AMSTERDAM.- Paintings, furniture and decorations from the Collection of Anne Paul Brinkman sold at Sotheby’s in Amsterdam Tuesday achieving a total of € 2 million. The Collection of Dutch designer/artist/ architect/antique dealer Anne Paul Brinkman was a decorator’s dream, offering paintings, furniture and decorations, Chinese ceramics, antiquities and works of art.
Drs Patrick van Maris van Dijk, Deputy Managing Director of Sotheby’s Amsterdam and the auctioneer of the evening session, said: “We are extremely pleased with the performance of this sale, which doubled the pre-sale estimate. The sale has captured the imagination of people in Europe, mainly Holland, France, Spain and Belgium, and the USA. All top lots sold significantly above their high estimates, often doubling and sometimes even tripling expectations. The sale was 94% sold, both by value and by lots. Buying was divided evenly between Europeans and Americans, most of them private buyers.”
There was interest in all sections and many lots reached unexpected heights. The day’s top lot was a monumental 18th century Venetian Murano chandelier (lot 41) that went to a private US buyer for € 97,600, against a pre-sale estimate of € 25,000-35,000. A Louis XV style gilt bronze, reverse glass painted bureau plat, stamped Jansen and dating from circa 1930, was secured by a Dutch collector for € 85,400, nearly four times the pre-sale estimate. A George III black, red and white lacquered sideboard (lot 370) doubled expectations selling for € 61,000 to a Dutch private buyer. A Spanish collector succeeded in obtaining a Spanish giltwood barometer, bearing the signature of Antonio Mossi, 1759 (lot 371), for € 46,360 - doubling the estimate. A German baroque giltwood side table, probably made in Munich circa 1720 (lot 367) sold for €39,040 and a large Italian Baroque faux bois painted and ebonised mirror (lot 42) from the 18th century, fetched € 34,160, tripling its estimate.
The section of paintings was lead by the Self-portrait by Dirk Homberg (lot 407). The portrait found a Dutch collector willing to pay circa ten times the estimate, € 51,240. Marius Bauer’s Luxor (lot 365) was hammered down for €36,600 –comfortably doubling the estimate. An untitled painting by André Lanskoy from 1969 (lot 55) did strikingly well selling to a Dutch collector for € 29,280 - by far exceeding the estimate of € 12,000-15,000.
The interest from a number of bidders lifted the price of an 18th century French white marble statue of Louis XIV (lot 434) to € 30,500, five times estimate. The statue was made after the original by the 17th century sculptor Martin Desjardins. A South European neo-classical ormolu and cut-glass 18-light chandelier (lot 433) fetched €30,500. A grand Venetian parcel gilt wrought iron 8-light chandelier from the 19th century (lot 307) sold for € 29,280. The same amount was paid by US private collector for a 19th century Italian carved white marble column (lot 40).
Extraordinary prices continued when an amusing, probably English, cast iron picnic table with rotating seats (lot 139) went to the US trade for € 20,740, vastly exceeding its pre-sale estimate of € 1,500-1,800. The same amount was paid for a monumental 19th century Chinese porcelain vase with Qianlong mark (lot 94) - also ten times the pre-sale estimate.
