LONDON.- Clementine Sinclair, Head of The Classic Art Evening sale commented: Clients
responded extremely positively to the new and innovative Classic Art Evening sale,
with bidders registered from 22 countries and buyers from 5 continents. There were
strong prices in every category. The top price in the sale was achieved by the powerful
and enigmatic portrait by Rubens, which sold for £3.9million. The recently
rediscovered relief sculpture of the Death of Lucretia Attributed to Antonio Lombardo
generated a huge amount of interest and was strongly competed for, realising more
than seven times the low estimate and setting a new record price for the artist at
auction at £3.7 million. The cover lot, a Renaissance portrait by a Burgundian Master with Walpole provenance, and the Almanac Book of Hours with its unique iconography,
both dating to the late 15th century, far exceeded their pre-sale estimates, with each
making four times its low estimate, underlining the demand for rare objects with
remarkable provenance. Three spirited Tiepolo drawings from his celebrated
Punchinello series were 100% sold, as were two Romantic watercolours by Turner
from the Schnabel collection. Amongst other highlights from the Decorative Arts was
the exquisitely crafted George III gold and agate mounted automaton watch from the
workshop of James Cox. While Sarah Bernhardts Self-portrait as a Chimera, inkwell,
created a frenzy of bidding, resulting in the work making ten times its low estimate.
Overall, the results show that the market is as strong as ever for works that are fresh
to the market and exceptional in their field.
Results
£21,157,250 / $27,314,010 / 23,251,818
Selling 90% by value and 74% by lot
Global participation with bidders and buyers from 22 countries across 5 continents
Highlights include:
Lot 8, Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Portrait of a young woman realised £3,965,250
Lot 15, Attributed to Antonio Lombardo, Death of Lucretia, Marble Relief, realised £3,724,750
Lot 17, Master of the Monypenny Breviary and Associates, The Almanac Hours, realised £1,631,250
Lot 6, Burgundian Master, Portrait of a Man, realised £1,631,250
Lot 41, Joachim Wtewael, The Dutch maiden leading the Prince of Orange to battle,
realised £563,250
Lot 53, A George III Gold and Agate Mounted Automaton Watch, realised £ 443,250
6 new artist records. Records include:
Lot 15 ATTRIBUTED TO ANTONIO LOMBARDO (CIRCA 1468-1516 FERRARA), CIRCA
1510 Death of Lucretia. Estimate GBP 500,000 - GBP 800,000. Price Realised: £3,724,750 WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST
Lot 21 GIULIANO FINELLI (CARRARA 1601 - ROME 1653), CIRCA 1635-45, Aristotle and Homer. Estimate GBP 500,000 - GBP 800,000. Price Realised: £851,250. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST
Lot 3 Nicolas Neufchatel, ART FOR FUTURE SELECTED WORKS FROM THE UNICREDIT GROUP, Portrait of Valentin Kötzler (1499-1564), half-length, in a fur lined black gown and a black hat. Estimate GBP 70,000 - GBP 100,000. Price Realised £100,000. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST
Lot 40 Gerard Francksz van der Kuijl (Gorinchem 1604-1673), Philoctetes on Lemnos. Estimate GBP 70,000 - GBP 100,000. Price Realised: £299,250. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST
Lot 37 John Young Hunter (Glasgow 1874-1955 Taos, New Mexico), Vanity Fair. Estimate GBP 80,000 - GBP 120,000. Price Realised: £125,000. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST