Category: Auctions
Sotheby's London Results
December 3 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction realised £30,670,450 (all prices inc. commission) tonight with a sell-through rate of 76.66%.*
The big lots managed to attract bids within and at the top of their estimates, including the Hans Eworth, Rembrandt, Rubens, Turner and Brueghel the Younger, as the total above demonstrates. Lots that performed well against their pre-sale estimates were the triptych from Sherborne Almshouse which soared to £5,664,000 over its £2.5m - £3.5m estimate, the Teniers Village landscape which made £215,900 over its £80k - £120k estimate, the Eglon van der Neer Mousetrap which realised £254,000 over its £80k - £120k estimate and the early German portrait of an architect which realised £317,500 over its £100k - £150k estimate.
* - Not lots were withdrawn.
Rediscovered Rubens reaches €2.9m
December 2 2025
Video: ABS CBN News
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned rediscovered Rubens Crucifixion realised €2,940,799 (inc. commission) over its €1m - €2m estimate at Osenat in Versailles yesterday.
Christie's London Results
December 2 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Christie's London Old Masters Evening Sale achieved £12,712,000 (all prices inc. commission) tonight with a sell-through rate of 67.74% / 63.63% including withdrawn lots.
The selling lots did hit most of their expected values. The highlights that performed well against their pre-sale estimates were Gerrit Dou's Flute Player which realised £3,832,000 over its £2m - £3m estimate, two of William Hodges' Indian scenes did well realising £571,500 and £139,700 over their estimates respectively, a theatrical Charles-Antoine Coypel which made £482,600 over its £250k - £350k estimate and a rather evocative Bonington marine which realised £889,000 over its £400k - £600k estimate.
Bachelier Pre-empted by Musée de Picardie
November 26 2025
Picture: artcurial
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from journalist Alexandre Lafore on 'X' that the Musée de Picardie pre-empted the following Descent from the Cross by Jean-Jacques Bachelier from yesterday's sale at Artcurial in Paris.
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard Self Portrait coming up at Tajan
November 26 2025
Picture: Tajan
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from the auction house Tajan that their upcoming sale on 17th December 2025 will feature Adélaïde Labille-Guiard's Self Portrait (spotted via @neiljeffares on 'X'). Undertaken in pastel, and dated 1782, it was exhibited at the Salon de la Correspondance that very year just before she was elected to the Academy. The work will be offered carrying an estimate of €300,000 - €500,000.
Russian Pictures Soar
November 26 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
One of the corners of the market that is performing consistently well these days are Russian pictures and decorative arts. The Sotheby's London Fabergé, Imperial & Revolutionary Art sale realised £14,164,231 (all prices inc. commission) yesterday. This is actually more than several of the Old Master Evening sales in London over the past few years. The six fully-attributed works by Ivan Aivazovsky, the master of the marine genre, soared past their combined high estimate of £5.05m to achieve £6.16m in total. These pictures were sourced from European private collections including those from Italy and Sweden (according to the catalogue notes).
Gaspar de Crayer acquired by Museo de Bellas Artes Valencia
November 25 2025
Picture: levante-emv.com
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain that the Museo de Bellas Artes Valencia have acquired a full-length portrait of an unknown lady by Gaspar de Crayer. The work was acquired at the Ansorena auction house, as part of the State's right for first-refusal, for €40,000. The picture is the first by the artist in the museum's collection and had been in several Spanish aristocratic collections during its long life. Here's the write up from La Tribune de l'Art.
Guido Reni Rediscovery soars to €10.1m
November 25 2025
Picture: Artcurial
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The aforementioned rediscovered Guido Reni of David and Goliath soared to €10,100,000 (hammer) over its €2m - €4m estimate at Artcurial in Paris this afternoon. More news when it appears.
Update - The price including commission was €12,386,600.
Michelangelo's Foot at Christie's New York in 2026
November 24 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's New York have shared news that they will be auctioning off the recently rediscovered study of a foot by Michelangelo which appears in the Sistine Chapel frescos.
According to their press release:
Very rarely new drawings have been rediscovered and added to Michelangelo’s graphic corpus over the decades. Almost all of Michelangelo’s known studies, excluding architectural drawings and the sketches of marble blocks Michelangelo used to send to his quarry masters, are now in public collections. Only about ten sheets, including this newly discovered drawing, are in private hands. Furthermore, no recorded study for the Sistine Chapel has ever come to auction — until now. [...]
Unknown until now, the sheet belongs to an important group of red-chalk figure studies that Michelangelo made from live models in preparation for the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. These drawings are widely considered Michelangelo’s finest achievements in the medium.
The drawing will be offered on 5th February 2026 carrying an estimate of $1,500,000-2,000,000.
Sotheby's London Day Sale
November 19 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's London Old Master Paintings Day Auction has been uploaded online. The sale will take place on 4th December 2025.
As usual with such sales, I won't point out what may or may not be of interest.
Klimt breaks Record in Lauder Sale
November 19 2025
Video: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's New York set a new record last night for the most expensive work of 'modern art' sold at auction. Gustav Klimt's Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer (Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer) realised $236.4m (inc. commission) over its $150m+ estimate. The Leonard A. Lauder, Collector Evening Auction realised a total of $527.5m with all lots being sold.
Equally impressive prices were achieved down the road, with the Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale realising a total of $471,728,400. The separate The Collection of Robert F. and Patricia G. Ross Weis sale realised an additional $218,066,600 with the highlight being Rothko's No. 31 (Yellow Stripe) which realised $62,160,000 over its 'estimate on request' price tag.
Bonhams December Sale
November 15 2025
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Bonhams London Old Master Paintings sale has been uploaded online. The auction will take place on 3rd December 2025. The top lot of the sale is this rather glorious Venetian picture by Guardi which carries an estimate of £200,000 - £300,000.
Chrisite's London Day Sale
November 14 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have uploaded their Old Masters to Modern Day Sale: Paintings, Drawings, Sculpture online. The auction will take place on 3rd December 2025.
As usual with such sales, I won't point out what may or may not be of interest.
Sotheby's London December Sale
November 13 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's London have uploaded their upcoming Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction online. The sale will take place on 3rd December 2025.
Amongst the highlights are a late Rembrandt of Saint John on Patmos carrying an estimate of £5m - £7m (pictured), Pieter Brueghel the Younger's Census at Bethlehem at £3m - £5m, a triptych by the The Master of the Sherborne Almshouse Triptych at £2.5m - £3.5m, Hans Eworth's Portrait of the Duke of Norfolk from Waddesdon Manor at £2m - £3m, and a recently restored & upgraded Frans Hals at £800k - £1.2m.
Christie's London Evening Sale
November 13 2025
Picture: Chrisite's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have uploaded their upcoming Old Masters Evening Sale online. The auction will take place on 2nd December 2025.
Amongst the highlight are the following Flute Player by Gerit Dou at £2m - £3m, a Holy Family and Saints by Domenico Beccafumi at £1m - £2m, a Grand Canal scene by Bellotto at £1m - £1.5m, a set of The Four Seasons by the Workshop of Arcimboldo at £800k - £1.2m, a modello by Rubens of the Martyrdom of St Peter at £800k - £1.2m, and a Woman presenting her Child to Saint Blaise by Artemisia Gentileschi at £400k - £600k.
$12m - $18m Turner in Christie's New York 20th Century Evening Sale
November 7 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Interesting news that Christie's New York will be offering a magnificent Turner in their 20th Century Evening Sale (alongside all the usual big-ticket 20th century artists) on 17th November 2025. Ehrenbreitstein, or The Bright Stone of Honour and the Tomb of Marceau, from Byron’s 'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage' will be sold from the collection of Elaine Wynn carrying an estimate of $12m - $18m.
The picture last sold at Sotheby's London in 2017 where it made £18,533,750 (inc. commission) over its estimate of £17m - £25m.
Artemisia Gentileschi Self Portrait coming up at Christie's New York
November 7 2025
Picture: Paul Jeromack @pjeromack
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
It's that exciting time of the year when the big sales tend to bring out previews of Old Master highlights (usually hanging in adjacent galleries) from the upcoming sale seasons. Most of these usually fly very far under the radar, without any online presence from any of the auction house websites whatsoever. This means it's up to followers on Instagram, if we're not lucky enough to be in the salerooms at the time, to spread the news of what's to come.
Journalist Paul Jeromack has published (and given his consent for us to use) an image of this very beguiling Self Portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi which is coming up at Christie's New York on 4th February 2026. Their wall label explains it shows the artist in the guise of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (like the NG's painting acquired in 2018 for £3.6m) and is perhaps one of her earliest self portraits. Infra-red scans also purport to show changes in the composition, which sounds exciting too. A quick Google explains that the painting has more recently been on loan to the National Museum of Norway from a private collection.
It will be offered with an estimate of $2.5m - $3.5m.
Unseen Renoir to be offered in Paris
November 6 2025
Video: PBS
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
American broadcasters have reported on news of an unseen Renoir that is coming up for sale at Drouot (via Christophe Joron-Derem) on 25th November. The picture depicts the young Jean Renoir, future filmmaker, and Gabrielle Renard, the painter's nanny and muse. It will be offered carrying an estimate of €1 - 1.5m.
Weindling Collection at Sotheby's New York in 2026
November 6 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's New York have announced that they will be offering a group of twelve Nothern paintings from the Weindling Collection in February 2026.
According to their Instagram post:
Highlights include two of the earliest still lifes by Pieter Claesz, luminous landscapes by Jan van Goyen and Salomon van Ruysdael, one of the only still lifes by Jan Jansz. den Uyl the Elder in private ownership, and one of the unique large format townscapes by David Teniers the Elder—each a striking example of timeless clarity and composition.
Born in Berlin, [Lester] Weindling fled Europe as a child during the rise of Nazism and eventually settled in New York, where he became a leading real-estate developer. Alongside his career, he quietly built this collection—a lasting connection to the Europe he left behind.
Sleeper Alert!
November 6 2025
Picture: Dreweatts
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Amongst the lots that soared in the Dreweatts sale yesterday was the following 'Circle of Horace Vernet' which realised £120,000 (hammer) over its £3 - 5k estimate (spotted via @Auctionscion). Quite a few lots in the sale did rather well, click through to have a browse through the entire auction results.
