Sotheby’s Old Masters Week Sales Bring More Than $80 Million Important Old Master Paintings & Sculpture sale highlighted by an $11 million
record-setting work by Batoni and a painting by French Rococo master Fragonard
sold to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
pre-sale high estimate of $30,000, realizing $626,500.
The week of sales began with the two-day sale of Property from the Estate of Giancarlo Baroni,
which brought a strong total of $13,859,634, above pre-sale expectations of $8.4 – 12.1 million.
Bidders from around the globe filled the salesroom and participated by phone and via the internet,
actively pursuing works from the renowned Old Master connoisseur, collector and dealer’s
collection, which ranged from 15th century gold ground paintings to works by El Greco, Giovanni
Battista Tiepolo, Bernardo Bellotto and Giovanni Boldini, among others. The sale was led by Eva
Gonzalès’ La demoiselle d’honneur, which achieved $2,546,500, more than four times its presale
high estimate of $600,000, and a new record for the artist at auction. The evening session alone brought in $11.6 million, well above the pre-sale high estimate of $9.4 million, with over 84% of lots sold. An outstanding price was achieved for lot 1, The Madonna and Child resting at a parapet by the Workshop of Andrea del
Verrocchio, which was sought after by several bidders, finally selling for $842,500, nearly eight times the high estimate of $120,000. Other highlights included Bernardo Bellotto’s Venice, a view of the Molo, looking west, with the Palazzo Ducale and south side of the Piazzetta which brought a strong price of $1,258,500. Two additional auction records were achieved today
for a work on paper by Bernardo Strozzi and Gian Paolo Panini. View of the courtyard of the Palazzo Farnese with the statue of Hercules, seen from behind and through an archway, and several figures by Gian Paolo Panini fetched $362,500 (est. $100/150,000) while The Penitent Magdalene holding a crucifix resting on a scull by Bernardo Strozzi sold for $152,500.
The Old Master Drawings sale on 30 January 2013 offered works from the 16th to 18th centuries
by French, Italian and Dutch artists and totaled $2,619,251. The sale was led by William Blake’s
The Gambols of Ghosts according with their Affections previous to the Final Judgement,
one of nineteen watercolors by him that were rediscovered in 2001 in a small bookshop in
Glasgow, which sold for $722,500, above its pre-sale high estimate. An artist record for Benedetto Luti was achieved with the sale of Allegory of the Elevation of Cardinal Deacon Oddone Colonna to the Papal Chair as Pope Martin V, bringing in $302,500, while a record
for a work on paper by Jan van Huysum was realized with the rare Roses and other flowers in an
open-weave basket selling for $122,500
A late 16th century Safavid Carpet sold for $1,930,500, more than double its pre-sale high estimate, during the Masterworks sale today, which brought in a
total of $5,374,000, within the pre-sale estimates of $5.2/8 million. A further highlight of the sale was the Morgan Aldobrandini Tazza, which fetched
$1,426,500, exceeding the estimates of $400,000 - $800,000. A magnificent Renaissance Colombian Emerald-set gold jewel recovered from the
shipwrecked Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha from the early 17th century brought in $410,500, above the
