AMSTERDAM.- Today’s sale of 19th Century European Painting at Sotheby’s Amsterdam brought €1,586,925 ($2,312,848), within pre-sale expectations (est. €1.5 – 2 million). The auction achieved sell- through rates of 46.9% by lot and 69.2% by value, and set three new artist records.

The highest price achieved was for Winter in the Streets of a Dutch Town painted by Willem Koekkoek (1839-1895), one of the most distinguished painters of townscapes, which realised €228,750 ($333,389) against a pre- sale estimate of €100,000 – 150,000. Koekkoek’s works were greatly admired all over Europe for their nostalgic mood and uniquely refined and detailed style of painting. This painting is an impressive example, not only because of its size, but also because of its ability to capture Holland's Age of Romanticism.

Speaking after the sale, Mrs. Eveline van Oirschot, Chairman of Sotheby’s Amsterdam, said: ‘This very successful total result shows us again the strong demand nowadays for paintings of good quality coming from private collections.’

Other highlights of today’s sale include: In church considered as one of the finest paintings by the American artist Gari Melchers fetched €88,350 ($128,765), above the pre-sale high estimate (est. €50,000 – 70,000), and is bought by the American Telfair Museum of Art. The painting was once part of the collection of Walther Rathenau, the Berlin industrialist and founder of the German Democratic Party, who was murdered in 1922 by officers of the extreme right wing party because of his Jewish background and political ideas.

Holly McCullough of the Telfair Museum of Art comments :’Gari Melchers served as the Telfair’s fine arts advisor between 1906-1916 and was responsible for acquiring some of the very finest works in our collection. We are absolutely delighted to attain this very fine example of Melchers’ early work as a tribute to his ongoing legacy at the Telfair.’

A beautiful city view, Figures at the fishmarket in Delft, by Cornelis Springer realised €162,750 ($237,198), against a pre-sale estimate of €150,000 – 200,000.

Another high price is realised for A girl in kimono a magnificent watercolour by Floris Arntzenius, which sold for €78,750 ($114,773), well above pre-sale expectations (est. €20,000 – 30,000).

Sotheby’s Amsterdam holds “19th Century Paintings” auctions twice a year. The next sale will take place on 12 December 2011.

* Pre-sale estimates do not include buyer’s premium