting lots are these portraits of King Charles I and Queen Henrietta Maria after the famous double portrait in the Pitti Palace, Florence. They carry a rather tempting estimate of £8k - £12k.
The Pitti Palace painting has a curious history in its own right. Although traditionally given to Van Dyck, it has been suggested that they are mostly the work of Medici court painter Justus Sustermans (1597-1681).* It's rather hard to tell from the photos how old the Bonhams copies are, but the spectacular Florentine carved frames really do make them look very special indeed.
* - Reference needed, but I'm away from my books!
Sell the Hockney (ctd.)
November 20 2020
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Nicholas Cullinan has announced on his Instagram page that David Hockney's portrait of Sir David Webster will be going on display in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London once it reopens in 2023. The portrait, which was sold by the Royal Opera House (ROH) in London at Christie's last month for £12.8m (inc. commission), will stay in the ROH for now. It has been reported by some newspapers that the painting was purchased by David Ross, the mobile phone billionaire and chairman of the ROH. Ross is also a trustee of the NPG.
__________
Let's hope all institutions that are faced with similar dilemmas also have a wealthy chairman in the wings to save the day!
Christie's December Evening Sale
November 19 2020
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's have uploaded their December old master paintings evening sale online. The sale will be held on 15th December 2020, presumably to allow for a lifting of lockdown to facilitate viewings in person.
Highlights include the above Nativity by Bernardino Luini estimated at £3m - £5m; A Landscape with Cattle by Paulus Potter estimated at £2m - £3m; a gleaming Drummer Boy by Frans van Mieris estimated at £800k - £1.2m; a bozzetto by Van Dyck estimated at £300k - £500k; and a very yellowed Salvator Mundi by Domenico Ghirlandaio estimated at £300k - £500k.
Fans of British painting will also notice a rare William Hogarth painting of a player, from the collection of the Earls of Lonsdale, estimated at £200k - £300k; a Turner watercolour of Genoa estimated at £120k - £180k; and my favourite an outstanding sketch of Leighton Hall by John Constable estimated at £80k - £120k.
Pre-war Provenance of Christie's Ghirlandaio
November 19 2020
Picture: Christie's & Muzeum Pałacu Króla Jana III w Wilanowie
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader from Poland has sent through some interesting articles that shed light on the Pre-war provenance of the Salvator Mundi by Domenico Ghirlandaio that is coming up in Christie's Evening Sale in December.
It turns out that the painting had been in a Polish collection before the war. A website published by the Muzeum Pałacu Króla Jana III in Wilanowie, Poland, shows that the work was included in an 1940 exhibition of old masters from Polish collections held at European Art Galleries Inc. NYC where it was photographed (right).
Another article shows a photograph featuring Count Jerzy Potocki, the Polish Ambassador in Washington and S. Maurice Solomon, owner of European Art Galleries Inc. standing in front of the very same painting.
Although the lender of the work was not published, it has been suggested that the owner had been the Counts Potocki of Łańcut. The most valuable pictures in the Potocki collection were seemingly transferred to Austria and Switzerland in 1944. There is no further information yet on what happened to the work in the intervening period. The painting was presumed lost until now.
The provenance Christie's has supplied mentions that the work had been purchased in Paris during 1955 by the present owners family, and had previously been with an A L Nicholson. No wartime provenance is supplied.
Christie's have been informed and are conducting a full review before making a comment.
Update - Christie's have updated the work's provenance in their online catalogue note. It includes the following addition:
Schachna Maurice Solomon, London, by 1931, with his International Art Galleries Ltd., by whom taken to New York by circa 1937, with his European Art Galleries Inc., until at least 1940.
Update 2 - I've cast my eyes over a letter from the Polish Ministry for Culture and National Heritage regarding their thoughts on the picture's provenance. Their verdict is that the paintings were brought to New York in 1940 in order to be sold to benefit the Polish Pavilion at the 1939 New York World Exhibition. The ownership of the works rested with the Standing Committee and not the Polish State. Thus, the Salvator Mundi is not considered a war time loss.
The Sleeper That Never Was
November 18 2020
Picture: Chiswick Auctions
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
In October 2015 the above painting sold for $25,000 at a provincial auction house in the USA. It is clear that the buyer might have hoped the picture was a rather damaged sketch by Rubens. Not all sleepers turn out the way you want them to. The work is now being offered at Chiswick Auctions carrying an estimate of £2k - £3k. It had been offered at Sotheby's in 2017 (where it sold for £4,375 inc. premium) and the Dorothem in 2018 (estimated at €4k - €6k).
Caveat Emptor.
'Salaì' Magdalene Makes €1.74m
November 18 2020
Video: Artcento
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A painting of The Penitent Magdalene by Leonardo's pupil Gian Giacomo Caprotti called Salaì (1480-1524) achieved €1,745,000 (inc. commission) against its €100k - €150k today at Artcurial auctions in France.
There were several doubts about the attribution cast in various corners, which might be expected given the incredible rarity of the artist's work. I must say, the above video makes the painting look more engaging than the rather flat images that have been made available online. The price achieved was a good one, but, one might imagine that it would have been much more if enough serious bidders had been involved. We'll wait and see if it turns up anywhere interesting...
Coincidentally, my favourite painting in the sale went unsold!
De Heem to Lead Christie's December Sale
November 17 2020
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's have announced that a large-scale still life by Jan Davidsz de Heem will lead their upcoming old master paintings sale in London.
The picture has been in a private collection since 1817 and re-emerged in an English private residence in 2016. The last record for the artist was set by Christie's in 1988 with the sale of an equally monumental banqueting still life at for $6.6m. The details of the picture really are outstanding and are worth zooming into digitally.
The painting will be offered for sale at auction on 15th December 2020 carrying an estimate of £4m - £6m.
Spot the Constable
November 17 2020
Picture: The Wallace Collection & Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's are offering a very intriguing copy in their December old master paintings day sale.
Between 1831-4 the British artist John Constable made a copy of Jean-Baptiste Greuze's Girl with Doves specifically for his friend Cordelia, Lady Jackson. The artist had written to the then owner of the Greuze in 1831 explaining "This friend of mine has a dear little daughter, taken from her by an unkind husband. She pines for her child - this picture [The Greuze] is the exact image of the soft lovely girl, of whom she is bereft, & without any memorial.' The copy was completed by 1834 and sent to Lady Jackson who paid 30 pounds for it.
The Greuze is now owned by the Wallace Collection in London. I have put them side by side above in no particularly order. Can you spot the copy?
Once you've decided, click here to see the original Greuze and here to see an image of the Constable copy coming up at Sotheby's (which carries as estimate of £15k - £20k I should probably add).
Sleeper Alert!
November 16 2020
Picture: Hôtel des Ventes Giraudeau
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sleepers don't take weekends off. News on Twitter (via. @auctionradar) that the above Saint Joseph catalogued as 'Neapolitan School, XVIII Century, in the style of Ribera' made €112,000 (hammer) over its €1,000 estimate at the Hôtel des Ventes Giraudeau last Saturday.
Sotheby's London Evening Sale
November 16 2020
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's have uploaded their upcoming Old Master Paintings evening sale online. The sale will take place on 10th December 2020.
Amongst the highlights is a Botticelli Crucifixion estimated at £800k - £1.2m; a Dancing Couple scene by Jan Steen estimated at £1m - £1.5m; a particularly dark and brooding landscape by Jacob van Ruisdael estimated at £800k - £1.2m; and a Saint Francis of Assisi by El Greco estimated at £500k - £700k.
There are also some significant paintings from British private collections, including some with notable aristocratic provenances. These include portraits by Van Dyck, Peter Lely and Pompeo Batoni.
My personal pick is this fine Peter Lely of Elizabeth Capel holding a baroque guitar (pictured) carrying a tempting estimate of £100k - £150k. Coincidentally, here is a video of an original seventeenth century baroque guitar in playable condition, in case you wondered what Elizabeth's instrument might have sounded like.
Here is a link to the upcoming old masters sale, with lots of sculpture and other works of art included, at Sotheby's Paris on 3rd December 2020.
Rediscovered Constable Sketch at Sworders
November 16 2020
Video: Sworders
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sworders auction house in Essex has announced that it has re-identified an oil sketch by John Constable. This view of Dedham Vale with Brantham mill and haystacks had been dismissed as a copy. The auctioneers decided that some further digging was required and eventually managed to acquire the seal of approval from Constable scholar Anne Lyles.
The picture will be sold in their December sale carrying an estimate of £100k - £150k.
Update - The painting sold for £91,000 (inc. commission).
Edward VI Panel makes 21x Estimate
November 12 2020
Picture: Peter Francis Auctions
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News on Twitter (via. @mcewangallery) that this panel of Edward VI catalogued as 'After Holbein, considered an 18th copy' made £21,000 (hammer) over its £1,000 estimate yesterday in Wales. The pictures of the reverse seem to suggest that the back has been lined with material that resembles a bin liner.
RAMM Acquires Girtin Watercolour of Exeter Cathedral
November 11 2020
Picture: RAMM
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter (RAMM) has announced that it has acquired a watercolour by Thomas Girtin of the Interior of Exeter Cathedral. The work dates to 1797 and was exhibited at the Royal Academy in the following year.
The work was in fact sold at Christie's in July of this year where it realised £15,000 (hammer price). The acquisition was made possible with money received from the Art Fund, The RAMM Friends and the Kent Kingdon Trust
