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Old Master Paintings

OVERVIEW

Our June auction presents magnificent works from a range of schools throughout Europe: from Early Northern and Italian paintings to masterpieces from the 18th century. A highlight of the sale is the previously unpublished Spring by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, one of the finest versions of the subject to appear on the market in years. Also featured will be the recently discovered Praying Monk by the 16th-century Flemish painter Jan Massys and Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s Les Baisers Maternels, an exquisite and tender depiction of a mother and her children.

The sale features a particularly strong group of 18^th century French paintings from a private American collection, including two beautiful pictures by Michel Garnier and a stunning Portrait of a young girl by Jean-Baptiste Greuze.  In addition, Sotheby’s is honored to be offering property from important American museums, including The High Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

RESULTS

The 6 June sale in New York exceeded expectations, bringing a total of $9,270,440, more than $2 million above the high estimate (est. $4.9/7.22 million). American collections performed particularly well with five of the top lots coming from a West Coast Estate, led by Spring, a previously unpublished picture by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, which more than doubled its high estimate, fetching $2,285,000 (est. $700/900,000). Allegories of the seasons, a group of four paintings by Sebastiaen Vrancx, also exceeded its pre-sale estimates, bringing $875,000 (est. $300/500,000), as did a rare composition by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, The Whitsun Bride, which sold for $845,000 (est. $400/600,000).

Christopher Apostle, Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Old Master Paintings, noted: “The results from today’s successful sale affirm that collectors respond to fresh property, quality and fair estimates in a well-curated sale. Early works and pictures from great private collections remain in demand, with each of the 17 lots from a West Coast Estate selling, fetching a total of $5.1 million, almost double the high estimate of $2.6 million. We were pleased with the global participation from Asia, Russia, the United States and Latin America.”