LONDON.- “Over the past days, the galleries have come alive with visitors drawn to these remarkable paintings, and witnessing that enthusiasm has been immensely rewarding. This evening, great works found fitting homes: from the Eworth, which set a new auction record for an Elizabethan portrait, to the extraordinary 15th-century Sherborne triptych, which sold to a Christian Foundation with close links to the Brethren at the Almshouse. Similarly, the sale of some of these works will fund great causes, as is the case with the captivating portrait of Saint John by Rembrandt. The rarity of these works and the depth of their provenance encouraged meaningful and cross-category bidding, as collectors sought the opportunity to secure a piece of history. This evening’s results were shaped by the calibre and character of the works on offer, many of which were steeped, or sometimes hidden, in centuries of history. The warm response from collectors reflects not only the inherent quality of these works, but also the scholarship and dedication that went into bringing their stories to light.” --- Elisabeth Lobkowicz, Head of Department, Old Master Paintings
Facts & Figures
• Total: £30.7m / $40.5m (est. £22.5m-33.3m / $29.7 - 44m) - among the highest totals for an evening sale of Old Masters at Sotheby’s in London in the past five years
• Taking the running total for the Old Masters Division at Sotheby’s this year to $218m - up almost 50% on last year
Cross-category bidding:
• Lot 1, Early 16th-century portrait (South German School) of the architect Moritz Ensinger - bidding from Tom Eddison, Sotheby’s Co-Head of Contemporary Art, London
• Lot 2, A triptych with the five miracles of Christ by The Master of the Sherborne Almshouse Triptych - bidding from Ottilie Windsor, Sotheby’s Co-Head of Contemporary Art, London
• Lot 5, Portrait of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk by Hans Eworth - directly underbid by Tom Eddison Lot 12, Portrait study of an old man by Sir Peter Paul Rubens - bidding from Ottilie Windsor
• The sale follows on the heels of the Sven A. Behrendt Collection which realised £3.1m / $4.1m, led by Hans Bol’s panoramic view of Antwerp, sold for £1.1m / $1.4m (est. £600,000-800,000) - a record for a painting by the artist at auction
• Over 5000 visitors to 5-day preview exhibition
Great Works Find Their New Homes
The Master of the Sherborne Almshouse Triptych: The Five Miracles of Christ, c.1480-90
Having spent much of its life in the Sherborne Almshouse in Dorset, a vibrantly coloured, perfectly preserved triptych, newly- established to have been painted in Brussels in 1480-90 and capturing, in captivating detail, the Five Miracles of Christ, was sold tonight to support the Almshouse’s core mission of providing support to those in need (full pre-sale release here). The painting more than doubled its pre-sale estimate, selling for £5.7m / $7.5m (est. £2.5-3.5m).
The winning bidder provided this statement: “The buyer is a Christian Charitable foundation which already has a close relationship with the brethren at the Almshouse. They are committed to long term links with the local community of Sherborne and wish to make the Triptych available on a regular basis as a public loan in the town in the future.”
Richard Hunt, Chair of the Almshouse Trustees, commented: “We were thrilled to see the importance of this extraordinary painting fully recognised by those who competed for it this evening. This outcome represents a transformative moment for the Almshouse. For five centuries our mission has been to provide accommodation for local people in need. The proceeds of this sale will enable us not only to safeguard that mission for generations to come, but also to act on it immediately, creating new homes and supporting independent living for those who are facing hardship. Recent research on the painting has cemented its art historical importance – something that will be of value to generations of art lovers and scholars for many years to come. Beyond that, though, its legacy will also now live on in the lives it helps to change.”
Hans Eworth’s Portrait of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1538-78)
One of the most significant Tudor portraits remaining in private hands, Hans Eworth’s Portrait of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1538-78) sold to Clore Wyndham bidding in the room on behalf of the Duke of Norfolk and the Arundel Castle Trustees, for £3.2m / $4.2m (est. £2-3m) - a record for an Elizabethan portrait at auction
Further Top Results
• Rembrandt's captivating Saint John on Patmos realised £6.8m / $8.9m (est. £5-7m), acquired by Johnny van Haeften
• Sold by the Budapester Foundation - funds will go towards the protection of engendered wildlife, University scholarships for Hungarian citizens to study at Cambridge, Oxford or University of London and charitable causes in Africa
• Pieter Brueghel the Younger’s magical biblical scene, The Census at Bethlehem - last offered at auction almost half a century ago - surpassed its high estimate, selling for £5.2m / $6.8m (est. £3-5m)
• Sir Peter Paul Rubens’ The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne adored by Saints of the House of Habsburg - a major rediscovery from the artist's mature Antwerp period - sold for £2.5m / $3.3m (est. £2-3m)
• A further work by the artist, Portrait study of an old man, realised £1.3m / $1.7m (est. £1-1.5m)
Other Standouts from the Evening
• A rediscoveded work by Frans Hals, Portrait of Verdonck brandishing a jawbone, previously known only through a black- and-white photograph, sold for £762,000 / $1m (est. £800,000-1.2m)
• Joseph Mallord William Turner’s depiction of Venus and Adonis (Adonis Departing for the Chase) - last offered at auction in 1971 for £7,000 - surpassed its estimate, achieving £762,000 / $1m (est. £400,000-600,000)
• Making its auction debut, an engraving of Adam and Eve by Albrecht Dürer realised a double estimate £508,000 / $671,220 (est. £250,000-450,000)
• An estuary scene with smalschips on a broad reach before a gentle breeze by Salomon van Ruysdael brought £482,600 / $637,659 (est. £400,000-600,000)
• Hendrick ter Brugghen’s A singing boy playing a stringed instrument - unseen at auction since last offered at Sotheby’s London in 1965 - achieved £457,200 / $604,098 (est. £200,000-300,000)
• A posthumous Portrait of the architect Moritz Ensinger (c.1430-1482/3), dating to the early 16th century in South Germany, saw strong bidding, doubling its high estimate to sell for £317,500 / $419,513 (est. £100,000-150,000)
• Formerly in the collection of Peter Wilson, former Sotheby’s chairman and the visionary who pioneered the tradition of the great evening auction, a flamboyant still life by Alexandre-François Desportes brought £304,800 / $402,732 (est. £200,000-300,000)
• Appearing at auction for the first time since 1763, David Teniers the Younger’s Village landscape with herdsmen, a milkmaid, cattle, sheep and a dog, a city beyond, realised £215,900 / $285,269 (est. £80,000-120,000)
• A pair of refined, small-scale still lifes by Balthasar van Ast - A still life of shells, with a wasp and a caterpillar on a stone ledge and A still life with a variegated tulip, a sprig of bluebells and a shell on a stone ledge with a fly and a butterfly - achieved £190,500 / $251,708 (est. £100,000-150,000)
• A roebuck by Raden Saleh, an Arab-Indonesian painter, sold for £127,000 / $167,805 (est. £100,000-150,000)
