News-Antique.com - Feb 01,2013 - Nicholas Hall, Co-Chairman of Old Masters & 19th Century Art: “We are delighted with the new world auction records established during Christie’s Old Masters Week, which realized the highest total for the series of sales in New York since 2006 at $88.4 million. We are also so pleased by the results of this week's Renaissance sale that we have decided to repeat a themed Renaissance sale in January 2014. Notable new world auction records include the exquisite Madonna and Child by Fra Bartolommeo, which was the top lot of the week at $12,962,500, the rare Rockefeller Madonna by Botticelli, which doubled its low estimate to achieve $10,442,500, and Chardin’s Embroiderer, which sold for $4,002,500. Competitive international bidding from private clients, new and established, affirms the strength and enduring appeal of Old Master works of art.”
Jennifer Wright, Head of Sale, Old Master & 19th Century Drawings, New York: “The Old Master & 19th Century Drawings sale shattered the previous record for a drawings sale in New York. At $16.5 million it is the highest grossing sale of Old Master Drawings in New York. This sale also included world-record prices for multiple artists, most notably, Claude Lorrain, whose Wooded Landscape made $6.1 million, surpassing the previous world record auction price for any drawing or painting by the artist. Thomas Gainsborough’s Portrait of Caroline, 4th Duchess of Marlborough, a rare work in pastel made $2.4 million, more than doubling the previous world record price for a work on paper by this artist. Auction records were also set for Jean-Baptiste-Dominique Ingres, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Adriaen van de Velde and Thomas Couture. Including Raphael's drawing Saint Benedict receiving Maurus and Placidus, which was sold in the Renaissance sale for $1,202,500, three drawings sold for over $1 million this week and 16 for over $100,000. New York continues to be a strong venue for British works on paper – with top prices being achieved for drawings by James Barry and Richard Westall in addition to Gainsborough. With all major consignments coming from North American consignors and aggressive bidding at every level from American collectors, today’s sale demonstrates that the Americas continue to be an important and vibrant source for both buyers and sellers in the Old Master & Early British Drawings & Watercolors market.”
Benjamin Peronnet, International Director, Old Master Drawings: “The sale results prove the depth of the Old Master Drawings market with multiple bidders on all the top lots in the Distinguished Private Collection which made $7,830,750 in 19 lots. With strong participation from private collectors and institutions in this sale we look forward to strong sales in Paris in April and London in July.”
To view the top ten results for each sale, please click on the following links:
Albrecht Dürer – Masterpieces from a Private Collection
http://www.christies.com/presscenter/pdf/2013/results_durer.pdf
Old Master Paintings Part 1
http://www.christies.com/presscenter/pdf/2013/omp_results.pdf
