“Long winter for Old Masters” headlined the Financial Times’ Collecting section this past weekend, referring to the bad performances of London Old Master auctions the previous week. Although Georgina Adam is right in making this statement, what isn’t mentioned is the serious lack of good quality paintings on offer, the ridiculously high estimates given by auction house experts, and a headline lot failing to sell because of authenticity concerns.
Rembrandt Discovered in New Jersey?
After a calm August, the art world frenzy is starting to pick up and this week's auction at Nye & Co in New Jersey caused great excitement among the Old Master dealers. This small work on board catalogued as Continental School, 19th century with an estimate of $500-800 sold for $870,000 believed to be a lost-panel by a teenage Rembrandt.
Colonial Art Gets More Attention with High Prices and Museum Shows
Look at this pair of Casta paintings (see below for info on Castas) that fetched $641,000 at Sotheby's Latin Art Modern & Contemporary Sale! They were estimated at $80,000-120,000, which was very modest but to reach this level is really remarkable.
Sotheby's to Offer Rare Botticelli Drawing this Summer
Sotheby's secures an impressive group of works for their July Old Master Paintings sale in London; one that was put together by Barbara Piasecka Johnson (1937-2013) wife of the late John Seward Johnson, co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson firm.
Rembrandt Discovery at Auction?
Everyone in the Old Master market is talking about the astonishing price achieved for a Netherlandish School painting that was sold at Lempertz on 17th of May. This multi-figured large composition on canvas is thought to be a work by the great master Rembrandt himself,
World Record for a Piece of Ancient History from Babylon
Look at this rare piece of history that was auctioned off at Doyle New York on 9th of April and sold for a world record $605,000! The large Babylonian cylinder is not only an important example of cuneiform, but it is also from the reign Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon from 604 – 562 BC, who was one of the most famous ancient rulers. It
Impressive Price at Auction for Portrait by Greuze
This portrait of a man by Jean-Baptiste Greuze fetched 620,000 Euro at auction this week - what an incredible price for a work by this French romantic painter of the 18th century. The auction house Rieunier & Associes in Paris put an estimate of 120,000 - 150,000 Euro.