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
This miniature oil on ivory represents the Court of the Mughal Emperor Aldwar (Akbar) Shah II at Delhi around 1820. A long haired prince is on trial for discharging a pistol at the British resident at Delhi. He was imprisoned and died in 1821. There is some doubt about who the resident was, but it is thought to be Sir Charles Metcalfe.
