LONDON.- The morning’s Greek Sale achieved an outstanding total of £8,163,725/€11,584,360 (pre-sale estimate was £4,135,000-6,078,000) which represents the highest total ever achieved at any auction house for a sale in this category. The sum realised brings the total for sales of Greek Art at Sotheby’s this year to £15,638,125/€22,578,442 – the highest annual total to-date for sales of Greek Art at any auction house and the figure is virtually double Sotheby’s 2006 total for sales in this category. The sale saw 16 new auction records established.

The Spanish Sale realised £3,001,675/€4,259,390 (pre-sale estimate was £2,856,000-4,189,000) and brought the highest price of the day’s sales when Julio Romero de Torres’ oil on tempera Fuensanta sold for £826,900/€1,173,375, against a pre-sale estimate of £400,000-600,000, and achieved a new record for the artist at auction. Romero de Torres’ Fuensanta is a quintessential rendition of Andalousian beauty and the image became imbedded in the Spanish national conscience during the 25 years it graced the face of the country’s 100 Peseta note. The sale saw three further auction records established.

The inaugural sale of Symbolism and Poetic Vision art also performed well, achieving £2,111,625/€2,996,405, against a pre-sale estimate of £1,568,000-2,312,000. Eight new artist records were made in this field and almost half of the lots offered sold above their high estimates.

The mixed 19th Century European Paintings section of the sale brought £2,530,350/€3,590,577 (pre-sale estimate was £2,340,000-3,405,000).

The total for the day yesterday was £15,807,375 / €22,430,732 (pre-sale estimate was £10,899,000-15,984,000) and this brings the total for sales of 19th Century European Paintings (which includes Greek, Spanish, Scandinavian, Symbolist, Orientalist, German, Austrian and Central European Paintings) at Sotheby’s London this year to £45,685,895 / €66,708,456, which is the highest ever annual total for the department.