Catherine Lusurier Soars
May 23 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
One of the highlights of the Private Collection - No Reserve sale at Christie's New York last week was this Portrait of a Young Artist by Catherine Lusurier which realised $478,800 over its $60k - $80k estimate.
To quote the catalouge note in full:
Very little is known about Catherine Lusurier, who lived to be just 28 years old. She was the niece of Hubert Drouais (1699-1767), under whom she was apprenticed until his death. In his workshop she likely would have worked closely with Drouais’ son, Francois-Hubert Drouais (1727-1775), a leading portraitist of the time. The Drouais's stylistic influences are clearly seen in the present painting as well as her other works, primarily depicting portraits of children and artists. Although only a few signed paintings by Lusurier have survived – most notably the Portrait of Jean-Germain Drouais, the son of Francois-Hubert, now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (fig. 1.; inv. no. 6406) – scholars such as Helen Ashmore have used these to reconstruct her small corpus of works (see H. Ashmore, 'Catherine Lusurier (1752-81): A woman painter in eighteenth-century Paris', Apollo, May 2001, pp. 34-40).
Update - A reader has been in touch with the following interesting observation:
I think your readers might be interested to see -- notable for the shifts in the market and desire for women artists -- for that re: the high-priced Lusurier that it actually fits what have always been considered works by Nicolas Bernard Lépicié. Compare to this, for example.
Prado Clean Charles I's Workshop of Veronese
May 23 2025
Picture: Prado
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Spain (via. @Boro_PR) that the Prado Museum in Madrid have cleaned their version of The Wedding at Cana by the Workshop of Veronese. Interestingly, the picture had once been in King Charles I's collection until it was acquired after the dispersal of his collection by Count of Fuensaldaña for 700 florins.
The conservation was presumably undertaken for the Prado's upcoming Paolo Veronese exhibition which opens on 27th May 2025.
New York Sales
May 22 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The recent Old Masters sales in New York yielded $4,206,748 for Sotheby's and $6,887,412 at Christie's.*
Standouts from the Christie's sale included a fragment of Galatea by Artemisia Gentileschi (pictured) which realised $428,400 over its $50k - $60k estimate, a very curious Agasse of Androcles and the Lion which reached $567,000 $100k - $150k estimate and a Lorenzo Veneziano gold ground which achieved $352,800 over its $80k - $120k estimate.
Highlights from the Sotheby's sale included a playful Francisca Rodero y Gregory composition which realised $215,900 over its $20k - $30k estimate, a nice early Titian copy which realised $104,140 over its $20k - $30k estimate and a Jan Olis interior with still life that made $107,950 over its $40k - $60k estimate.
* - This doesn't take into account yesterday's Saunders Collection sale.
Tipu Sultan Picture makes £2.1m
May 22 2025
Picture: Bonhams
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The market for Indian scenes by western artists seems stronger than ever at present. The aforementioned picture by Henry Singleton, an artist who never went to India yet painted the capture of Tipu Sultan's sons after the capitulation of Seringapatam in 1799, realised £2,105,400 (including commission) over its £200k - £300k estimate at Bonhams today.
Chardin Melon ends up in Kimbell Art Museum
May 21 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News has broken this evening that Chardin's Le Melon entamé, which sold for €26.73m (including fees) at Christie's Paris last June - although the winning bidder failed to pay, has been acquired post-sale by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. It transpires that they had been the underbidder and are apparently thrilled to have had a second chance to acquire it.
According to the article linked above:
In an interview with ARTnews, museum director Eric Lee called the painting and Basket of Wild Strawberries the “two most important Chardin still lifes that were still in private hands.”
“In my opinion, The Cut Melon is absolutely as wonderful as [Basket of Wild Strawberries]. I just could not be more thrilled to be able to acquire it,” Lee said. “I was so sad when we lost the painting at auction and when this came back around it was almot like a miracle. The painting is so right for the collection. It looks like it’s always been here and it seems impossible to think of the Kimbell without this painting.”
Recently Opened: Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits
May 21 2025
Picture: English Heritage
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Kenwood House, run by English Heritage, have just opened a new exhibition entitled Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.
According to their website:
Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits will reveal the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an exchange of money for titles. These women include a war-time nurse and the first sitting female MP.
Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was ‘the artist’ to depict these intriguing women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition will be a salute to John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits will also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.
The show will run until 5th October 2025.
Help with Research at Tate
May 21 2025
Picture: Tate
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Tate are looking to hire a Research Assistant (part time).
According to their website:
We are looking for a detail-oriented individual with excellent organisational skills to support the Managing Editor with the delivery of Tate’s peer-reviewed online journal, Tate Papers. Demonstrating excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as a broad knowledge of digital platforms, you will fact-check and copy-edit research texts and upload them to the Tate website.
You will also be responsible for updating the Tate Research webpages and supporting the Managing Editor to create and deliver content for social media and newsletters.
This role requires a meticulous individual who can effectively manage deadlines and is passionate about art, its history and sharing research online.
This part-time role comes with a salary of £15,764 per annum (FTE £31,527) and applications must be in by 27th May 2025.
Good luck if you're applying!
Saunders Collection Results
May 21 2025
Picture: Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Sotheby's New York Elegance & Wonder: Masterpieces from the Collection of Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III auction totalled $64,663,350 (including commission) this afternoon with a sell-through rate of 60.98% / 58.14% if withdrawn lots are included.
The best performing lots where the De Heem (pictured), Luis Meléndez, Sassoferrato, Frans Post and beautifully executed and preserved Frans Hals pair. Lots which didn't find bidders included the Lawrence portrait, the Bosschaert the Elder Still Life, a Pierre Subleyras portrait, and a pair of Guardis.
More coverage of the various owners sales from Christie's and Sotheby's tomorrow.
Update - Here's coverage of the sale from The Art Newspaper and ArtNet.
Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze gets the Disney Treatment
May 20 2025
Video: XtraCult
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, home of Michelangelo's David, has welcomed the creators of Disney's new film Lilo & Stitch into their galleries for a special promotional video. As you'll see above, the video shows the film's UFO Stitch causing chaos culminating in the creation of a Self Portrait in Marble inspired by Michelangelo's iconic statue. In fact, the Accademia have kept the prop in the museum on display for visitors until 20th June (in case any readers might want to see this piece of spraypainted foam in the flesh).
V&A Doctoral Placements
May 20 2025
Picture: V&A
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London are advertising 14 doctoral placements which start in the autumn. According to their website 'V&A Doctoral Placements are only open to students currently studying on a funded PhD.'
Here are a list of the projects available:
-Cataloguing a Contemporary Music Archive
-Cataloguing Printed Scores and Libretti in the Bunnett Muir Musical Theatre Trust Archive
-Craft and Natural Materials in Exhibition Design
-Developing a Digital Research Repository for the V&A
-Developing Frameworks for Born-Digital and Hybrid Collections
-Henry Cole’s travel diaries: knowledge, acquisitions and networks
-Investigating Functional and Multi-Sensory Objects in the Young V&A Collection
-Ludwig Gruner: Art Advisor to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Cataloguing and contextualising a collection of drawings and photographs
-Methodologies of audience-led collections research with children, young people and families
-Provenance Research on Ethiopian Objects
-Provenance Research on Southeast Asian Art Collections at the V&A
-Provenance Research on the NAL’s Acquisition of German Books During the Nazi Era
-Surveying and Cataloguing Roger Fenton’s Photography Collection
-Zero Waste Approaches to Exhibition Making
Reminder: Burlington Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800
May 20 2025
Picture: Burlington
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
A reminder that the application deadline for the Burlington Magazine and the University of Cambridge's new Prize for Research on Southern Netherlandish Art 1400-1800 will be upon us soon.
A reminder of the details:
Established to inspire the development and publication of innovative object-based scholarship, the winning entrant will receive a prize of £1,000, with publication in The Burlington Magazine’s annual issue dedicated to Northern European Art, plus a one year print and digital subscription.
We seek previously unpublished essays of 1000–1500 words from early career scholars worldwide.
This is defined as within 15 years of their most recent post-graduate degree. Submissions should be in English and should include candidate’s CV, all as a single PDF.
Applications must be in by 1st September 2025.
Sleeper Alert!
May 19 2025
Picture: Lyon & Turnbull
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The following Holy Family catalogued as '16TH CENTURY BOLOGNESE SCHOOL' soared to £60,200 (inc. commission) over its £3k - £5k estimate and Lyon & Turnbull last week.
£3m - £5m De Heem coming up at Christie's London
May 19 2025
Picture: Christie's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Christie's London have shared news of another highlight of their upcoming Old Masters Evening sale in July. The following still life by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, signed and dated 1649, will be offered carrying an estimate of £3m - £5m.
According to the press release:
The painting reprises themes from an extraordinary group of four large-scale paintings that de Heem executed earlier in the decade, but with greater refinement of execution, perhaps in part due to its more manageable scale. Two of these paintings are today at the Louvre (inv. no. 1321) and Musée des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (inv. no. K 1878/5). A third is in a private collection, and the fourth was sold for a world auction record at Christie's in London on 15 December 2020. Much like the present painting, the variety of textures and sheer number of expensive foods and objects the artist managed to compose within a relatively tight pictorial space offers the viewer an example of virtually everything de Heem was capable of and perhaps served as a calling card to display the range of his abilities.
Upcoming: Manet and Morisot
May 19 2025
Picture: yalebooks.co.uk
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will be opening a an exhibition dedicated to exploring the artistic relationship of Manet and Morisot in October 2025.
According to their website:
This is the first major exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between French Impressionists Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and Berthe Morisot (1841–1895). Manet was the era’s great pioneer of modern painting, and Morisot, the only woman to exhibit under her own name in the original Impressionist group. Unfolding over a period of 15 years (1868–1883), this exhibition traces the evolution of a friendship between two groundbreaking artists. The story of their relationship has often been told through Manet’s early portraits of Morisot, with Morisot’s own work treated as an offshoot of Manet’s. Recent scholarship reveals that, by the final years of his life, Manet increasingly followed Morisot’s example — her choice of subjects and colors, and even her rapid, fluttering brushstrokes. Rich in new research, the exhibition recasts this celebrated artistic friendship — and, by extension, the story of modern art — in a fresh light.
The show will run from 11th October 2025 - 1st March 2026 and will then head to the Cleveland Museum of Art shortly after.
Versailles pre-empt Anne of Austria and Louis XIV Portrait
May 19 2025
Picture: Osenat
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from France that the Palace of Versailles have pre-empted Charles and Henri Beaubrun's Portrait of Anne of Austria and the Dauphin Louis, future Louis XIV (spotted via @mweilc). The picture sold for €494,000 over its €150k - €200k estimate at Osenat last week.
New Charitable Foundation for the Hohenzollern Art Collection
May 19 2025
Video: rbb24
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from Germany that a compromise has been reached between the German state and the descendants of the Hohenzollerns, the kings of Prussia regarding the future of their historic collections. A new charitable foundation has been established called the Stiftung Hohenzollernscher Kunstbesitz (Foundation for Hohenzollern Art Property) to administer the collection throughout the many state museums where they are on display (and where they will remain).
Artemisia Cleopatra Soars
May 19 2025
Picture: Pandolfini
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The following Cleopatra by Artemisia Gentileschi soared past its €130k - €150k estimate at Pandolfini in Italy last week to make €480,000 (hammer) (spotted via @auctionradar). The catalogue note draws great attention to the different known compositions relating to this work.
Upcoming: Michel Dorigny (1616-1665) Monograph & Catalogue Raisonné
May 16 2025
Picture: Arthena
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
News from France that the publisher Arthena will be releasing a monograph and catalogue raisonné on the artist Michel Dorigny (1616-1665) in June. Known for being a student and collaborator of Simon Vouet, this volume by Damien Tellas will cover his life as a decorator and painter.
As is the custom with new catalogue raisonnés, this effort with earn Tellas a place in much coveted 'Heroes of Art History' section of this blog.
Is that really you, Joshua?
May 16 2025
Picture: AB
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
I was off researching at the Heinz Library at the NPG earlier this week and was bemused to spot this new bar which opened on the corner of St Martin's Street and Orange Street. It is called Joshua's Tavern, in honour of Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA who lived and worked in Leicester Square until his death in 1792. Curiously, the designers behind the bar's branding, a company called 'En Viu' have used a 'portrait' of Reynolds on their sign that I don't readily recognise. After consulting with Will Bayliss, another Reynolds nut, he doesn't seem to recognise it either.*
Is this case of an imposter pub sign?! Or is the image a later Victorian reimagining of the artist, or an AI recreation?! Why not just use one of his painted portraits, such as the Duchess of Roxburghe portrait which sold in 2015.
* - I'm sure a reader will get in touch if there is a source we've missed somewhere!
New Ambassadors Book
May 16 2025
Picture: National Gallery Global
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Tudor historian and curator Tracy Borman has just released a new book in partnership with The National Gallery entitled Holbein: The Ambassadors (One Painting, One Story).
According to the blurb:
Holbein’s Ambassadors is one of the most famous paintings in the National Gallery. It is also one of the most intriguing. Laden with hidden symbols and mysteries, the work has been the subject of intense debate among historians during the five centuries since it was created.
Here Tracy Borman unpicks the secrets of this enigmatic artwork, painted during a turbulent time in English history as Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church in order to marry the young Anne Boleyn. From Holbein’s experiences as a German-Swiss émigré who rose to a position as the ‘King’s Painter’, to the two French ambassadors’ troubles at court, this book illuminates the fascinating story behind a masterpiece of the Tudor era.
