Category: Auctions
Il Sodoma acquired by Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia
July 8 2025
Picture: Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain that the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valencia have acquired Giovanni Antonio Bazzi's 'Il Sodoma' Ecce Homo. The work was purchased at auction for €70,000 and is the first painting by that artist in the museum's collection.
George Gower soars at Bonhams
July 3 2025
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
George Gower's black and gold portrait of Sir Edward Monins of Waldershare realised an impressive £1,113,200 (inc. commission) over its £200k-300k estimate at Bonhams yesterday.
NHS Hull & East Yorkshire Trust Selling off Art
July 3 2025
Picture: Gilbert Baitson via the-saleroom.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
An eagle eyed reader of AHN has kindly pointed out that the auctioneers Gilbert Baitson in Hull appear to be selling-off paintings that belong to Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in their upcoming sale on 9th July. Here's their collections page on ArtUK, in case you'd like to compare. It appears that all of the works are being offered without estimates (which effectively suggests they are being sold without reserve).
The selection of paintings includes this portrait of Queen Victoria by Ernest Gustave Girardot (pictured), and several paintings of prominent historical figures connected with the medical profession in that part of Britain, including John Young, MRCS, One of the First Surgeons at Hull Royal Infirmary, and John Alderson (1758–1829), MD, Honorary Physician at Hull Royal Infirmary.
I have approached both the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and the auctioneers for comment and will publish their responses here in due course.
Update - I have received the following response from a spokesperson at that particular NHS Trust:
I can confirm the lots you mention are currently being sold on behalf of the hospital trust.
Update 2 - Here's a response I have received from the auctioneers:
We appreciate your interest in the provenance of the artworks featured in our catalogue. I can confirm that several of the paintings listed in our auction are being consigned by the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. These works have been officially deaccessioned by the Trust. In addition, we have received further consignments of artworks and silver from private estates.
Sotheby's Results
July 2 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master and 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction realised a total of £14,470,700 (all prices include commission) with a sell-through rate of 80.65% / 75.76% including withdrawn lots.*
Lots that soared were Turner's rediscovered earliest exhibited work which made £1.87m over its £200k-300k estimate and Aivazovsky's Ship at Anchor which made £1.06m over its estimate of £300k-500k. Other lots that did well include the 14th century Byzantine Icon which realised £825,500 over its £160k-200k estimate, Corneille de Lyon's Portrait of a Merchant which made £863,600 over its £300k-400k estimate and Diana de Rossa's Salome which realised £317,500 over its £60k-80k estimate.
* - 2 lots were withdrawn.
Christie's Results
July 1 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Christie's London Old Masters Evening sale realised a total of £55,263,680 (all results include commission) tonight with a sell-through rate of 87.18% / 80.96 % including withdrawn lots.*
The top lot of the auction, Sir Robert Walpole's Venetian picture by Canaletto, realised £27,500,000 hammer / £31,935,000 (inc. commission). Other highlights were the Willem Key's Bearded Lady which realised £882,000 over its £300k-500k estimate, Pieter Brueghel the Younger's Visit to the Farm which made £819,000 over its £300k-500k estimate, Gerit Dou's Cottage Interior which realised £2,097,000 over its £1m - 1.5m estimate and a Constable Cloud Study which realised £453,600 over its estimate of £150k - 250k. The majority of other lots all came within their estimates, once commission is taken into account.
* - 3 lots were withdrawn.
Guillaume Guillon Lethière soars in Monaco!
July 1 2025
Picture: HVMC
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Monaco that the following Guillaume Guillon Lethière depicting The head of Deputy Féraud displayed on a pike before the President of the Convention Boissy d'Anglas realised €1,150,000 over its €40k - €60k estimate at HVMC last week (spotted via @mweilc). The press has reported that the picture was won by a 'foreign museum' over a Belgian private collector for the work.
Richard Feigen's Collection at Dreweatts
June 30 2025
Picture: Dreweatts
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Regular readers will remember this Sotheby's New York sale of artworks from the collection of the dealer Richard Feigen (1930-2021) back in 2021. The Berkshire auction house Dreweatts will now be offering another batch from his collection, with works under £1,000 being offered without reserve. The auction will take place on 2nd July 2025.
Goya Adoration (with export permit) makes €3.6m in Madrid
June 27 2025
Picture: heraldo.es
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Spanish press have reported on news that the following Goya Adoration of the Cross realised €3.6m at Magna Art auctions in Madrid last week. Notably, the painting has an export license to leave Spain (one of the toughest European countries in regards to the protection of cultural heritage, as it happens).
Attributed to Bouts Soars
June 24 2025
Picture: Ader
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The following picture catalogued as Attributed to Albrecht Bouts soared past its €60k - €80k estimate to achieve €403,000 (inc. commission) at Ader in Paris last week.
Dulwich Picture Gallery acquires Rottenhammer Judgement of Paris
June 23 2025
Picture: Dulwich Picture Gallery
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reader has kindly been in touch with news that the Dulwich Picture Gallery have acquired Hans Rottenhammer's Judgement of Paris. Auction watchers will remember this painting appeared at Sotheby's London in December 2023 and failed to find a bidder with its estimate of £20,000 - £30,000. The note from the museum explains that it was 'A gift from the family of Charles Pettit, 2025.'
El Greco Update
June 23 2025
Picture: The Art Newspaper
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Art Newspaper have published an update on the El Greco of Saint Sebastian, which was withdrawn earlier this year from the Christie's New York sale.
According to the article:
Romania has now secured a "long-term hold", ensuring Saint Sebastian (around 1610-14) will remain at Christie's New York "until Romania’s recovery efforts are heard and resolved by the proper legal authorities", according to a letter shared with The Art Newspaper by Nixon Peabody, the law firm representing the state of Romania in New York in this case.
It also transpires that the consignor of the work was Dmitry Rybolovlev, former owner of Leonardo's Salvator Mundi.
Archer acquired by Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
June 20 2025
Picture: Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The website of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, located in Kansas City, shows that they have just acquired the following Portrait of a Boy Holding a Bow. Regular readers will remember this painting from a post on AHN back in December 2023, when the work had appeared at auction in France. More recently the painting was with Philip Mould & Co. and has been catalogued by the museum (and the dealer) as 'English School 1780s.'
William Carey Portrait acquired by Hever Castle
June 19 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Times published a photograph today (here's the story from the BBC) explaining that Hever Castle has acquired a portrait of William Carey (1497-1528), who famously married Mary Boleyn (Anne Boleyn's sister). The painting was sold at Christie's Paris last year, and the auction house's catalogue note is worth reading in terms of the dating and the prototype on which this work was based.
Hypertrichosis Portrait coming up at Bertolami
June 19 2025
Picture: Bertolami
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
One of the highlights and oddities of the upcoming sale at Bertolami Fine Art in Rome is the following portrait of Portrait of Barbara Urslerin van Beck (1629- c.1688), who is likely to have suffered from hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth). As her wikipedia entry shows, a related engraving dated 1653 seems to suggest this particular image of Barbara was created whilst she was in London.
It will be offered for sale on 24th June 2025.
Bristol Council announce Bid to Buy Turner from Sotheby's Sale
June 18 2025
Picture: BBC
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The BBC have published news that Bristol Council have announced their plans to fundraise £300,000 in two weeks to bid for JMW Turner's The Rising Squall, Hot Wells, from St Vincent's Rock, Bristol from the upcoming Sotheby's London Evening Sale.
According to the article:
The upcoming auction, he [Philip Walker - the Head of the Culture for the City] said, was a "once in a generation opportunity to purchase a significant work of art by such a significant great master artist", adding that while the plan was for the council to actually make the transaction - should it bid successfully - the cost would be covered through fundraising.
Councillor John Goulandris described the bid as a "once in a lifetime opportunity", but pointed out there was only a "narrow window" to raise funds at a time when the council's finances were "extraordinarily tight".
In response to Mr Goulandris' requests for assurance that costs would not fall to the local authority, Mr Walker said the "intention" was to raise enough money to pay for the painting.
Sotheby's Drawings Sale
June 16 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have uploaded their upcoming Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries online. The auction will take place on 2nd July 2025.
Just to point out (and keep balance) that Christie's London now offer their Old Master & British drawings within their Day Sale.
John Constable's earliest dated picture offered without reserve
June 16 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London will be offered John Constable's earliest dated painting in their upcoming Old Masters, 19th Century Paintings and Drawings from a Private Collection: Selling without Reserve sale on 2nd July 2025. As you'll see from the Literature list, Moonlight landscape, with Hadleigh Church in the distance is a rather important and iconic picture in Constable's oeuvre due to its early dating and reliance on Rubens' Landscape by Moonlight (now in the Courtauld Institute, but formerly owned by Sir Joshua Reynolds).
The picture will carry an estimate of £30,000 - £50,000, but, as it is being sold 'without reserve' - you might be able to pick it up for a song!
Sculpture & Dec Arts Sales
June 13 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Both Christie's (1) (2) and Sotheby's (1) (2) have uploaded their upcoming London Decorative Arts, Sculpture and Antiquities sales online.
Amongst the interesting lots is this rather fun teracotta model by Anne Seymour Damer (1748-1828) (pictured), which relates to a marble by her in the MET, New York. It carries an estimate of £200,000 - £300,000.
Sotheby's London Day Sale
June 12 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have published their upcoming Old Master Paintings, Old Master Works on Paper, and 19th Century Paintings Day Auction online. The sale will take place on 3rd July 2025.
As usual with these sales, I won't spoil the fun of pointing out what may or may not be interesting.
Dorotheum June Sale
June 11 2025
Picture: Dorotheum
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Dorotheum's mid-season Old Master Paintings sale has been published online. The auction will take place on 25th June 2025.
