Undiscovered rarities have been found in the collection of Brian Sewell which comes up at Christie’s in London on September 27. One of Britain’s best loved art critics he had a flair for spotting quality, even where the identify of the artist had been long lost. A number of new attributions have been made since the catalogue to the auction Brian Sewell: Critic and Collector was published.
An oil on paper study on blue paper of a soldier carrying a ladder towards a besieged town, thought to have been by a follower of Michelangelo, was spotted by a museum curator in the US as by the Florentine artist Agostino Ciampelli (1565-1630). The technique with black chalk heightened by white on blue paper is characteristic of Ciampelli. The drawing, made in connection with a Medici marriage in 1589, was acquired by Brian Sewell in the early 1960’s. It is now estimated at £20,000-30,000.
A profile study has been found to be typical of the technique of Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652) when using red chalk (£6,000-8,000). A two-sided study in oil on paper by Domenico Tintoretto (1560-1635) has just been associated with a series of pictures in the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. A meticulously drawn view from 1794 was identified as the Schmadribach Waterfall near Lauterbrunnen, a favourite subject of German Romantic Joseph Anton Koch (1768-1839) (£20,000-30,000).
Dido Reclining, Asleep by Daniele da Volterra (1509-66) was identified through extensive research at Christie’s and is estimated at £100,000-150,000. Estimates in the auction range from £600 to £600,000. UPDATE: The auction achieved £3,741,313
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for June 3, 2016)
This drawing of a soldier carrying a ladder turns out to be a work by Agostine Ciampelli (1565-1630). It is estimated at £20,000-30,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2016 UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £95,000
A Man’s head in Profile has been attributed to Jusepe de Ribera, lo Spagnoletto (1591-1652) UPDATE: THIS MADE £22,000 AT HAMMER
Daniele da Volterra (1509-1566) Dido reclining, asleep © Christie’s Images Limited 2016 UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £660,000