Art/Auctions: Renaissance paintings at Christie's New York, January 29, 2014

Renaissance
Christie's New York

Lot 100-175, 2 P.M., January 29, 2014

Rothschild Book

Sale 2819

Lot 44, "The Rothschild Prayerbook"

By Carter B. Horsley

The highlight of the Renaissance paintings auction January 29, 2014 at Christie's New York is the ravishing and stupendous Rothschild Prayerbook will lavish and very colorful illustrations by Gerard David, Alexander and Simon Bening, his son, and Gerard Horenbout.

According to Christie's, it was "likely made for someone connected to the imperial court in the Netherlanbds circa 1505. In the 19th Century, this Book of Hours was acquired by the Rothschild family and in 1999 Barons Nathantial and Albert von Rothschild sold it at Christie's in London for $13,378,558, a world auction record for an illuminated manuscript.

At this auction it has an estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It sold to a private collection for $13,605,000. Given its magnificent condition and size, one would have thought it would have fetched $30 million or more.

Forty-eight of the 72 offered lots, 65 percent, sold for $44,944,250.

Nicholas H. J. Hall, co-chairman of the Old Masters department at Christies, stands in front of Lot 166, "Portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici, half-length, in a black slashed doublet, oil on panel, 39 1/2 by 30 1/4 inches

Lot 166 is a great portrait of Cosimo I de' Medici, half-length, in a black, slashed doublet by Jacopo Carucci known as Jacopo Pontormo. An oil on panel, it measures 39 1.2 by 30 1/4 inches. It is property from the estate of Barbara Piasecka Johnson and is being sold to benefit her foundation. It has an extremely conservative estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It sold for $725,000, far short of what a very similar but more colorful painting by Pontormo sold for in 1989. Nicholas H. J. Hall, co-chair of the Old Masters department at Christie's, told The City Review at the press preview that the low estimate reflected is less than pristine condition.

A June 1, 1989 article in The New York Times by Rita Reif noted that a much more colorful Pontormo portrait of the same sitter had been auctioned the day before at Christie's"for $35.2 million to the J. Paul Getty Museum of Malibu, Calif.," adding that "The price more than tripled the previous record at auction for an Old Master painting."

"The painting, on view since 1970 at the Frick Collection, was removed in March by executors for the estate of Chauncey Devereaux Stillman, a New York philanthropist who died in January," the article continued.

''We were very pleased with the price and the fact that the Pontormo will be on view in a public institution,'' said George Goldner, curator of paintings and drawings at the Getty, after the hammer came down on the sale. ''It is sad for the Frick but it is important that his painting is not going to an investor or to a Swiss vault, and it is not going to be back on the market in a year or two.''

The price for the painting eclipsed the $10.5 million paid in 1985 for Andrea Mantegna's ''Adoration of the Magi,'' at Christie's in London.

Pontormo's painting, identified by Christie's and some art historians as a portrait of Cosimo de'Medici, was exhibited at the Frick Collection for almost two decades until it was removed in preparation for this sale.

The painting, called the ''Halberdier,'' was lent to the Frick by Mr. Stillman in 1970 for the museum's 50th anniversary exhibition.

Lot 121, "The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels," by the Circle of the Master of the Crucifix No.434," 13th Century, tempera and gold on panel, 40 7/8 by 27 3/4 inches

Lot 121 is a startlingly bright and colorful and large tempera and gold on panel by the Circle of the Master of the Crucifix No. 434 who was active in Tuscany circa 1230-1250. Depicting "The Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels," it measures 40 7/8 by 27 3/4 inchjes. It overflows with stylistic idiosyncracies such as the Madonna's huge left hand, her three-dimensional, notched halo, her almost abstract black robe, and very syncopated gold fringe. This shows a very bold side to Medieval painting. The catalogue entry said it is "remarkable"and "an exceedingly rare survivor from the third quarter of the 13th Century and an previously unpublished work whose author takes his name from a monumental work at the Louvre. It has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 127, "The Virgin of Humility," by Battista di Biagio Sanguigni, tempera and gold on panel with a shaped top, 30 1/2 by 17 1/2 inches

Lot 127 is a very beautiful tempera and gold with a shaped top of "The Virigin of Humility" by Battista di Biagio Sanguigni (Florence, 1393-1451), who is sometimes also known as The Master of 1419. It measures 30 1/2 by 17 1/2 inches. It is property from he collection of Richard L. Feigen, the New York art dealer (see The City Review article). IIn 1923, Bernard Berenson assigned the work to Domenico di Michelino (1417-1491). The exquisite painting was included in the 2005-6 exhibitiion on Fra Angelico at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has an estimate of $800,000 to $1,000,000. It sold for $785,000.

Lot 108, "The Crucifixion with the Vrigin Mary and Staint Johhn the Evangelist," by Giovanni da Bologna, tempera and gold on panel, 60 1/8 by 30 3/8 inches

Lot 108 is an important work attributed to Giovanni da Bologna (documented in Venice and Treviso 1377-1389). The catalogue entry notes that he was "one of the most faithful ppupils of Leorenzo Beneziano (flourished 1356-1372). The work depicts "The Crucifixion with th Virgin Mary and Saint John the Evangelist." A tempera and gold on panel, it measures 60 1/8 by 30 3/8 inches. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $485,000.

Lot 136,"The Madonna and Child in a Niche," by Studio of Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli, tempera, oil and gold on panel, 32 by 21 3/4 inches

Lot 136 is a very fine and beautiful tempera, oil and gold on panel depicting "The Madonna and Child in a Niche" by the Studio of Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli (1444/5-1510). It measures 32 by 21 3/4 inches. The catalogue entry notes that here are numerous suriviving versions and that Luciano Bellosi has argued that a version deaccessioned in 1990 by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was the original autograph work on Botticelli. The catalogue entry, however, suggesta that "the master's studio was more complicated" and that "it is likely, in fact, that a a number of the known surviving versions of the present composition include some degree of intervention by the master himself, adding that this version "is unqiue among all extant versions of the composition its inclusion of a delicate gray niche in the background, embellished with carved cherubs. Such a major addition would seem to suggest that it was too important to have been simply added by a workshop member. The lot has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $701,000.

Lot 102, "The Madonna and Child with a Goldfinch," Studio of Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli, oil,tempera andgold on panel, 290 1/4 by 16 inches

Another work in the auction given to Studio of Alessandro Filipepi, called Sandro Botticelli is Lot 102, "The Madonna and Child with a Goldfinch," but the two facesshow none of Botticelli's beauty. This work, an oil, tempera and gold on panel that measures 29 1/4by 16 inches is property from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was once with Conte Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi of Rome and New York and then Felix M.Warburg whos family gave it to the museum in1941.. The lot has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It sold for $749,000.

Lot 141, "The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist," oil and gold on panel, by Circle of Leonardo da Vinci, 28 1/4 by 19 78 inches

Lot 141 is a very beautiful and very fine depiction of "The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John The Baptist," by the Circle of Leonardo da Vinci" (1452-1519), an oil and gold on panel, 28 1/4 by 19 7/8 inches. The catalogue entry states that this belongs to a small group of works that preserve a lost composition by Leonardo and it compares elements of the painting to several in other works by Leonardo. The entry offers no reasons why it should not be considered authentic unless one might argue that it is too good to be true. It has an estimate of $300,000 to $400,000. It sold for $497,000.

Lot 155, "The Virgin and Child," by The Master of the Stern Virgin and Child," oil on panel, 13 by 9 3/8 inches

Lot 155 is a nice version of "The Virgin and Child" by The Master of the Stern Virgin and Child." An oil on panel, it measures 13 by 9 3/8 inches and is from the estate of Max Stern it was reconsistuted to the extate of Max Stern in 2013 and was with the Galerie Stern n Dusseldorf in1936 as by "The Master of Flemaille. "It has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It sold for $557,000.

Lot 128, "The Adoration of the Magi," by Giovanni Battista Castello, called Il Genovese," pen and black ink, bodycolor, heightened with gold on vellum, 10 5/8 by 8 1/4 inches

One of the auction's gems is Lot 129, "The Adoration of the Magi,"by Giovanni Battista Castello, called Il Genovese (1547-1637-9), an exquisite pen and black ink, bodycolor, heightened with gold on vellum. It measures 10 5/8 by 8 1/4 inches. It is property from the estate of Barbara Piasecka Johnson. It was once in the collection of Pope Georgy XVI (1765-1846). It has a very modest estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $100,000.

Joshua Glazer of the Old Master's Department at Christie's discussing Lot 165, "Law and Grace," by Lucas Cranach I and Lucas Cranach II, oil, gold and paper on panel, 25 1/2 by 47 1/2 inches

Lot 165 is a spectacular oil, gold and paper on panel by Lucas Cranach I (1472-1553) and Lucas Cranach II (1515-1586) entitled "Law and Grace." It measures 25 1/2 by 47 1/2 and according to the catalogue "is rooted in the theological principles of Martin Luther."

Detail of Lot 165 with signature and date above skull

"With its vivid, jewel-toned palette, deep, panoramic landscapes, and expressive figures, Law and Grace exhibits all of the stylistic hallmarks that placed Lucas Cranach at the forefront of artistic innovation in 16th Century Europe. It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. It sold for $2,235,000.

Joshua Glaser of Christie's Old Master Department discussing Lot 164, "Landscape with a tree and a fortress on a rocky cliff - a fragment," by Lucas Cracach I, oil on panel, 17 by 10 7/8 inches

Lot 164 is a very fine fragment of a landscape oil on panel by Lucas Cranach I (1472-1553). It measures 17 by 10 7/8 inches. It has an esitmate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It failed to sell.

Joshua Glazer of Christie's Old Masters Department, adjusting hanging of Lot 158. "The Lamentation," by Gerard David, oil on panel in original frame, 9 3/8 by 7 1/8 inches (painting)

Lot 159 is a very good, small depiction of "The Lamentation" by Gerard David ( circa 1460-1523). An oil on panel, it mesures 9 3/8 by 7 1/8 inches.

Detail of Lot 159

It has an estimate of $1,500,000 to $2,500,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 159, "The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Musical Angels, a Landscape Beyond," by Adriaen Isenbrandt,oil on panel, 11 3/4 by 8 3/4 inches

Another very excellent small work is Lot 159, "The Virgin and Child Enthroned with Musical Angels, a Landscape Beyond," by Adriaen Isenbrandt (early 16th Century to 1551). An oil on panel, it measures only 11 3/4 by 8 3/4 inches. The cataglogue entry corrrectly describes this panel was "splendid" and"refined," adding that "Luxurious details such as the cabouchon-cut gems on the Virgin's neckline and illuminated book held by one of the singing angels complement the golden architecture, remarkable for its flamboyant tracery and delicate filigree. The lot has a modest estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 111, "The Holy Family with Saint Catherine" by Lorenzo Lotto, oil on canvas, 33 3/4 by 43 5/8 inches

Lot 111 is a good oil on canvas by Lorenzo Lotto (circa 1480-1556), entitled "The Holy Family wiht Saint Catherine of Alexandria," 33 3/4 by 43 5/8 inches. This work was rediscovered in 1988 and is one of seven known versions and is considered to "be rivalled in quality by the Academia Cararra canvas alone and was "disfigured by heavy-handed repaints until its restoration in 2012. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 116, "The Adoration of the Shepherds," by Jacopo da Ponte, called Jacopo Bassano, oil on canvas, 28 3/8 by 44 1/8 inches

Lot 116 is a good depiction of "The Adoration of the Shepherds" by Jacopo Bassano (circa 1510-1592). An oil on canvas, it measures 28 3/8 by 44 1/98 inches. Bassano was held in high regard in Venice as evidenced by the fact that Veronese included a portrait of him along with himself, Titian and Tintoretto in his masterpiece The Feast of the Marriage at Cana which is at the Louvre. This lot has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $8,900,000, a world auction record for the artist.

Lot 163, "Portrait of Barbara Schwarz, half-length," by Christoph Amberger, oil on panel, 28 3/8 by 24 1/8 inches

Lot 164 is a good oil on paner portrait of Barbara Schwarz by Christoph Amberger (circa 1505-1562). It measures 28 3/8 by 24 1/8 inches. The pendant portrait of her husband, Matthaus Schwarz, is in the collection of Museeo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Amberger was the leadinh portraitist of the patrician classes in 16th Century Augsberg and was one of the major masters of the International courtly portrait style prevailing at the time. Like his near contemporary Hans Holbein, [he] belongs to the generation of artists, following that of Albrect Durer. This lot has an ambitious estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 168, "Laocoon," by Alessandro Allori, oil on panel, 28 5/8 by 22 1/4 inches

Lot 168 is an excellent and wonderful oil on panel by Alessandro Allori (1535-1607), the pupil and adoptive son of Agnolo Bronzino, depicting "Laocoon." It measures 28 5/8 by 22 1/4 inches. It is being sold to benefit the Cornell University College of Veterininary Medicine.

In 1506, the"Laocoon" statue was dug up in a vineyard on the Esquiline hill in Rome and the most famous account of the tragic death of the high priest Laocoon and his sons was Virgil's Aeneid.

The catalogue entry provides the folowing commentary."

The ancient Roman poet descripbes how during the Trojan war the mainland Greeks, having feigned retreat, hid inside a great wooden horse....they had left on the battlefield. Suspecting treachery, Laocoon warned his fellow Trojans...but was ignored. Shortly thereafter, while Laocoon was preparing to sacrifice a bull according to his priestly duties, the gods sent two enormous serpents from the sea to attack him and his sons. The Trojans interpreted Loacooon's horrific death as a sign of the disapproval of their refusal of the Greeks' gift and so they brought the wood horse into their city, leading it to be sacked. The rediscovery of the Laocoon in 1506 had a profound impact on Italian Renassiance art."

The sculpture is now at the Vatican.

The lot has a modest estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It failed to sell.

Lot 171, "The Raising of Lazarus," by Mirabello Cavalori, oil on panel, 44 1/4 by 45 1/2 inches

Lot 171 is a fine Mannerist oil on panel by Mirabello Cavalori (1535-1572) of "The Raisiing of Lazarus." It measures 44 1/4 by 45 1/2 inches. The catalogue entry notes that "Cavalori's masterful rendering of details such as the tangled rope in the foreground...points to the future of Florentine painting, where observable reality, than the artist's imagination would serve was the primary source of inspiration. Cavalori was a student of Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. The lot has an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It failed to sell.