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Old Master Drawings

Sotheby's New York

10 A.M., January 25, 2012

Sale 8824

putti


Lot 50, "Five Putti, Bearing Ecclesiastical Attributes," by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, called Il Baccio, pen and brown ink and grey wash over black chalk, 11 1/4 by 16 3/4 inches


By Carter B. Horsley

One of the auction's most charming works is Lot 50, "Five Putti, Bearing Ecclesiastical Attributes," by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, called Il Baccio (1639-1709).  The pen and brown ink and grey wash over black chalk measures 11 1/4 by 16 3/4 inches.  The catalogue entry notes that the work is related to Baccio's ceiling fresco Christ in Glory Receiving Franciscan Saints in Santi Apostoli in Rome that was painted in 1707.  The lot has an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000.  It sold for $98,500 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.

The auction sold only 113 of 221 offered lots, a 51.1 percentage.


Polliaolo

Lot 27, "Portrait of a Young Man, Head and Shoulders, wearing a cap," pen and brown ink over black chalk, attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo, 14 1/4 by 9 inches

Lot 27, "Portrait of a Young Man, Head and Shoulders, wearing a cap," attributed to Piero del Pollaiuolo (1443-1496), is the cover illustration of the catalogue.  A pen and brown ink over black chalk, it measures 14 1.4 by 9 inhes.  The catalogue entry notes that Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo ran one of the most famous and successful botteghe of the 15th centurty  "Their activity as painters, goldsmiths, sculptors and designers placed them in the forefront of Renaissance cultural context."  The lot has an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000.  It sold for $1,398,500.


Tiepolo city

Lot 102, "An Architectural Capriccio with a Church to the Left," by Francesco Guardi, pen and brown ink and wash over traces of black chalk, 9 7/16 by 7 13/16 inches

Lot 102 is a very strong pen and brown ink and washover traces of black chalk by Francisco Guardi (1712-1795).  Entitled "An Architectural Capriccio with a Church to the Left," it measures 9 7/16 by 7 13/16 inches.  I has an estimatme of $25,000 to $35,000.  It sold for $80,500.


Tiepolo saints


Lot 94, "Christ Received into Heaven," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk, 10 1/4 by 7 1/4 inches.

Lot 94 is a very beautiful pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk of "Christ Received into Heaven" by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727-1804).  It measures 10 1/4 by 7 1/4 inches and the entry notes that it "has something in common with Giambattista's treatment of the theme in his ceiling fresco in the church of the Pieta" in Venice.  it has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.  It failed to sell.


Tiepolo2

Lot 105, "Bacchus and Ariadne," by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk, 9 by 7 3/8 inches

Another fine work by Tiepolo is Lot 105, "Bacchus and Ariadne."  Entitled "Bacchus and Ariadne," it is a pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk that measures 9 by 7 3/8 inches.  The catalogue entry states that it is a "previously unknown study for one of Giambattista's ceilings in the Palazzo Labia in Venice painted in the summer of 1744.  It has a modest estimate of $14,000 to $16,000.  It sold for $34,375.


nudes

Lot 77, "Orpheus Charming the Animals and the Nymphs," by Charles-Joseph Natoire, pen and brown ink heightened with white, with colored washes over black chalk, 12 5/8 by 16 7/8 inches

Lot 77 is a very colorful and good drawing by Charles-Joseph Natoire (1700-1777) of "Orpheus Charming the Animals and the Nymphs."  A pen and brown ink heightened with white with colored washes over black chalk, it measures 12 5/8 by 15 7/8 inches.  It has an estimate of $55,000 to $75,000.  Itr sold for $152,500.


Dragpm

Lot 1, "A Lion Confronting a Dragon," by a follower of Paolo Uccello, pen and brown ink, 146 by 221 mm

Lot 1 is a very nice pen and brown ink of  "A Lion Confronting a Dragon" that the catalogue entry states is by a follower of Paolo Uccello (1397-1475).  A copy of the same dragon isin the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin where it is attributed to Uccello and a Florentine print circa 1460 shows the same dragon fighting a lion attributed to Baccio Baldini (1436-1487).  The entry goes on to note, however, that there are similarities with the dragon in Uccello's St. George and the Dragon in the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris.  The lot has a conservative estiamte of $14,000 to $25,000.  It sold for $62,500.


Soldier

Lot 6, "Grand Duke Cosimo de'Medici Reviving the City of Volterra," by Giorgio Vasari, pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk heightened with white on blue paper, 6 by 7 1/4 inches

Lot 6 is a very fine drawing by Giorgio Vasari ()1511-1574. the very fine artist who was also the biographer of many famous Renaissance artists.  Entitled "Grand Duke Cosimo de'Medici Reviving the City of Volterra," the 6 by 7 1/4 inch drawing is pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk heightened with white on blue paper.  It has a a modest estimate of $25,000 to $30,000.  It sold for $122,500.  The drawing is a study for one of the spandrels in the corners  of the ceiling of the Sala di Cosimo I in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

Tree


Lot 115, "The Joys of Motherhood," by Jean-Baptiste La Prince, pen and black ink and gray and pink wwash over traces of  black chalk , 18 5/8 by 14 3/5 inches

Lot 115 is a delightful oval drawing of "The Joys of Motherhood" by Jean-Baptiste La Prince (1754-1781).  It measures 18 5/8 by 14 3/5 inches.  It has an estimate of $20,000 to $25,000.  It sold for $28, 125.


Boy climbing a tree

Lot 118, "The Picnic," by Hubert Robert, red chalk, 11 5/16 by 14 1/4 inches

Lot 118 is a delightful "Picnic" scene by Hubert Robert (1753-1808).  The red chalk drawing measures 11 5/16 by 14 1/4.  It has an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000.  It sold for $43,750.



arch

Lot  129, "A Capriccio of Roman Ruins, with washerwomen and children by a fountain," by Hubert Robert, pen and brown and gray ink and blue wash over black chalk, 7 1/4 by 10 1/2 inches

Another fine drawing by Robert is Lot 129, "A Capriccio of Roman Ruins, with washerwomen and children by a fountain."  The pen and brown and gray ink and blue wash over black chalk measures 7 1/4 by 10 1/2 inches.  It has an estimate of $12,000 to $15,000.  It sold for $22,500.

Constable

Lot 25, "Study of a Lady Seated Holding a Letter," by Thomas Gainsborough, pencil, 11 3/4 by 7 inches

Lot 25 is a very fine study a seated lady holding a letter by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788.)  A pencil drawing, it measures 11 3/4 by 7 inches.  It has an estimate  of $100,00 to $150,000.  It sold for $314,500.




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 Christie'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 Christie's Winter 2010

See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's Winter 2010


See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's Winter 2009

See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Christie's January 28, 2009

See The City Review article on the Old Master Paintings auction at Christie's April 15, 2008

See The City Review article on the Old Master Paintings auction at Christie's April 19, 2007

See The City Review article on the January 27, 2005 Important Old Masters Auction at Sotheby's

See The City Review article on the January, 2004 Old Masters auction at Sotheby's

See The City Review article on the January 24, 2003 Old Masters auction at Christie's

See The City Review article on the Winter 2001 Old Masters Paintings auction at Christie's

See The City Review article on the Winter 2001 Old Masters Paintings auction at Sotheby's

See The City Review article on the Spring 2001 Old Masters auction at Sotheby's

See The City Review article on the Old Masters auction at Christie's January 26, 2001

See The City Review article on the Important Old Master Paintings Auction at Sotheby's, Jan. 28, 2000

See The City Review article on the Recap of Old Master Paintings auction at Sotheby's May 28, 1999

See The City Review article on the Recap of Old Master Paintings auction at Christie's, May 25, 1999

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