Sotheby's New York
10 A.M., June 4, 2015
Sale 9363
Lot 17, "Allegorical figure of a woman in a landscape holding a spear and a cornucopia possibly an allegory of Virtue," by Vittore Carpaccio, oil on panel, 5 1/4 by 10 3/4 inches
By
Carter B. Horsley
The June 4, 2015 auction of Master Paintings at Sotheby's New York is highlighted by numerous excellent works including a delightful small study by Vittore Carpaccio, a fine small battle scene attributed to Francesco Morrone, an impressive allegory of winter in the manner of Giuseppe Archimbolo, a fine allegory of Charity by Vincent Sellaer, an impressive head of an old man by Jan Lievens, a very nice Holy Family scene by Gaetano Gandolfi, and a very good work by Benjamin West.
Lot 17 is a small oil on panel by Vittore Carpaccio (1450-1522) entitled "Allegorical figure of a woman in a landscape holding a spear and a cornucopia possibly an allegory of Virture." It measures 5 1/4 by 10 3/4 inches and has been widely published. It was once in the collection of Peter Jay Sharp. It is one of three small panels thought to have been decorations for a piece of furniture. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $160,000. It sold for $150,000 includng the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.
The sale total was $4,346,875 with only 58.6 percent of the offered 140 lots selling.
Lot 13, "A Cavalry Skirmish," attributed to Francesco Morrone, tempera on panel, 8 1/4 by 11 1/4 inches
Lot 18, "Allegory of Winter," Manner of Giuseppe Archimboldo, oil on panel, 26 by 19 inches
Lot 21, "Allegory of Charity," by Vincent Sellaer, oil on panel, 31 1/4 by 24 1/8 inches
Lot 129, "Rome, a view of the Tiber with the Castel Sant'Angelo and Saint Peter's Basilica," by Antonio Joli, oil on canvas, 40 by 50 1/8 inches
Detail of Lot 129
Another detail of Lot 129
Lot 91, "A tronie: the head and shoulders of an old bearded man," by Jan Lievens, oil on canvas, 24 5/8 by 20 1/4 inches
Detail of Lot 91
Lot 126, "Wooded landscape with peasants in a wagon," by Thomas Gainsborough, oil on panel, 14 by 11 3/4 inches
Lot 73, "Homage to the Goddess Flora with a Feast of the Gods," by Workshop of Jan Brueghel the Younger and Workshop of Hendrick Van Balen the Elder," oil on panel, 40 1/4 by 29 1/4 inches
Lot 50, "An extensive wooden landscape with travelers," by Follower of Jan Brueghel the Elder, oil on panel, 13 by 16 1/2 inches
"Lot 2, "A wooden river landscape with figures seated at left and walking towards a village at right," Flemish School, oil on panel, 6 1/2 by 12 1/4 inches, circa 1600
Lot 28, "Sacrifice of Polyxena," by circle of Giovanni Battista Pittoni, oil on canvas, 52 3/8 by 37 3/4 inches
Lot 123, "Figures in a Crypt," by Hubert Robert, oil on canvas, oval, 21 1/4 by 25 1/4 inches
Lot 107, "Musidora and her two companions, Sacharissa and Amoret, at the bath espied by Damon," by Benjamin West, oil on canvas, 1796, retouched 1806, 20 1/2 by 28 1/2 inches
Detail of Lot 107
See The City Review article on Master Paintings Part I at Sotheby's New York January 29, 2015 with great John Constable study of Salisbury Cathedral, an excellent Circle of Rogier van der Weyden and fine works by Lorenzo Pasinelli, Hubert Robert and Giovanni Tiepolo
See The City Review article on The Abbott Guggenheim Collection A New York Kunstkammer auction of Renaissance and Baroque bronzes at Christie's New York January 27, 2015
See The City Review article on Renaissance paintings auction at Christie's New York January 28, 2015 with a great Bronzino and very good works by Bassano, studio of Botticelli, circle of Cranach and Jacopo Del Sellaio
The June 4, 2015 auction of Master Paintings at Sotheby's New York is highlighted by numerous excellent works including a delightful small study by Vittore Carpaccio, a fine small battle scene attributed to Francesco Morrone, an impressive allegory of winter in the manner of Giuseppe Archimbolo, a fine allegory of Charity by Vincent Sellaer, an impressive head of an old man by Jan Lievens, a very nice Holy Family scene by Gaetano Gandolfi, and a very good work by Benjamin West.
Lot 17 is a small oil on panel by Vittore Carpaccio (1450-1522) entitled "Allegorical figure of a woman in a landscape holding a spear and a cornucopia possibly an allegory of Virture." It measures 5 1/4 by 10 3/4 inches and has been widely published. It was once in the collection of Peter Jay Sharp. It is one of three small panels thought to have been decorations for a piece of furniture. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $160,000. It sold for $150,000 includng the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.
The sale total was $4,346,875 with only 58.6 percent of the offered 140 lots selling.
Lot 13, "A Cavalry Skirmish," attributed to Francesco Morrone, tempera on panel, 8 1/4 by 11 1/4 inches
Lot 13 is a fine
small tempera on panel of "A Cavalry Skirmish" that is attributed to
Francesco Morrone (1461-1529). It measures 8 1/4 by 11 1/4
inches. It has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 18, "Allegory of Winter," Manner of Giuseppe Archimboldo, oil on panel, 26 by 19 inches
Lot
18 is an "Allegory of Winter" that the catalogue states is "Manner of
Giuseppe Archimboldo." An oil on panel it measures 26 by 19
inches and is property from the collection of Richard Prince.
The catalogue notes that it "repeats the celebrated
composition of Winter"
from the artist's "anthropomorphic allegorical set of The Four Seasons,
the prime versions of which are housed in the Kunthistorches,
Vienna...and the Real Accademica de Bellas Artes de San Fernando,
Madrid." The lot has an estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.
It sold for
$150,000.
Lot 21, "Allegory of Charity," by Vincent Sellaer, oil on panel, 31 1/4 by 24 1/8 inches
Lot
21, "Allegory of Charity," is a fine oil on panel by Vincent Sellaer
(before 1538-after 1544). A fine preparatory drawing is in
the Louvre and a second version of the painting was sold at Sotheby's
in New York June 5, 2008. It has a modest estimate of
$150,000 to $200,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot 129, "Rome, a view of the Tiber with the Castel Sant'Angelo and Saint Peter's Basilica," by Antonio Joli, oil on canvas, 40 by 50 1/8 inches
Lot 129 is a very
nice Roman scene by Antonio Joli (cira 1700-1777). Entitled
"Rome, a view of the Tiber with the Castel Sant'Angelo and Saint
Peter's Basilica," it is an oil on canvas that measures 40 by 50 1/8
inches. The catalogue entry notes that "the best, though not
necessarily prime, version is perhaps the signed work of broadly
similar format and dimensions as the present painting in
Temple Newsarm, Leeds, England."
Detail of Lot 129
The entry also
notes that a
"further version, formerly in the collection of Evelyn Waugh, is known
to have been painted after Joli had moved to Madrid," adding
that a
similar version to this was sold at Sotheby's New York, Janury 28, 2010
for $400,000.
Another detail of Lot 129
This lot has an
estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. It
sold for $670,000.
Lot 91, "A tronie: the head and shoulders of an old bearded man," by Jan Lievens, oil on canvas, 24 5/8 by 20 1/4 inches
Lot
91 is a fine oil on canvas by Jan Lievens (1607-1675) entitled "A
tronie: the head and shoulders of anold bearded man." It
measures 24 5/8 by 20 1/4 inches.
Detail of Lot 91
It
has an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000. It sold for $125,000.
Lot 126, "Wooded landscape with peasants in a wagon," by Thomas Gainsborough, oil on panel, 14 by 11 3/4 inches
Lot
126 is an excellent small landscape oil on panel by Thomas Gainsborough
(1727-1788). Entitled "Wooded landscape with peasants in a
wagon, it is a fine and unusual composition and very painterly.
It measures 14 by 11 3/4 inches. It has a modest
estimate of $60,000 to $80,000. It sold for $62,500.
Lot 73, "Homage to the Goddess Flora with a Feast of the Gods," by Workshop of Jan Brueghel the Younger and Workshop of Hendrick Van Balen the Elder," oil on panel, 40 1/4 by 29 1/4 inches
Lot
73 is a very good oil on panel of the "Homage to the Goddess Flora with
a Feast of the Gods" by the Workshop of Jan Brueghel the Younger
(1601-1679) and the Workshop of Hendrik Van Balen the Elder
(1575-1632). It measures 40 1/4 by 29 1/4 inches It
has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $43,750.
Lot 100, "The Holy Family," by Gaetano Gandolfi, oil on canvas, 39 by 28 inches
Lot 100, "The Holy Family," by Gaetano Gandolfi, oil on canvas, 39 by 28 inches
The
cover illustration of the auction catalogue is Lot 100, "The Holy
Family," by Gaetano Gandolfi (1734-1802). A very lovely and
impressive oil on canvas, it measures 39 by 28 inches. Until
recently, the work was only known through a drawing at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $225,000.
Lot 50, "An extensive wooden landscape with travelers," by Follower of Jan Brueghel the Elder, oil on panel, 13 by 16 1/2 inches
Lot
50 is a very good oil on panel by a Follower of Jan Brughel the Elder
entitled "An extensive wooden landscape wtih travelers." The
catalogue notes that "the prime version of this composition is an oil
on copper by Jan Brueghel the Elder in the Saint Louis Art Museum.
The lot has a modest estimate of $15,000 to $20,000.
It sold for
$50,000.
"Lot 2, "A wooden river landscape with figures seated at left and walking towards a village at right," Flemish School, oil on panel, 6 1/2 by 12 1/4 inches, circa 1600
Lot
2 is a superb river
landscape oil on panel with figures seated at the left and walking
towards a village at the right. The catalogue says that it is
Flemish
School circa 1600. It measures 6 1/2 by 12 1/4 inches.
It has a
modest estiamte of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $8,750.
Lot 28, "Sacrifice of Polyxena," by circle of Giovanni Battista Pittoni, oil on canvas, 52 3/8 by 37 3/4 inches
Lot
28, "Sacrifice of Polyxena," by circle of Giovanni Battista Pittoni,
oil on canvas, 52 3/8 by 37 3/4 inches. This work follows the
composition of a painting at the J.Paul Getty Museum in Malibu of which
thre are four known autograph versions. This lot has an
estimate of $8,000 to $12,000. It sold for $8,740.
Lot 123, "Figures in a Crypt," by Hubert Robert, oil on canvas, oval, 21 1/4 by 25 1/4 inches
Lot
123 is a very fine and dramatic oval oil on canvas by Hubert Robert
(1733-1801) entitled "Figures in a Crypt." It measures 21 1/4
by 25 1/4 inches. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.
It sold for
$40,000.
Lot 107, "Musidora and her two companions, Sacharissa and Amoret, at the bath espied by Damon," by Benjamin West, oil on canvas, 1796, retouched 1806, 20 1/2 by 28 1/2 inches
The
auction's most charming work is Lot 107, "Musidora and her two
companions, Sacharissa and Amoret, at their bath espied by Damon," by
Benjamin West (1738-1820). An oil on canvas, it
measures 20 1/2 by 28 1/2 and is dated 1796 and "retouched 1806."
Detail of Lot 107
The
lot has a modest estimate of $70,000 to $90,000. It failed to sell.
See The City Review article on Selected Renaissance and Mannerist
Works of Art Assembled by Fabrizio Moretti January 29, 2015 auction at
Christie's New YorkSee The City Review article on Master Paintings Part I at Sotheby's New York January 29, 2015 with great John Constable study of Salisbury Cathedral, an excellent Circle of Rogier van der Weyden and fine works by Lorenzo Pasinelli, Hubert Robert and Giovanni Tiepolo
See The City Review article on The Abbott Guggenheim Collection A New York Kunstkammer auction of Renaissance and Baroque bronzes at Christie's New York January 27, 2015
See The City Review article on Renaissance paintings auction at Christie's New York January 28, 2015 with a great Bronzino and very good works by Bassano, studio of Botticelli, circle of Cranach and Jacopo Del Sellaio
Renaissance Paintings auction at Christie's New York January 29, 2014 with the very spectacular Rothschild Prayerbook, a great Pontormo, a great Circle of Leonardo da Vinci, a great Lucas Cranach, a marvelous Laocoon by Alessandro Allori, a very nice small Gerard David and a wonderful Adriaen Eisenbradt
Important Old Master Paintings auction at Sotheby's New York January 30, 2014 with fine works by El Greco, Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Fragonard
Old Master Paintings Part I auction at Christie's New York January 29, 2014 with great works by Ter Borch and Sir William Beechey and Ferdinand Bol
The Courts of Europe Renaissance to Rococo at Sotheby's New York January 30, 2014 with a three-sided view portrait of a gyrfalcon, a great Benjamin West and a fine Willem van Tetrode
- Old Master Drawings auction at Sotheby's New York January 29, 2014 with several works by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters Auction at Christie's New York Winter 2013
See The City Review article on the Renaissance auction at Christie's New York Winter 2013
See The City Review article on Old Master Drawings auction at Christie's Winter 2013
See
The
City Review article on the
Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's New York Winter 2012
See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's Winter 2011
See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's Winter 2010