Roseberys- Portraits Proving Popular at Old Master Auction

Roseberys- Portraits Proving Popular at Old Master Auction

Roseberys London: The highly anticipated Old Master, 18th & 19th Century Pictures auction, on Thursday 4 June was the first sale to take place since the lockdown began. Despite the postponement and obstacles due to Covid-19, the auction was a great success, producing fantastic results throughout. With highlights including a Hunting scene, painted by French artist René Princeteau and a portrait of a lady in the manner of Italian artist Pierfrancesco Cittadini, both selling both for £30,000 each. 

On the overall sale, Marcus Grey, Head of Department, commented: Last Thursday’s auction showed some fantastic results for Roseberys with early portraiture dominating the highlights. A beautiful mid-17th century portrait attributed to the circle of Pierfrancesco Cittadini made a result of £30,000, whilst a unique portrait by Lavinia Fontana made £7,500. Also, our private collection of Portrait miniatures proved to be very popular, with Lot 4 selling for £6,875 and lot 20, a Portrait miniature of a high-ranking Napoleonic officer by Louis-Marie Sicardi- selling for £5,500. The results of the René Princeteau’s also showed that the market for this artist continues to be strong with many selling for the above estimate. 

Before the sale began, the internet clerks were briefed and ready to expect a busy day of sales. Expectations were set high due to the number of pre-registered bidders which exceeded 800, poised, and ready to compete for their lots throughout the day. 

The beginning of the sale saw a collection of 67 miniatures realise excellent results, with many achieving prices higher than their estimates. One being lot 4, circle of English artist Isaac Oliver. The portrait miniature of a lady in a glazed oval silver frame, sold for £6,875, over double its expected estimated value. 

 

Estimated to sell for £6,000 – £8,000, lot 72 was fiercely bid up to a successful sale price of £30,000. The Portrait of a lady, wearing a red Italo-Hispanic dress, holding a rose is circle of Italian artist Pierfrancesco Cittadini, 1616–1681. Born in Milan, Cittadini initially became a pupil of Daniele Crespi before heading to Bologna in the 1630s to establish himself as an artist in the workshop of Guido Reni, later rivaling his former master for altarpiece commissions within the city. The Portrait of a lady is typical of the artist’s style. Known for his attention to detail in the portraits of female sitters, the present oil on canvas characteristically displays the attention to the elaborate costume of the sitter and the rose she holds in her hand. 

 

Another work that sailed high above its estimate to £23,750 was lot 75. The oil on canvas depicting choppy waters with a whale and a sea-monster, is circle of Dutch artist Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, 1562-1640. Hendrik Cornelisz Vroom was a Dutch Golden Age painter credited with being the founder of Dutch marine art or seascape painting. His work can be seen in the Rijksmuseum, Frans Hals Museum, and Westfriesmuseum. 

 

Previously sold at Sotheby’s London in 1993, lot 103, was successfully bid up to a final selling price of £8,125, from its original estimate of £2,000 – £3,000. The oil on canvas, titled Esther Before Ahasuerus, hails from the Genoese School, 17th century. 

 

Realising a price of £7,500, lot 96 is a beautiful self-portrait, with strong provenance by Italian artist Lavinia Fontana, 1552-1614. The, signed, inscribed, and dated oil on canvas self-portrait of the artist as St. Catherine of Alexandria, was painted in 1595. St. Catherine is portrayed with her traditional attributes gazing up to the heavens in Fontana’s typically Mannerist style. The detail and colour is employed vibrantly, reminiscent of the work of Sofonisba Anguissola, another female northern Italian Renaissance painter.

 

Titled Il Guercino, lot 109, study of a woman half-length with arm outstretched in red chalk on laid paper sold for £6,875. The Italian picture that was likely to be created around the period of 1591-1666, is from the workshop of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, proving that there is still some market demand for good quality works on paper, a market that has suffered greatly over the last ten years. 

 

A collection of star lots within the auction came toward the end of the sale, with multiple bidders competing from Belgium, France, and the US. All the works by French artist René Charles Pierre Princeteau, 1843-1919, came from a private collection. A master in the depiction of equestrian subject matter, René Princeteau is considered to be one of the most highly sought-after academic French artists of the late 19th century. Lot 364, Early morning, bringing out hounds with huntsmen in attendance; oil on canvas, was the hotly contested work that soared up to £30,000. The work is considered to be a fine example of the artist’s carefully conceived hunting scenes. This painting will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné on René Princeteau compiled by Louis Cuvreau and Hubert de Watrigant. 

 

 

Other sale highlights coming from the private collection of Princeteau’s works, were lot 358, Veneur pendant un débuché, selling for £13,750, lot 359, La Chasses Basque selling for £12,500 and lot 360, Piqueur Foulant selling for £11,500. In total, the collection of seven works by Princeteau sold for, £90,125. 

 

For further information please contact

Head of Department Marcus Grey [email protected] 

Please note all the prices quoted include Buyer’s Premium of 25% 

H&H Classics- 1964 Morris Mini Moke Owned By Film Director

H&H Classics- 1964 Morris Mini Moke Owned By Film Director

This highly original 1964 850cc Mini Moke was supplied new to the cinematographer and film studio owner Keith Ewart for use on his Cornish estate, is now for sale with H&H Classics at their Live Auction Online on June 24th.

The Moke remained in the Ewart family ownership for fifty-one years, from 1964-2015. ‘JMM 699B’ was one of two Mokes Ewart bought at the same time to run around his Cornish estate. A pioneer in the making of European television commercials, Ewart shot campaigns for the likes of Camay, Maxwell House, Fairy Liquid, and Benson & Hedges. Having begun his career as an acclaimed stills photographer with Vogue and Harper’s magazines, he had a legendary eye for detail.

 

Making the jump to TV in 1954, Ewart later employed a young Ridley Scott as his art director and would, according to another of his proteges Howard Grey, ‘think nothing of doing 40 or 50 takes of a two-second scene of an actress putting on face cream or choosing a chocolate’ such was his desire for perfection.

The Moke is one of only 9,096 Morris versions made, a mere ten percent of which were ‘home market’ supplied. It was built at Longbridge in 1964, the first year of production. Its condition is mostly original and unrestored and is in running order and believed complete with its original hood. It has its correct 850cc engine and has had just two registered keepers. It is rare to find a Moke in this condition and is a great fun vehicle.

Ewart’s had ‘JMM 699B’ repainted from green to RAF blue (as a reminder of his service) and updated with a pair of period bucket seats (presumably so it could be driven with more gusto on the unmade roads of his Estate). A keen ornithologist with a particular passion for parrots, Ewart succumbed to a brain tumour in July 1989. However, his widow would not part with the characterful Morris for another twenty-six years.

 ‘JMM 699B’ has never undergone a full restoration. Indeed, aside from upgrading the ignition system, the vendor has enjoyed using the Moke ‘as is’ (the original ignition parts have been kept for posterity).

The Keith Ewart Charitable Trust remains committed to the preservation and conservation of wildlife.

 

 

Model Background:

The utilitarian Moke (slang for Donkey) was conceived as a light military vehicle and, codenamed The Buckboard, was tested by all three branches of the armed forces. However, its relatively low ground clearance ruled it out of most combat situations and its forte was as a beach buggy in such popular holiday destinations as the Seychelles and the Caribbean. Some 50,000 examples were manufactured all told – UK production ran from 1964 to 1968, while they were also built in Australia, Portugal and Italy. The monocoque shell comprised a pair of box-section pontoons connected by the floorpan and firewall. Engine, gearbox and suspension were standard Mini components, making for economical service and repair. Most of the 14,518 British Mokes incorporated Mini MK1 running gear but the later ones (1967-68) utilised MK2 parts. However, of the 5,422 Austin and 9,096 Morris versions made a mere ten percent or so were ‘home market’ supplied.

 

FOR MORE PRESS INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT THE H&H CLASSICS PRESS OFFICE:

Julian Roup ON +44 (0) 7970 563958

OR email [email protected]

 

Freeman’s – Impressive Chinese Imperial Porcelains

Freeman’s – Impressive Chinese Imperial Porcelains

PHILADELPHIA, PA— On Friday, June 19, Freeman’s will offer over 200 carefully selected lots in its Asian Arts auction.  Spanning centuries and countries, the sale is a compelling offering of furniture, porcelains, jades, textiles, sculpture and fine art from across the Far East, including a group of ancient Chinese bronzes from a private Main Line collection and a selection of mark and period Chinese porcelains of the Qing dynasty.

CHINESE IMPERIAL PORCELAINS

The sale includes a fine selection of elegant imperial Chinese porcelains from the 18th and 19th centuries.  The highlight is a rare and refined blue and white-decorated porcelain lobed bowl, Qianlong mark, and period (Lot 58, $30,000-50,000).  When acquired by the present owner in 2011, only one other known example, with a yellow enamel ground, was noted.

 

BUDDHAS AND BODHISATTVAS FROM JAPAN TO THE HIMALAYAS

A strong section of the sale is composed of Buddhist figural arts, including examples rarely encountered on the market.  For sheer elegance of execution, the 15th century Nepalese or Tibetan gilt copper alloy figure of a bodhisattva (Lot 31, $20,000-30,000) is unequaled among the sculptures.  With finely cast and finished details and a rich gilded surface suitably-worn by centuries of adoration, the bodhisattva is an example of the fine workmanship, likely Newari, which so influenced the exquisite gilt bronzes of the early Ming dynasty.

Of particular note is a small, gold repoussé Southeast Asian figure of a seated Buddha from the 12th-14th century (Lot 26, $10,000-15,000).  Acquired by the husband of the present owner from noted New York dealer Doris Wiener, the Buddha is a rare survivor in precious metal, with a lively expression and large presence belying its 2 ¼ inch height.  It is joined in the sale by a number of additional Chinese, Japanese, and Burmese figures of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, which differ in size and are made of varying elements including wood, sandstone, copper, and bronze.

This piece is joined by a small group of monochrome red bowls and dishes (Lots 59-62) given to the present owner’s mother by her longtime friend, Joseph Paul Gardner — an architect and dancer who served as one of the Monuments Men in World War II and as first Director (1933-1953) of what is now the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO.

Lot 31: A Nepalese or Tibetan gilt copper alloy figure of a bodhisattva

15th century

Estimate $20,000-30,000

Lot 194: Waterfall, Tani Buncho (1763-1840)

H: 130 1/2, W: 55 3/4 in.

Estimate $6,000 – 8,000

Lot 189: A rare and impressive Japanese patinated bronze censer and cover with original wood stand, Miyao.

Meiji period, late 19th century.

Estimate $25,000 – $35,000

 

JAPANESE PAINTING AND CALLIGRAPHY FROM THE COLLECTION OF BETTY BORMAN, LOS ANGELES

California collector Betty Borman assembled a fine group of Japanese ink paintings and calligraphy, including works by some of the most noted artists of their time.  Of particular note is the grandly-scaled “Waterfall” by Tani Buncho (1763-1840) (Lot 194, $6,000-8,000), which may be the artist’s largest extant work, and a six-panel folding screen, “Dragon Vanishing into Clouds,” by famed lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) (Lot 195, $10,000-15,000).

 

AUCTION

June 19 | 10am

 

HEAD OF SALE

Ben Farina, [email protected]

PRESS INQUIRIES

Madeline Hill, [email protected]

 

Freeman’s – Modern Art Auction Achieves Over $1M

Freeman’s – Modern Art Auction Achieves Over $1M

PHILADELPHIA, PAFreeman’s is delighted to announce the results of its highly successful Modern & Contemporary Art Auction—their first online fine art sale of 2020. With an impressive sell-through rate of 95%, the 58-lot sale achieved over $1 million, just shy of its pre-sale high estimate. Strong prices were achieved for Latin American, English, and iconic American Pop artists. With many consignments from private New York collectors, the auction included notable works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, and Andy Warhol.

“We were delighted to see that the market remains competitive for top works by blue-chip artists, and to achieve an enviable sell-through rate in our first online fine art sale,” said Dunham Townend, Head of Freeman’s Modern & Contemporary Art Department. With this most recent success, Freeman’s raises its average sell-through rate for its 2020 fine auctions to 93.5%.

 

SECOND HIGHEST PRICE ACHIEVED AT AUCTION FOR “CHANEL” BY ANDY WARHOL

The sale was led by Chanel, an iconic print from Andy Warhol’s, Ads series, which sold for $175,000—nearly the high end of its pre-sale estimate. This price is the second-highest ever fetched at auction for this important screenprint.  Robust pre-sale interest and spirited bidding from the East and West Coasts, as well as from Europe, culminated in one of the highest auction prices ever achieved for this iconic Pop image.

 

ROBUST PRICES ACHIEVED FOR BRITISH MODERNISTS

Skoob Assemblage by British Modernist John Latham was a runaway success.  Bidders from the United Kingdom, Europe, and America competed vigorously for this fresh-to-market assemblage by one of England’s most celebrated Conceptual artists. The work more than quintupled its pre-sale low estimate, realizing $27,500.

Similar-spirited bidding drove Lynn Chadwick’s Pair of Cloaked Figures to sell for $43,750. This quintessential example by the revered British sculptor had been in a private New York collection since 1978.

These robust results continue Freeman’s long-established history of success with Modern British artists including William Scott, Henry Moore, and John Hoyland.

Lot 44: Skoob AssemblageJohn Latham (British, 1921-2006)

Sold for: $27,500 (buyer’s premium included)

 

Lot 30: Yellow RoadAlex Katz (American, born 1927)

Sold for: $46,875 (buyer’s premium included)

 

Lot 2: Soldat Marocain et Hamido, Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954)

Sold for: $18,750 (buyer’s premium included)

 

WORKS BY PICASSO, RIVERA, KATZ, RODRIGUE & MATISSE EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

Strong prices were also achieved for works by many other internationally renowned and sought after artists. Other notable results include $46,875 for Pablo Picasso’s Face with Black Nose and Alex Katz’s Yellow Road; $32,500 for Diego Rivera’s Seated Woman; $25,000 for George Rodrigue’s Blue Over You; and $18,750 for Henri Matisse’s Soldat Marocain et Hamido.

 

 

HEAD OF SALE

Dunham Townend  [email protected]

 

PRESS INQUIRIES

Madeline Hill, [email protected]