HONG KONG.- Following the success of the previous editions of Modern Masters and Age Of Elegance in Hong Kong, Sotheby’s Hong Kong brings these exciting selling exhibitions once again to its Gallery from 6 to 16 January 2014, namely Modern Masters: From Rembrandt To Picasso - Representation Of The Figure In Western Art and Age Of Elegance: European Paintings, Furniture And Works Of Art From The 19th Century, which showcase the masterpieces by critical artists in the history of Western art and the exceptional 19th century European Decorative Arts. Both exhibitions were mounted earlier in Beijing from 28 November to 1 December during Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week, and will be travelling to Hong Kong providing collectors with access to Western art from Asia.

Alongside these selling exhibitions, highlights from the London February Evening Sale of Modern and Impressionist Art will also be on view from 6 to 9 January, featuring works by Vincent Van Gogh, Marc Chagall, Léonard Foujita, to name a few.

SELLING EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
MODERN MASTERS: FROM REMBRANDT TO PICASSO -
REPRESENTATION OF THE FIGURE IN WESTERN ART
While past exhibitions of Modern Masters in 2010 and 2012 focused on Impressionist and Modern art from the 1890s to the 1960s, as well as the evolution of modern landscape paintings, the latest edition features 18 works from a broader art historical context and focuses on depictions of the figure, which has been the most highly prized and considered the most significant genre in Western art. With works ranging from one of the greatest 17th-century portraits by Rembrandt van Rijn remaining in private hands - Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, and the Rembrandt-inspired painting of a Musketeer, Le Peintre, by Pablo Picasso from the 1960s, to La Femme accroupie, a powerfully expressive bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, this selling exhibition presents some excellent examples of this subject by some of the critical artists in the history of Western art.

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 – 1669), Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo. Signed and dated 1658, 107.4 x 87 cm. Oil on canvas. Price on application
Following his arrival in Amsterdam in 1631, Rembrandt had enjoyed remarkable professional success in his early career as one of the most sought-after portraitists in the city. Although his later years were marked by financial hardship, Rembrandt remained a figure of international renown throughout his artistic career, sought after by the rich, famous and noble. Executed in 1658, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo was created in one of the most innovative but also the most difficult moments of the artist’s career. Only two other works dated 1658 in Rembrandt’s entire oeuvre are known to exist. Deviating from the realist painting style of his earlier portraits, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo focuses on the play of light, the illusion of colour within a restricted palette, and the evocative emotions of the subject. The soft brushstrokes, more atmospheric and painterly qualities of the present work were revolutionary at the time.

AGE OF ELEGANCE: EUROPEAN PAINTINGS, FURNITURE AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE 19TH CENTURY
With the success of the first Age Of Elegance selling exhibition which took place at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery in 2012, this edition continues to present an exceptional selection of European paintings, furniture and works of art from the 19th century. Each work has been selected to represent the pinnacle of the era’s European achievements in fine and decorative arts. A selection of highlights from this selling exhibition were showcased at Sotheby’s Beijing Art Week, and collectors and art lovers in Hong Kong can view the collection of the exhibition with around 45 works at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery in January 2014.