T his winter’s Old Master Paintings Day Sale offers examples from all the major schools of Western European painting, from gold grounds of the early Italian Renaissance, to fine examples of German Renaissance paintings, through the Italian and Spanish Baroque and the Dutch Golden Age, to elegant 18th-century views, portraits and still lifes. The Day Sale will be on view in our galleries from 2-4 December, in the lead-up to bidding closing online on Saturday 5 December and will feature lots with estimates ranging from less than £5,000 to £150,000. We are delighted to present a rich and varied selection of works that will appeal both to seasoned collectors and buyers new to Old Master Paintings.
This pair of full-length portraits formerly carried an anonymous attribution to the 17th-century Nuremberg School. Now the discovery of a signature has confirmed them as the finest painted works, and two of only six known extant portraits, by the artist Michael Herr (1591-1661), known today principally through drawings and prints. The portraits were painted in celebration of the sitters’ marriage – click on each detail to learn more about them.
Thanks to a print that also depicts this sitter, the identity of this man may be confirmed as Johann Jobst Schmidtmaier von Schwarzenbruck (1611-47). Schmidtmaier was a great patron of his alma mater, the University of Altdorf, where he also set up a printing press for books in Arabic, Syrian and Hebrew.
Anna Maria, née Heugel, was widowed, and married Johann Jobst Schmidtmaier as her second husband in 1639.
Herr’s signature appears in the lower right corner of the male portrait. It reads: Michel. Herr pinxit. Others of his portraits are signed merely with a monogram: MH.
Anna Maria’s prayer book or bible is inscribed with her family coat-of-arms and the date ‘1639’ – the year of her marriage to Johann Jobst Schmidtmaier.
The dog is a traditional symbol of faithfulness and so is most fitting for a pair of portraits painted to commemorate the union of the sitters. The initials ‘IS’ are inscribed on the collar, perhaps forming the end of the Latin word ‘fidelis.’
Anna Maria lays her hand on a quince, the symbol of fertility and marriage.
On the draped table beside Johann Jobst lies an ornate octagonal watch, alluding to his composed and temperate nature. The case is open and beneath it hangs its key, another symbol of fidelity.
In the background of each pendant are portraits of the sitters’ ancestors – identifiable through the family coats-of-arms which also appear in these replicated likenesses. The marriage of Johann Jobst Schmidtmaier and Anna Maria Heugel brought together two important and noble local families, whose lineage they clearly wished to honour.
The coat-of-arms of the Heugel family appears in the stained glass behind Anna Maria. The German motto reads: Aller Menschen Schült. Erlegt Gottes Hülf. (‘The teaching of all men, relies on God’s help’)
The coat-of-arms of the Schmidtmaier family appears in the stained glass behind Johann Jobst. The Latin motto reads: IHOVA IUVAT SANAT VIVIFICATQUE SUOS (‘Jehovah helps, restores and brings to life his own’)
The castle depicted through the window is likely to be that of Schwarzenbruck, near Feucht, outside Nuremberg, which returned to the Schmidtmaier family through the marriage of Johann Jobst and Anna Maria (whose late husband had acquired the castle from the Schmidtmaiers).
Johann Jobst wears a flat lace collar, which had become fashionable in men’s dress in the 1630s, in favour of the ruff. Harking back to a slightly earlier vogue are his heeled shoes adorned with elaborate roses, and the aglets (gold tags) attached to his garters. He also shows off his rich, embroidered glove, the gold needlework of which, in the form of wheat sheafs, matches his sash.
Anna Maria wears a large, multi-layered cartwheel ruff, with matching lace cuffs – a fashion which persisted longer into the 17th century in Germany than elsewhere in Europe. Her dress is made of expensive black fabric – its style also harks back to earlier fashions, and is much more conservative than contemporary dress in the court of Charles I, for example.
Nuremberg goldsmiths were famous for chain-making in the 16th century, and both these portraits reflect the continued popularity and demand for this fashion. As well as the chains worn beside his sash, Johann Jobst sports a black-foiled diamond ring on the hand with which he gestures to his hat, adorned with a pearl and diamond torsade and two hat jewels – important status symbols for men throughout Europe at this time.
Anna Maria also wears an abundance of heavy gold chains, which are textured to enhance their lustre. In addition, she wears an important carcanet (ornamental collar) beneath the lace ruff, composed of roundels, each centred on a diamond or coloured jewel – the central roundel is filled with an image of the Pelican in its Piety, symbolic of Charity. She also wears two bejewelled pendants, one with an enamel figure of Apollo holding a lyre, which may have been an inherited family piece.
Roman School, 1651/1652
Rome, a view of the Piazza Navona
Estimate £20,000–30,000
Studio of Giovanni Antonio Canal, called Canaletto
Architectural capriccio with ruins and the Colosseum
Estimate £30,000–50,000
Giovanni Paolo Panini and Studio
A capriccio of Roman ruins with elements from the Forum, including the Temples of Antoninus and Faustina, and Castor and Pollux, Arch of Titus, and Temple of Saturn
Estimate £30,000–50,000
Manner of Giovanni Antonio Canal, called Canaletto
Venice, the Bucintoro returning to the molo on Ascension day
Estimate £30,000–50,000
Federico Moja
Venice, a view of the Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo, with the equestrian monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni and the Scuola Grande di San Marco in the background
Estimate £70,000–100,000
Bernardo Canal
Venice, a view of the Grand Canal with the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute; Venice, a view of the Grand Canal with the Chiesa di Santa Chiara
Estimate £100,000–150,000
Jakob Philipp Hackert
A capriccio view of the Canneto river valley at Cava de' Tirreni near Vietri with figures crossing a bridge over waterfalls
Estimate £60,000–80,000
Richard Wilson, R.A.
A view over Villa Madama, Rome, and surrounding countryside
£30,000 – 40,000
Portraits are more than just a record of a person’s likeness, and have been used to show traits such as the power, importance, virtue, or beauty of a sitter. Symbols and attributes are often used to suggest the sitter’s character or profession. This sale provides the opportunity to own portraits of important and fascinating historical figures.
Rome’s iconic Piazza Navona has been through a number of transformations since the time of the ancient Romans. The view of the Piazza from 1652 offered in this sale documents a pivotal moment in its history. Scroll through the timeline below to see where this painting fits into the unique development of one of the most famous squares in the Eternal City.
In the age of self-isolation, depictions of 17th-century domestic life and interiors ‘hit home’ more than ever, reminding us to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of our domiciliary lives.
