Christie's New York
10 A.M., January 24, 2017
Sale 13246
Lot 108, "Dancers in a Wood," by Thomas Gainsborough, pencil, black chalk and gray wash heightened with white, 10 5/8 by 13 5/8 inches
By Carter B. Horsley
The
January 24, 2017 auction of Old Master Drawings at Christie's New York
is highlighted by several superb works by Thomas Gainsborough, Peter
Paul Rubens, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Parmigianino, and
Piranesi.
Lot 108 is a fine pencil, black chalk and gray wash heightened with white drawing by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). It is entitled "Dancers in a Wood" and meausres 10 5/8 by 13 5/8 inches. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $160,000. It failed to sell.
The sale total was $6,168,000 with 72 percent of the offered lots selling.
Lot 86, "Scipio Africanus Welcomed Outside the Gates of Rome, after Giuilio Romano," by Peter Paul Rubens, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, grey, cream, white and green bodycolor with heightening in oil, 16 1/8 by 22 1/2 inches
Lot 17, "Head of a Woman," by a follower of Bernardino Luini, black, and white chalk, on blue paper, 8 7/8 by 6 3/4 inches
Lot 66, "Venus in Vulcan's Forge," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, black chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 8 by 14 7/8 inches
Lot 64, "Fame with Angels and Putti in the Sky," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, pen and black ink, grey and brown wash, 11 1/8 by 7 7/8 inches
Lot 61, "Time and Truth," by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, black chalk, pen with brown ink and brown wash, 8 3/4 by 8 1/4 inches
Lot 63, "A Group of Angels in Flight, one of them holding a censor," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, pen and brown ink and brown and grey wash, 11 1/4 by 8 inches
Lot 35, "A Scene from Roman History, probably Choelia Released by the Etruscan King Porsena," by Taddeo Zuccaro, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, 7 1/4 in diameter
Lot 47, "King David," by Il Guercino, pen and brown ink, 10 1/2 by 7 1/4 inches
Lot 1, "The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist," by Pierfrancesco Foschi, red chalk with red wash, 5 1/4 by 41/8 inches
Lot 21, "A Group of Figures Standing by a Column," by Parmigianino, pen and brown ink, brown wash heightened with white, 6 by 4 inches
Lot 121, "Jupiter and Thetis," by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, watercolor heightened with white over traces of graphite, 11 1/8 by 9 1/4 inches
Lot 5, "Saint Anthony Pursued by Demons," by Luca Cambiaso, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 16 1/8 by 11 1/4 inches
Lot 54, "Head of a Young Man turned to the Right," by Giovanni Battista Piranese, traces of black chalk, pen and brown ink, 9 1/2 by 6 5/8 inches
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Lot 41, "Head of a Young Woman" with "Nude" (recto), by Bolognese School, 19th Century, black, red and white chalk on blue paper, 11 1/2 by 9 3/8 inches
Lot 84. Four Grotesque Heads," by Jacob Jordaens, graphite, red chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 8 by 12 1/4 inches
Lot 125, "A Witch Flying Through a Forest," by Gustave Dore, pencil, pen and black ink, grey wash heightened with white on blue paper, 8 3/8 by 13 inches
Lot 108 is a fine pencil, black chalk and gray wash heightened with white drawing by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). It is entitled "Dancers in a Wood" and meausres 10 5/8 by 13 5/8 inches. It has an estimate of $120,000 to $160,000. It failed to sell.
The sale total was $6,168,000 with 72 percent of the offered lots selling.
Lot 86, "Scipio Africanus Welcomed Outside the Gates of Rome, after Giuilio Romano," by Peter Paul Rubens, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, grey, cream, white and green bodycolor with heightening in oil, 16 1/8 by 22 1/2 inches
Lot 86 is a very impressive
and fine drawing by Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) entitled "Scipio
Africanus Welcomed Outside the Gates of Rome, After Giulio
Romano." It is black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, grey,
cream, white and green body color with heightening in oil. It
measures 161 /8 by 22 1/2 inches. It has been very widely
published and was included in in an 1835 exhibition in London of 100
drawings by Rubens collected by Sir Thomas Lawrence.
The drawing corresponds to a lost tapestry by Romano and the catalogue entry notes that it "counts as one of the most visually coherent, elaborately worked and pictorially brilliant." The lot is the cover illustration of the catalogue. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $1,567,500.
The drawing corresponds to a lost tapestry by Romano and the catalogue entry notes that it "counts as one of the most visually coherent, elaborately worked and pictorially brilliant." The lot is the cover illustration of the catalogue. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $1,567,500.
Lot 17, "Head of a Woman," by a follower of Bernardino Luini, black, and white chalk, on blue paper, 8 7/8 by 6 3/4 inches
Lot 17 is a beautiful
Davinciesque "head of a woman" by a follower of Bernardino Luini
(1480-1532) who was a follower of Leonard Da Vinci. It is a black
and white chalk on blue paper and measures 8 7/8 bty 6 3/4
inches. It has an estimate of $5,000 to $8,000. It sold for $7,500.
Lot 66, "Venus in Vulcan's Forge," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, black chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 8 by 14 7/8 inches
Lot 66 is an excellent black
chalk and pen and brown ink and brown wash by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
(1727-1804) of "Venus in Vulcan's Forge." It was once owned by
Baroness Eugenie de Rothschild. It measures 8 by 14 7/8 inches.
It has an estimate of $50,000 to $80,000. It sold for $75,000.
Lot 64, "Fame with Angels and Putti in the Sky," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, pen and black ink, grey and brown wash, 11 1/8 by 7 7/8 inches
Lot 64 is a good pen and black
ink with grey and brown wash by Tiepolo of "Fame with Angels and Putti
in the Sky." It measures 11 1/8 by 7 7/8 inches. It has an
estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It
failed to sell.
Lot 61, "Time and Truth," by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, black chalk, pen with brown ink and brown wash, 8 3/4 by 8 1/4 inches
Another good Tiepolo drawing
is Lot 61, "Time and Truth." A black chalk and pen with brown ink
and brown wash, it measures 8 3/4 by8 1/4 inches. It has an
estimate of $60,000 to
$80,000. It sold for $125,000.
$80,000. It sold for $125,000.
Lot 63, "A Group of Angels in Flight, one of them holding a censor," by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, pen and brown ink and brown and grey wash, 11 1/4 by 8 inches
Lot 63 is a good pen and brown
ink and brown and grey wash by Tiepolo entitled "A Group of Angels in
Flight, one of them holding a censor." It measures 11 1/4 by 8
inches. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 35, "A Scene from Roman History, probably Choelia Released by the Etruscan King Porsena," by Taddeo Zuccaro, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, 7 1/4 in diameter
Lot 35 is an excellent drawing
of "A Scene from Roman History, probably Choelia Released by the
Etruscan King Porsena" by Taddao Zuccaro (1529-1566). It is a
black chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash and measures 7 1/4 inches
in diameter. It has an estimate of $50,000 to $70,000. It sold for $68,750.
Lot 47, "King David," by Il Guercino, pen and brown ink, 10 1/2 by 7 1/4 inches
Lot 47 is a long pen and brown
ink drawing of "King David," by Il Guercino. It measures 10 1/2
by 7 1/4 inches. It has an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. It sold for $18,750.
Lot 1, "The Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist," by Pierfrancesco Foschi, red chalk with red wash, 5 1/4 by 41/8 inches
Lot 1 is a very good red chalk with red
wash by Pierfrancesco Foschi (1502-1567) of "The Madonna and Child with
the Infant Saint John the Baptist." It measures 5 1/4 by 4 1/8
inches. It has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $56,250.
Lot 12, "Nine men and women's heads," by Mauro Gandolfi, pen and brown ink, 8 1/8 by 11 1/2 inches
Lot 12, "Nine men and women's heads," by Mauro Gandolfi, pen and brown ink, 8 1/8 by 11 1/2 inches
Lot 12
is an excellent pen and brown ink of "Nine men and women's heads" by
Mauro Gandolfi (1764-1834). It measures 8 1/8 by 11 1/2
inches. It has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 21, "A Group of Figures Standing by a Column," by Parmigianino, pen and brown ink, brown wash heightened with white, 6 by 4 inches
Lot 21 is a very good pen and
brown ink with brown wash heightened with white by Girolamo Francesco
Mazzola, Il Parmigianino (1503-1540). It measures 6 by 4 inches.
It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 121, "Jupiter and Thetis," by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, watercolor heightened with white over traces of graphite, 11 1/8 by 9 1/4 inches
Lot 121 is an important
watercolor by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) entitled
"Jupiter and Thetis" that the catalogue entry notes is an "important
compositional study for Ingres' iconic and monumental painting...now in
the Musee Granet.Aix-en-Provence."
"On its arrival in Paris," the entry continued, "Ingres' painting, with its extraordinary, stylized lighting, sensual yet unnatural anatomy and dramatic composition, caused a huge stir, and seriously unnerved the artist's former teacher, Jacques-Louis David, who on seeing the picture observed: "I no longer know how to paint."
The lot has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $62,500.
"On its arrival in Paris," the entry continued, "Ingres' painting, with its extraordinary, stylized lighting, sensual yet unnatural anatomy and dramatic composition, caused a huge stir, and seriously unnerved the artist's former teacher, Jacques-Louis David, who on seeing the picture observed: "I no longer know how to paint."
The lot has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $62,500.
Lot 5, "Saint Anthony Pursued by Demons," by Luca Cambiaso, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 16 1/8 by 11 1/4 inches
Lot 5 is a good pen and brown
ink and brown wash by Luca Cambiaso (1527-1585) of "Saint Anthony
Pursued by Demons." It measures 16 1.8 by 11 1/4 inches. It
has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $50,000.
Lot 54, "Head of a Young Man turned to the Right," by Giovanni Battista Piranese, traces of black chalk, pen and brown ink, 9 1/2 by 6 5/8 inches
Lot 54 is a bold and
impressive drawing of the head of a young man by Giovanni Battista
Piranesi (1720-1778). With graces of black chalk, pen and brown
ink, it measures 9 1/2 by 6 5/8 inches. It has an estimate of
$60,000 to $80,000. It sold for
$93,750.
\Lot 41, "Head of a Young Woman" with "Nude" (recto), by Bolognese School, 19th Century, black, red and white chalk on blue paper, 11 1/2 by 9 3/8 inches
Lot 41 is a very lovely
drawing of the "head of a young woman" with a "nude" on the reverse by
Bolognese School, 19th Century. The black, red and white chalk on
blue paper measures 11 1/2 by 9 3/8 inches. It has an estimate of
$2,500 to $3,500. It sold for
$5,250.
Lot 84. Four Grotesque Heads," by Jacob Jordaens, graphite, red chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash, 8 by 12 1/4 inches
Lot 84 is a very good work by
Jacob Jordaens entitled "Four Grotsque Heads." It is a graphite,
red chalk, pen and brown ink and brown wash and measures 8 by 12 1/4
inches. It has a modest estimate of $7,000 to $10,000. It sold for $52,500.
Lot 125, "A Witch Flying Through a Forest," by Gustave Dore, pencil, pen and black ink, grey wash heightened with white on blue paper, 8 3/8 by 13 inches
Lot 125
is an amusing drawing of "A Witch Flying Through a Forest" by Gustave
Dore (1832-1883). It has an estimateof $3,000 to $4,000. It sold for $9,300.
Lot 75, "A Hunter and His Dog in a Landscape," is a brush and brown ink by Francisco Jose de Goya (1746-1828). It measures 8 by 5 1/2 inches. It was once owned by Peter Jay Sharp. It has an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $1,111,500.
Lot 75, "A Hunter and His Dog in a Landscape," is a brush and brown ink by Francisco Jose de Goya (1746-1828). It measures 8 by 5 1/2 inches. It was once owned by Peter Jay Sharp. It has an estimate of $600,000 to $800,000. It sold for $1,111,500.
See The City Review article on the Old Master Drawings auction at Sotheby's New York in the Winter of 2017
See The City Review article on the Old Masters auction at Christie's New York in the Spring of 2016 with an El Greco and work works by Bellini and Duccio
See The City Review article on the Old Masters auction at Sotheby's New York in the Spring of 2015
See The City Review article on the Old Masters auction at Christie's New York in the Spring of 2015 with works by Brueghel and Allori
See The City Review article on the Old Master Drawings auction at Sotheby's New York in the winter of 2015
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
See The City Review article on the Renaissance Paintings auction at Christie's New York Winter 2014
See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters auction at Sotheby's New York Winter 2014
See The City Review article on the Important Old Masters Auction at Sotheby's New York Winter 2013
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 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 2010