NEW YORK, NY.- The story of one of the greatest collections of Old Masters to come to auction in recent memory begins in earnest with a tiny jewel. During a visit to a Sotheby’s exhibition in January 1998, Mrs. Jordan Saunders encountered Francesco Guardi’s intimate painting of Venice, A View of the Church of the Redentore. So struck by its beauty, she described the work as “a little jewel” and swore “I heard that little picture speak to me.” A subsequent conversation with George Wachter, Sotheby’s Chairman and Co- Worldwide Head of Old Master Paintings, and the purchase that followed, was to mark the beginning of a collecting adventure that resulted in one of the finest Old Master collections assembled in our times.
Explore the shimmering landscapes and vibrant scenes of 18th-century Venice through the works of Francesco Guardi. Find art books, prints, and more to bring the beauty of his art into your home.
With the help and guidance of George Wachter, the Saunders eagerly hunted for the masterworks that spoke to their keen eye for quality, beauty, rarity and provenance, assembling a collection remarkable both in its geographical scope and in its chronological sweep, ranging from 1520s Germany, by way of Dutch and Flemish, Italian, Spanish and French art of the 16th-19th centuries, and ending with an exceptional 1820s portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
Comprising fifty-six works, many of which have been exhibited at leading institutions around the world, the collection will be offered for sale this May at Sotheby’s New York in a dedicated auction, with additional works offered in Sotheby’s Masters Week sale, and – with an estimate of $80-120m – is poised to break the record for any Old Masters collection offered at auction.
"Partnering with the Saunders to build this extraordinary collection has been one of the great privileges of my career - and a true adventure. Starting in the late 1990s, I helped them scour the world for the best of the best, travelling together - sometimes at a moment’s notice - to unearth great works and seize fleeting opportunities around the globe. This collection could never have been assembled without the Saunders' steadfast determination, decisiveness, impeccable eye, and unwavering trust in me, for which I am deeply grateful. From exceptional Dutch pictures to marvelous Venetian Views by Guardi, from Lawrence’s unbelievably beautiful portrait to one of the most exquisite Meléndez still lifes, the collection is truly one of a kind. This auction is a profound full circle moment for me, and it is an honor to once again play a part in shepherding these works into the next great collections.” -- George Wachter, Sotheby's Chairman and Co-Worldwide Head of Old Master Paintings
JORDAN AND THOMAS A. SAUNDERS III
Born in Ivor, Virginia, Thomas A. Saunders III developed a sharp business instinct from a young age; by the time he was 12 years old, he had grown his newspaper delivery route to be the largest in the city of Norfolk. A pioneering figure on Wall Street, Saunders spent 20 years at Morgan Stanley as a partner and managing director. Though initially collectors in other fields, notably Classic English and European Furniture, silver and ceramics, and Chinese Export porcelain, Tom Saunders and his wife Jordan spent years in dedicated pursuit of exceptional Old Master Paintings, seeking out works of the very best quality and provenance, and meeting a community of collectors and dealers along the way who shared their same passion.
“I can’t explain why I’m so drawn to this period. I do know that I am in awe of the artists’ techniques, the stories the pictures tell, all the tiny details and, in some, the hidden symbolism. Is it not remarkable the sheer beauty and freshness they all have, even after being on a canvas for hundreds of years?” -- Jordan Saunders
So impassioned by their quest, the couple braved snowstorms and canceled or diverted holidays and meetings whenever opportunities to view potential purchases arose. They were decisive collectors, seizing fleeting opportunities to acquire the best. In the words of Tom Saunders, “we know at first glance if we like a picture.” Throughout their journey, they were guided by Sotheby’s George Wachter, and thanks to their trust and friendship, the couple would jump in the car or on a plane to meet George, to make the most of impromptu opportunities. They were also ready to make quick decisions on the basis of his advice, as in the case of the Frans Post painting, which was discovered in an attic, covered in soot, but which would, George assured them, clean to be one of the artist’s very best works.
The Saunders’ legacy of collecting is matched by their generous philanthropy. Deeply committed to causes across the arts, education, history, and cultural institutions, the Saunders were the first joint recipients of the National Humanities Medal, presented to them by President George W. Bush. Jordan is involved in a number of philanthropic causes, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Board of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and is involved in a number of other causes and organizations.
The auction in May comes on the heels of Sotheby’s 2024 auction, Elegance and Wonder: The Jordan Saunders Collection, which celebrated the interiors created by Jordan Saunders as a setting for her generous hospitality, and for the couple’s distinguished collection of Old Master paintings.
The group of works to be offered this season has at its heart a remarkable group of still-lifes by Dutch and Flemish masters of the 17th century, alongside exceptional portraits and landscapes - many of them among the best works by the artists ever to appear at auction.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
LANDSCAPES
Francesco Guardi, Venice, A View of the Punta della Dogana and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute and Venice, A View of the Churches of San Giorgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute, oil on canvas, a pair, Estimate $10-15 million
“I am always curious as to where the pictures hanging on these walls have been over the last three centuries. With no control over their destiny, they have been traveling around the world for these many years—stacked in artist studios, hanging on the walls in collectors’ homes, dealers’ shops, great country houses, and even in palaces.” -- Thomas A. Saunders III
Only a few years after the Saunders’ first encounter with Guardi’s Venice, A View of the Church of the Redentore, their love affair with the master of Venetian view painting, Francesco Guardi, reached its climax when this pair of spectacular works by the artist crossed the auction block at Sotheby’s. This was another example of an opportunity firmly grabbed by the Saunders. The Guardis were one of the last lots in the sale, which was going unusually slowly, and another collector who had shown considerable interest in the works decided to go for lunch. The Saunders won the painting, and in the words of Jordan, “while he got a sandwich, we got the paintings.”
Formerly in the celebrated collection inherited by the French aristocrat, the Countess de Boisrouvray, Venice, A View of the Punta della Dogana and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute depicts a scene of gondolas sailing past The Dogana da Mar (Customs House of the Sea), and the church of Santa Maria della Salute - two of Venice’s most important buildings. Venice, A View of the Churches of San Giorgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute dramatically depicts three more landmarks. Playing cleverly with reality, Guardi here reduced the space between the two islands in order to fit them into one image, filling the foreground with a fleet of gondolas to create a vibrant, spatially complex scene at the end of the day in Venice.
Frans Post, View of Olinda with Ruins of the Jesuit Church, oil on panel, Estimate $6-8 million
This Frans Post landscape was a remarkable discovery, having been uncovered in a barn attic by a family in Connecticut. After the family tried to sell the work privately, Sotheby’s George Wachter caught wind of a mysterious unknown Post, tracked the work down, and immediately approached the Saunders to see if they were interested in acquiring it for their collection. Throughout their collecting journey, the Saunders relied on a strong and trusting relationship with George – never more truly evidenced than when the three went to see the Post. They were confronted by an offputtingly dirty painting, covered in generations of dust and soot, but trusting his assurance that underneath the grime lay a perfectly preserved work, the couple purchased the painting on the spot. A postage stamp-size square was subsequently cleaned, revealing the brilliant blue sky of the masterpiece.
Works by Post only rarely appear at auction: this painting is the most significant work by the artist to come to auction in three decades, and carries an estimate of $6-8 million - the highest estimate ever placed on a work by Post*. As part of an entourage that included poets and architects, as well as artists, Post had accompanied Prince Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen, the governor of the Dutch colonies in Brazil, on a grand visit to these territories. Post chose to paint an animated scene, intended perhaps to highlight Maurits’ legacy.
* The record for Frans Post was set at Sotheby’s in January 1997 for $4.5 million
STILL LIFE
Jan Davidsz. De Heem Still Life of Roses, Tulips, Lilies, Poppies, a Sunflower, an Iris, Honeysuckle and Other Flowers in a Glass Vase with Two Birds, a Grasshopper and a Snail, oil on canvas, Estimate $8-12 million
"On a whirlwind trip to Rome over Thanksgiving, we viewed – in secret – a truly magnificent picture which was hauled up a flight of stairs in a garbage bag because its owner didn’t want his wife to know he had it and didn’t want her to know he was selling it. We hung that picture over the drawing room fireplace.” --- Jordan Saunders
Among the very best paintings by Jan Davidsz. de Heem to appear at auction*, this vibrant, large-scale flower still-life was executed around 1674, towards the end of the artist’s career. Though a native of Utrecht, De Heem lived and worked for many years in Antwerp. He returned to Utrecht during the late 1660s, but was forced to leave again in 1671, when the city was threatened by French troops, living out the remainder of his life in Antwerp. The paintings, such as this one, that date from this final period were often laden with subtle political and religious messages, reflecting the turmoil of this war-torn period.
*The current record for de Heem is $7.6m, set in 2020
Luis Meléndez, Still Life with a Cauliflower, a Basket with Eggs, Leeks, and Fish, and Assorted Kitchen Utensils, oil on canvas, Estimate $5-8 million
In 1999, the Saunders and George Wachter embarked on an impromptu trip to snowy Montreal for a rare viewing of the renowned Hornstein collection of Old Masters. On the spot, the Saunders agreed to buy more than half a dozen works, but only if Hornstein would also let them acquire this absolute prize – the Meléndez – which had been omitted from the selection they were shown. The work found a home for the subsequent decades in the Saunders’ dining room.
Works by Meléndez, who is celebrated as one of the greatest Spanish still-life painters, only very rarely appear at auction, and this grand, life-like composition is one of the very best that has been offered: it is estimated to achieve $5-8 million - the highest estimate ever placed on a work by the artist. Executed in his signature vertical format, Still Life with a Cauliflower is the only example of a work featuring a cauliflower in the artist’s oeuvre. The composition juxtaposes the striking vegetable with everyday items nestled in a wicker basket beside a copper bowl – a motif that also features in his Still Life with Pigeons, A Food Basket, and Bowls in the Prado. The prominent presence of the cauliflower alludes to the artist’s ties to the Spanish Royal Family, as the vegetable, which was rare at the time, was grown in the garden at the Royal Palace of Aranjuez.
Adriaen Coorte, Wild Strawberries in a Kraak Wan-Li Bowl, oil on canvas, unlined, Estimate $2-3 million
Coorte was active for only 24 years, painting just one hundred works in that time, and this restrained composition captures the very best qualities of his rare works. He viewed the world with a classical restraint, idealizing forms to enable them to gain lasting significance and a timeless quality.
Wild strawberries were considered seasonal delights to be savored on special occasions, here placed in a porcelain bowl imported from China (the design of spotted deer elegantly echoing the patterns in the fruit’s pips). The strawberry was widely regarded as a ‘fruit of paradise’, a connotation that derived from Ovid, and here the bowl is filled to the brim with luscious berries in a vibrant affirmation of life.
PORTRAITURE
Sir Thomas Lawrence, Portrait of Miss Julia Peel, Oil on canvas, Estimate $6-8 million
This portrait of Julia Beatrice Peel, the eldest child of British Prime Minister Robert Peel and his wife Lady Peel was executed circa 1826 when their daughter was about five years old. In addition to the royal patronage of Kings George III and George IV, the artist received significant support from Robert Peel. Correspondence between Lawrence and Peel reveals that the artist and the politician engaged in lively exchanges regarding the development of the painting. Throughout the course of their sittings, Lawrence and Peel disagreed on which type of dog should be portrayed in Miss Peel’s lap; while Peel advocated for one of their family pets, he ultimately acquiesced to Lawrence’s recommendation of a Blenheim spaniel - a breed which the artist thought would better reflect Julia’s future as a great lady. Lawrence also painted a grand portrait of Julia’s mother, Lady Peel, which is now in The Frick Collection, in New York. The portrait of Miss Julia Peel is the finest example of a work by Lawrence to appear at auction in over two decades; the record price (of $4m) for the artist was set nearly 20 years ago, in 2006.
Frans Hals, Boy Playing the Violin; Girl Singing (a pair), oil on panel, a pair, Estimate $6-8 million
Frans Hals painted this rare pair of portraits in the mid-to-late 1620s, when he began to explore genre scenes of musical moments alongside his typical formal portraiture. The artist's focus on this theme could have been influenced by his situation at the time, as his home was filled with children. It is possible that two of his children, Sara and Frans, served as the models in this joyous scene. The works may well relate to the theme of the Five Senses, with the boy representing Hearing and the girl representing Sight. They likely once decorated a piece of furniture, such as a cabinet for musical instruments. The pair was recently exhibited at London’s National Gallery.
Gerrit Dou, Man Writing in an Artist's Studio, oil on panel, Estimate $5-7 million
“What can I say about my feelings as I looked at our Dou hanging in the National Gallery in Washington next to Queen Elizabeth II’s Dou? God Bless America” -- Thomas A. Saunders III (referring to a 2001 exhibition which travelled from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, to Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, and the Mauritshuis in the Hague)
This was one of eight exceptional paintings that the Saunders purchased in 1999 from Montreal-based collector Michal Hornstein.
A student of Rembrandt, Dou was – alongside his teacher – the most revered and seventeenth-century Dutch artist. He was widely admired, both for his painterly skill (the subtle lighting effects and brilliantly rendered textures in his paintings) and for his ability to convey moral and philosophical messages through his compositions. Here, we have an apparently ‘ordinary’ moment of daily life, with a central figure seated before a painter's easel, illuminated by a soft light. The central figure, an elderly scholar writing in a folio, is absorbed in thought, surrounded by symbolic objects – a violin, a globe, a Bible and an extinguished candle - all subtly evoking the panoply of life’s pleasures and its evanescence.
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