On February 18th, Freeman’s will hold its inaugural auction of European Art and Old Masters at its brand new 2400 Market Street location. The tightly-curated 50-lot sale will showcase Continental and British works spanning from the 16thto the early 20thcentury. A variety of mediums will be featured, including early prints and works on paper, paintings, and sculpture – some being important rediscoveries by celebrated artists such asNiccolò Codazzi (1642-1693), women artists Giovanna Garzoni(1600-1670) and Emilie Preyer (1849-1930), Max Liebermann(1847-1935), Armand Guillaumin(French, 1841-1927) and Montague Dawson(British, 1890-1973).
THREE IMPRESSIONIST HIGHLIGHTS
One of the highlights of the sale will beBerthe Morisot’sApollon Révélant sa Divinité à la Bergère Issé(after François Boucher)(Lot 37; $150,000-250,000) – a striking late work completed in the fall of 1892. The painting is one of two paintings that Morisot copied after François Boucher, an 18thcentury artist she particularly revered and studied. So distinctly Rococo in theme and technique, the present work made an impression on Claude Monet, who insisted on including it in the artist’s retrospective show in 1896. It later inspired his famous Nymphéasseries. This painting remained in the Morisot family’s collection until it was purchased by the present owner from the artist’s grandson, giving it impeccable provenance.