Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) Hutiles trabajos (Useful work) made £2,281,250. © Christie’s Images Limited 2011 (click on image to enlarge)
The top lot at Christie’s day sale of Old Master and Early British Drawing and Watercolours sale in London on July 5 was this brush and indian ink and wash, with scraping, brush and black ink framing lines, on ivory laid paper by Goya.
It sold for £2,281,250 against an estimate of £2/3 million. Altogether 130 lots were sold in an auction that brought in £6,309,788. It was 71% sold by lot and 95% sold by value.
From a private collection in France it had passed by descent to the artist’s son, Javier Goya y Bayeu (1784-1854), and by descent to his son Mariano Goya y Goicoechea, after 1854.
London’s Master Paintings Week is now in full swing. This is a collaboration between twenty-three leading galleries and three auction houses. It runs until July 8.