Sleeper Alert!
February 2 2024
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The following portrait, catalogued as 'Circle of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun', realised an extraordinary $393,700 over its $20k - $30k estimate in the Sotheby's New York Part II sale yesterday afternoon. What makes this price even more unusual is that the painting sold for more than several autograph works by the artist in the aforementioned Joseph Baillio sale the day before last. Is this price an example of the Vigée Le Brun effect?* Or, did bidders see something beyond the 'Circle of' attribution?
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* - In this case, perhaps it is time to start scooping up the many many copies that exist of the Uffizi Self Portrait and start sending them to auction. Regular readers might remember the same fascination for Mona Lisa copies a few years ago.
