Sotheby’s is set to offer works from the collections of many of the world’s leading Old Master dealers in two dedicated online sales, The Dealer’s Eye: London and The Dealer’s Eye: New York (18 – 25 June). Bringing together 39 internationally acclaimed dealers, each of whom has carefully selected three works for inclusion, the concurrent sales will feature exceptional examples of Old Master and 19th century paintings and drawings.
Presenting over 66 lots representing 22 esteemed gallerists, The Dealer’s Eye: London will feature works by masters such as Jacopo Bassano, Thomas Gainsborough and Anthony Van Dyck, whilst The Dealer’s Eye: New York, will offer 51 works by artists including Govert Flinck and Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, selected from the collections of 17 dealers. Being drawn from the inventories of the leaders in the field, each work comes with the utmost endorsement in taste, attribution and condition.
With galleries temporarily closed and art fairs postponed in light of the current global circumstances, The Dealer’s Eye offers an unprecedented opportunity to bring the wider Old Masters community to new audiences via digital means and continues Sotheby’s long tradition of collaboration in the field. In the last two months alone Sotheby’s has held two successful online auctions dedicated to Old Masters dealers – in April, a collection of works from the gallery of Rafael Valls more than tripled it pre-sale estimate to achieve £1.6 million, whilst in May Refining Taste: Works Selected by Danny Katz saw a strong sell-through rate of 92%, with over 60% of the lots selling above their high-estimates.
“Before I joined Sotheby’s in 2018, I spent more than thirty years as an Old Masters dealer, traveling across the world to bring wonderful works of art to interested buyers, many times at major art fairs such as Tefaf Maastricht, Frieze Masters, and Masterpiece London. With The Dealer’s Eye, we’ve created our own version of an art fair, where dealers can continue to promote the works that make their individual galleries so unique. It gives me great pleasure to be able to support our gallery peers with this online sales initiative, as well as offer our clients this opportunity to acquire works specially curated by some of the most internationally-renowned Old Master galleries.”
London-based dealer, Charles Beddington, commented: “Sotheby’s is unique among auction houses in its enthusiasm for collaborations with the Old Master dealers, both individually and collectively. This is particularly welcome during a period when online auctions of Old Master paintings are doing particularly well, confounding those inclined to see this as a field not particularly suited to selling online. At the same time, Old Master dealers currently have limited access to their clients, and are bound to find particularly welcome the wide exposure provided by collaboration with Sotheby’s.”
"It is our pleasure to be invited to take part in this innovative sale concept, alongside many of our esteemed colleagues, “says Puppa Sayn-Wittgenstein Nottebohm of Richard L. Feigen & Co. “With exhibitions currently on pause, The Dealer’s Eye auction offers our community an opportunity to reach new clients and promote our artists and their extraordinary work to an international audience. This new transparent sale format allows bidders time to reflect and to gauge the interest in the lots. I have worked with the team at Sotheby’s in various ways for many years and have great respect for their knowledge and integrity."
Among the highlights in The Dealer’s Eye: New York will be works from some of the most prominent galleries in the city, including an elegant bust-length portrait of a Young Girl in Antique Costume by Elisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun (estimate $60,000-80,000) consigned by Wildenstein & Co.; a beautiful pair of flower still-lifes by 17th century French painter Jean Michel Picart (estimate $80,000-120,000) consigned by Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts; and a full-length Portrait of James Abbott McNeill Whistler, sporting his characteristic monocle and top-hat, by British 19th century artist Walter Greaves (estimate $70,000-90,000) consigned by Adam Williams Fine Art. The New York auction also includes a number of works presented by European dealers, including an exuberant genre scene of a Shepherdess Holding Plums by Gerrit van Honthorst, consigned by Salomon Lilian (estimate $60,000-80,000); and a French landscape painting of The Wood of Fontainbleau by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, consigned by Galerie Sanct Lucas, which is estimated at $70,000-90,000.
Running simultaneously, The Dealer’s Eye: London will offer exceptional works consigned by distinguished dealers from across Europe, including the jewel-like Still Life with Shells by Antonio Ponce, being offered by Madrid based Caylus Gallery (estimate £40,000-60,0000); a lively and colourful costume drawing by Henri de Gissey consigned by Day & Faber (Estimate £60,000-80,000), and an idyllic view painting of the city of Florence and the Ponte alle Grazie by British painter Thomas Patch being offered by Robilant Fine Art (estimate £200,000-300,000). The sale also features a number of noteworthy portraits, such as John Hamilton Mortimer’s partially completed Self-Portrait, being offered by London based Lowell Libson & Jonny Yarker (estimate £30,000-50,000); and Pseudo-Tommaso Salini’s enigmatic Portrait of a Young Man as Bacchus, consigned by Benappi Fine Art, which is estimated to achieve £40,000-60,000.
UPCOMING SALES
This summer Sotheby’s will bring together all the very best material from the season, including an exceptional selection of Old Master paintings alongside Impressionist & Modern, Contemporary and Modern British works in our pioneering cross-category evening sale on 28 July in London. Leading the sale will be an intimate self-portrait by Rembrandt, one of only three such painted works in private hands, which will be offered with an estimate of £12-16 million ($15-20 million).
CONTACT INFO
London | Mitzi.Mina | Mitzi.Mina@Sothebys.com | +44 (0)20 7293 6000
London | Stephanie.Cliffe | Stephanie.Cliffe@Sothebys.com | +44 (0)20 7293 6000
About Sotheby’s: Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection, artist, estate & foundation advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby’s also presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art Division, and three retail businesses: Sotheby’s Wine, Sotheby’s Diamonds, and Sotheby’s Home, the online marketplace for interior design.
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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid.
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