A remarkable assemblage of Dutch and Flemish paintings comes up at Sotheby’s in New York next April. The Weldon Collection, with more than 70 works, is expected to bring in around $30 million. It was assembled by the late Henry and June “Jimmy” Weldon over several decades.
Their collecting journey began in the 1960s with an initial focus on 17th century Dutch and Flemish pictures, seeking out works by Balthasar Van der Ast, Rachel Ruysch and Ambrosius Bosschaert. Over the years, as their taste broadened, they added remarkable gems including an early still life by the German artist Ludger Tom Ring the Elder, a pair of paintings by Jean-Antoine Watteau and an extraordinary collaborative work by Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Younger. Yet, their love of the Dutch Golden Age remained a constant with masterworks by Hendrick Avercamp and Aelbert Cuyp entering the collection within the last decade. They also collected Asian art and Staffordshire pottery. Highlights will be toured to London and Amsterdam before the auction on April 22.
Anthony van Dyck
Portrait of Martin Ryckaert ($700,000-900,000)
Balthasar van der Ast
Roses, a lizard, a butterfly, and a grasshopper on a ledge ($400,000-600,000)
Adriaen Coorte
Wild strawberries on a ledge ($800,000-1.2 million)