NEW YORK, NY.- The top lot Classic Week was Jan Sander van Hemessens Double portrait of a husband and wife, half-length, seated at a table, playing tables, which sold for $10,036,000, earning a new world auction record for the artist and a new record for an early Netherlandish painting. Other top lots included Annibale Carraccis The Madonna and Child with Saint Lucy and the Young Saint John the Baptist which sold for $6,063,500, earning a new world auction record for the arist. Additionally, Lorenzo Monacos The Prophet Isaiah realized $3,615,000, which earned a new world auction record for the artist.
The top lot of from the Estate of Lila and Herman Shickman was Juan van der Hamen y Leóns Peaches, pears, plums, peas and cherries in wicker baskets, figs, plums and cherries on pewter plates, a boquet of tulips, blue and yellow irises, roses and other flowers in a Venetian crystal vase with terracotta and glass vessels and stone fruit on a stone ledge, which sold for $6,517,500, a new world auction record for the artist. The other top lot within the sale includes Willem Kalfs A chafing dish, two pilgrims canteens, a silver-gilt ewer, a plate and other tableware on a partially draped table, which realized $ 2,775,000, earning a new world auction record for the artist.
The top lot of the Old Masters Paintings and Sculpture sale was a pair of parcel-gilt polychrome wood altarpiece reliefs attributed to Hans Klocker And Workshop circa 1495-1500, which achieved $362,500. Top works of sculpture include Rudolf (Ridolfo) Schadows White Marble Figure Of The Sandal Binder, which sold for $200,000 and a bronze figure of Neptune attributed to Benedikt Wurzelbauer, circa 1600, which totaled $200,000 against an estimate of $40,000-60,000. A still-life by Cristoforo Munari was the top painting, selling for $162,000 over an estimate of $60,000- 80,000, and a large group of European quartz and glass cameos, largely 18th, 19th and 20th century, soared above its estimate of $5,000-8,000 to achieve $156,250.
Francois de Poortere, International Director, Head of Old Masters, comments, We are thrilled with the strong results of all the Old Masters sales, which had 92% sell-through rate by value supported by competitive bidding from five continents. Several new world auction records were established, led by Jan Sanders van Hemessens Double portrait of a husband and wife, half-length, seated at a table, playing tables. The painting was sold from the collection of Frank Stella, realizing $10,036,000, and set a record for any early Netherlandish work of art at auction. Further records include Annibale Carraccis The Madonna and Child with Saint Lucy and the Young Saint John the Baptist ($6,063,500) and Lorenzo Monacos The Prophet Isaiah ($3,615,000), both from the collection of Richard Feigen. The Estate of Lila and Herman Shickman also set new world auction records for still-lives by Juan van der Hamen y Leon ($6,517,500) and Willem Kalf ($2,775,000). Christies are honored to have been entrusted with works from the prestigious collections of Frank Stella, Richard Feigen and the Estate of Lila and Hermann Shickman, all of which ensured that todays sales will remain memorable.