Sotheby’s has unveiled the full contents of its Old Master and 19th century evening sale, slated for December 3 in London, saying the works are defined by “exceptional and scholarly significance and rare discoveries.” Of the 31 works, half have been hidden from public view for more than a century, while 12 have not been seen on the secondary market in 40 years. The house said the auction is one of the “greatest assemblages of Old Masters presented at Sotheby’s London in the last six years.”
Among the top lots are Hans Eworth’s Portrait of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1652), which is making its auction debut with a high estimate of £3 million. The house said it “offers a striking glimpse into the artistry and political intrigue of the Tudor court.” The Census at Bethlehem (1566) by Pieter Brueghel the Younger will also hit the auction block with a high estimate of £5 million, as well as the rediscovered Peter Paul Rubens oil sketch, The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne adored by Saints of the House of Habsburg (high estimate: £3 million). A £7 million high estimate has been slapped on Rembrandt’s portrait of Saint John on Patmos.
“This is such a special season, defined by truly great works,” Elisabeth Lobkowicz, Sotheby’s head of department and evening sale, Old Master paintings, told ARTnews. “In many instances the importance of these paintings has only recently been recognised, thanks to the enormous amount of research my colleagues have done, working—in some instances for months, even years—with outside scholars to shed new light on their authorship and history. The galleries look stunning, filled with an array of beautiful paintings, each with a fascinating story to tell. They are already working their magic on art lovers from across the globe, and we hope everyone can come into the galleries and experience these paintings firsthand. It’s an auction not to be missed.”
The sale will also feature works from the collection of Dr Hinrich Bischoff. They include Lucas van Valckenborch’s Autumn: Landscape with Archduke Matthias of Austria with members of his court at the Vintage (1597)—high estimate: £800,000—and the artist’s The Crucifixion of Christ on Mount Calvary (1568), which has a high estimate of £400,000.
The works went on public view at Sotheby’s on New Bond Street on Friday.
