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MOST IMPORTANT BRONTE MANUSCRIPT AT AUCTION IN 30 YEARS

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

The first page of the Bronte manuscript, dated 1830. (Click on image to enlarge). Image copyright Sotheby's. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £690,850.

AN unpublished notebook by Charlotte Brontë, the most important Brontë manuscript to appear at auction in more than thirty years, will highlight Sotheby’s sale of English Literature in London on December 15. Set in ‘Glass Town’, the earliest fictional world that the four Brontë siblings created, and written by a fourteen-year-old Charlotte in miniature magazine format, The Young Men’s Magazine, Number 2, is dated August 1830.

The Bronte manuscript held in the palm of a hand. (Click on image to enlarge). Image copyright Sotheby's.

The story within contains a colourful tale of murder and madness which includes a precursor to one of the most famous scenes in Jane Eyre – the moment when Bertha, Mr Rochester’s insane wife seeks revenge by setting fire to the bed curtains in her husband’s chamber.

Containing more than 4,000 words painstakingly crammed on to 19 pages, it is estimated to make £200,000-300,000.

UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £690,850. This is a new record for at auction for a manuscript by Charlotte Bronte and a record at auction for any work by the Bronte sisters. It was bought by La Musée des Lettres et Manuscrits, Paris, where it will be exhibited in January.

Tags: Charlotte Bronte, sotheby's
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IRISH BIRD PICTURES BY SAMUEL DIXON MAKE $98,500 IN NEW YORK

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

One of the set of 14 Samuel Dixon bird pictures. (Click on image to enlarge).

A group of 14 Irish George II embossed bird pictures c1750 by Samuel Dixon has been sold for $98,500 in New York. It happened on the final day of the four day sale of the Safra Collections at Sotheby’s. The lot had been estimated at $60,000-90,000. Samuel Dixon was based on Capel St. in Dublin city centre where he produced embossed papier-mâché pictures of birds and flowers sold in black and gold japanned frames. At the same sale sets of six and four Dixon bird pictures made $15,000 and $31,250 respectively and a set of Flower pictures sold for $28,125.

The Burghley Epergne (click on image to enlarge).

The Burghley Epergne, a masterpiece of the English Rococo from the Safra Collections, made $950,000. It was created for the distinguished collector and patron Cecil Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725-1793), known as Lord Burghley from 1725 to 1754. The design for this centrepiece is in the Louis XV picturesque manner celebrated by the artist and engraver William Hogarth in his Analysis of Beauty published in 1753. The ornament is inspired by the writings of Virgil and celebrates the triumph of Venus with the union of Bacchus and Ceres. The evolution of the abundant fruit form, derived from the Louis Quatorze style, can be traced through engravings on the confectioner’s art, especially that of Le Sieur Guilleurs, La Carameliste Française, 1684 re-issued in 1750.

The four day sale of the Safra Collections brought in $45,900,064.

See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for October 11 and July 10, 2011.

Tags: new york, Samuel Dixon, sotheby's
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FREUD PORTRAIT BOY’S HEAD MAKES £3.17 MILLION AT SOTHEBY’S

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

Boy's Head by Lucian Freud made £3,177,250. (Click on image to enlarge).

Lucian Freud’s (1922-2011) 1952 portrait Boy’s Head made £3,177,250 at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art evening sale on October 13. It was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder. The sitter, Charlie Lumley, was a neighbour of Freud’s when he moved to Paddington in 1952. The portrait transmits a remarkable psychological intensity. The estimate was £3-4 million.

The evening sales of Contemporary Art and 20th Century Italian Art brought a combined total of £39,456,950 against the pre-sale estimate of £34,982,000-48,338,000. A total of six artist records were established for Alberto Burri, Leon Kossoff, Wim Delvoye, Francesco Lo Savio, Michelangelo Pistoletto and Giuseppe Penone.

Contemporary art realised £17,809,000 with 36 of the 47 lots offered sold. The 20th Century Italian art sale achieved the highest-ever total for a sale in this category, at £21,647,950.

See post on antiquesandartireland.com for September 12, 2011.

Tags: Lucian Freud, sotheby's
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FOUR RICHTER’S TO LOVE

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

HERE are four works by Gerhard Richter an artist to love who seems to be cropping up everywhere right now. A major retrospective, Panorama, is at Tate Modern in London until January 8 to coincide with his 80th birthday.

The images here are from Abstraction-Figuration: A Private Collection at Sotheby’s in New York on on November 9. It features one of the most important groups of works by the German artist ever to appear at auction. The sale will also include works from the collection by Francis Bacon, Sigmar Polke, and Lee Krasner. The Impressionist and Modern art auction on November 2 will feature a group of eight paintings by Max Ernst including The Endless Night from 1940, an acute meditation on Europe in the early years of World War II ($2.8/4 million). Overall the collection is estimated to bring $40/56 million with works to be offered in five different sales.

(All images are copyright Sotheby’s and you can click on any of them to enlarge).

UPDATE: THE sale brought an outstanding total of $315,837,000, well above the $192/270.8 million pre-sale estimate and nearly 85% sold-by-lot. The total is the highest for a Contemporary Art Evening sale at Sotheby’s since May 2008 and the company’s third highest ever.

The sale was led by four masterworks by Clyfford Still which sold for a combined total of $114.1 million.

The other major highlight of the sale was the Abstraction Figuration Collection – a remarkable offering of paintings that thrive in the fertile space between abstraction and figuration by artists such as Gerhard Richter, Lee Krasner and Sigmar Polke. All the works found buyers and were led by the superb group of Richter abstract paintings which brought a combined total of $74,280,000, over twice the pre-sale high estimate (group est. $27/36.7 million). Furthermore, an auction record for the artist was set when Abstraktes Bild from 1997 sold for $20,802,500 after a contest involving four bidders (est. $9/12 million).

Gerhard Richter - Abstraktes Bild (849-3) ($9,000,000 – 12,000,000)

Gerhard Richter - Gudrun ($5,500,000 – 7,500,000)

Gerhard Richter - Abstraktes Bild (769–2) ($5,500,000 – 7,500,000)

Gerhard Richter - Rain (676-2) ($700,000-900,000)

Tags: Gerhard Richter, sotheby's
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STELLAR IRISH LOTS IN THE SAFRA COLLECTIONS AT SOTHEBY’S, NEW YORK

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

IRISH lots to feature in the four day sale of the Lily and Edmond J. Safra Collections at Sotheby’s in New York from October 18-21 include these stellar pieces. Sotheby’s say the six dedicated sales represent the pinnacle of their respective collecting categories and offer remarkable opportunities to collectors around the world.

There is a group of fourteen Irish George II embossed paper and gouache painted pictures of birds c1750 by Samuel Dixon. They are estimated at $60,000-90,000. The pair of Irish silver mugs illustrated here were probably made by John Stoyte in Dublin in 1807. The maker’s mark is I pellet S in rectangle. They are estimated at $9,000-12,000.

See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for September 1, July 29 and July 10.

One from a group of fourteen Irish George II embossed paper and gouache painted pictures of of birds circa 1750, by Samuel Dixon ($60,000 -90,000). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: THIS LOT WAS SOLD FOR $98,500

A pair of Irish Silver Mugs probably by John Stoyte, Dublin, 1807 ($9,000 - 12,000). Click on image to enlarge. UPDATE: THE PAIR MADE $11,250

Tags: Safra Collections, sotheby's
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MONUMENTAL BRONZE MATISSE SCULPTURES LES NUS DE DOS AT SOTHEBY’S

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Matisse Nu de dos (1er état) is estimated at $20-30 million. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: THIS WAS SOLD PRIVATELY BEFORE THE AUCTION.

A cast of each of four monumental bronze sculptures by Henri Matisse, known collectively as Les Nus de dos (The Backs), is to be offered by Sotheby’s in four consecutive sales of Impressionist and Modern Art in London and New York. The first comes up in New York on November 2. Nu de dos (1er état) is estimated at $20-30 million. Conceived in 1908-09 at the culmination of Matisse’s involvement with the Fauves the sculpture exemplifies the fluidity of line that dominated his paintings from this era.

Each of the four works was conceived individually over the course of two decades, and together they chart the evolution of Matisse’s artistic development through the early 20th century. The bronzes have been consigned by The Burnett Foundation of Fort Worth Texas, and proceeds will further support the community of Fort Worth – the Foundation’s primary mission since its inception 30 years ago. Dos II, Dos III and Dos IV will be offered individually in the next sales of Impressionist & Modern Art at Sotheby’s: London, February 2012; New York, May 2012; and London, June 2012.

They were consigned by the Burnett Foundation of Fort Worth and proceeds will support the local community. The Foundation acquired the works in 1982 from Californian collector Norton Simon, who bought them from the artist’s estate in 1966. They were on show for ten years at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

UPDATE: THE Matisse bronze was sold on November 1 prior to the auction as part of a quartet of Matisse bronzes in a private transaction. The deal was made by Sotheby’s who did not release any information about the purchaser or disclose the price.

Tags: Matisse, sotheby's
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THE SUN DROP DIAMOND AT SOTHEBY’S, GENEVA ON NOVEMBER 15.

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

The Sun Drop Diamond. (Click on image to enlarge). UPDATE: IT MADE 11.28 MILLION SWISS FRANCS OR £7.8 MILLION STERLING, A WORLD RECORD FOR A YELLOW DIAMOND.

The Sun-Drop Diamond, the largest known pear-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world, will be offered by Sotheby’s in Geneva on November 15. Graded Fancy Vivid Yellow, the highest colour grading for a yellow diamond, it weighs in at 110.03 carats and it has a purity of VVS1. The rough for the Sun-Drop Diamond was discovered in South Africa in 2010. It was cut and polished by Cora International, with headquarters in New York. The estimate for the stone, which was exhibited earlier this year at London’s Natural History Museum, is $11-15 million.

Only three white diamonds of over 100 carats have ever been sold at auction, all at Sotheby’s Geneva. The Star of the Season — a Pear-shaped diamond of 100.10 carats made $16.5 million in 1995, an auction record for a white diamond; The Mouawad Splendour — a Modified Pear-Shaped Diamond (11 sided), 101.84 carats made $12.8 million in 1990 and the Star of Happiness — a Cut-Cornered Rectangular Modified Brilliant-Cut Diamond, 100.36 carats, made $11.9 mllion in 1993. In November 2010 the Graff Pink – a Fancy Intense Pink Diamond weighing 24.78 carats, sold for $46,158,674 at Sotheby’s in Geneva, and established a new world auction record for a diamond.

See post on antiquesandartireland.com for November 17, 2010.

Tags: sotheby's, Sun Drop Diamond
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WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR MING PORCELAIN SET IN HONG KONG

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

This Ming Vase set a world record for any Ming porcelain at auction in Hong Kong. (Click on image to enlarge).

THERE was a world auction record for Ming Porcelain at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong today. This outstanding blue and white Imperial Vase, Ming Dynasty, Yongle Period – just less than 15 inches high – sold for HK$168,660,000 / £14,032,792/ US$21,623,077 after a ten minute bidding battle on the telephone. It was won by Nicolas Chow, Sotheby’s International Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, against a Sotheby’s Ceramics Specialist based in Beijing.

Chinese buyers from around the world competed for 32 important pieces from Sotheby’s sale of Part II of Imperial Chinese Porcelains from the Meiyintang Collection which brought HK$560 million /£46.6 million / US$71.8 million in just over an hour. Ming porcelain (1368-1644) has been less sought after in latter times than Qing (1644-1911) wares, though it is older. Ming can be less decorative than Qing, and has not quite matched the taste of new buyers from mainland China.

Tags: Hong Kong, Ming, sotheby's
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BOY’S HEAD BY LUCIAN FREUD AT SOTHEBY’S IN OCTOBER

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Boy's Head by Lucien Freud. It made £3,177,250.

Boy’s Head dating from 1952 by Lucian Freud (1922-2011) will headline Sotheby’s Contempoary Art evening auction in London on October 13. The work, from a seminal early period of the artist’s oeuvre, depicts Charlie Lumley, one of Freud’s most immediately recognisable subjects.

An oil on canvas, it transmits a remarkable psychological intensity. From a private collection it is estimated to make £3-4 million.

UPDATE: It made £3,177,250.

Tags: Freud, sotheby's
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GOLCONDA PINK DIAMOND LEADS SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG SALE

Monday, September 12th, 2011

Golconda Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond.Jadeite Cabochon and Diamond Necklace (est. $1.1 - 1.5 million)

A rare Fancy Vivid Pink diamond from Golconda, the earliest known source of diamonds in the world, will lead Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite in Hong Kong on October 5. Diamonds from the ancient mine of Golconda include the emerald cut 9.27 carat Golconda Pink, estimated at $13-19 million US dollars. The Type IIa classification of this stone ranks it among the less than 2% of the world’s gem diamonds virtually free of nitrogen in their chemical composition.

The 359 lot auction includes rare jewellery associated with the Mogul Kingdom. It includes diamonds, natural pearls and jadeite of superb quality and is expected to realise around $85 US dollars.

The Golconda Pink went unsold.

Tags: Golconda, sotheby's
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