Freeman’s – Morisot, Van Gogh and Degas

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 16^thto the early 20^thcentury. 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 18^thcentury 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.

Also on offer will beBald-Headed Orphan Man, Facing RightbyVincent van Gogh(Lot 32; $120,000-180,000). Completed in The Hague in January 1883, the charcoal drawing follows the artist’s move from his hometown in Etten – an important moment in the artist’s creative development.  It depicts Adrianus Jacobus Zuyderland, a 72 year-old pensioner of an almshouse who would become van Gogh’s most frequently used model. Here, Vincent captures a certain sense of pride in the downtrodden old man, perhaps revealing a sense of his own calm defiance. Other, less posed, versions of the orphan man can be found in the collection of prestigious museums, including the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

A fresh-to-market bronze by Edgar Degasentitled Grand Arabesque, Deuxième Temps(Lot 48; $120,000-180,000) will also be featured in the sale. Purchased from Alex Maguy Gallery in 1966 by the grandparents of the present owner, the sculpture has never been seen at auction before, remaining in the same family’s collection until the present date. The work presents a carefully modeled dancer in arabesque, one of ballet’s most challenging poses. As Degas preferred to work in clay and all his bronze castings are posthumous, the present work is an interesting piece showcasing the artist’s ability to capture all the strength and delicacy of the ballerina’s pose in a three-dimensional work.The sculpture will be exhibited in London alongside the Berthe Morisot oil and the van Gogh drawing between January 27 and 30, 2020.

IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL LANDSCAPES

The sale will also showcase numerous attractive 19th century landscapes, including an unusually-large Venetian vista by Rubens Santoro(Italian, 1859-1942), which depicts Saint Mark’s Basilica in the distance (Lot 35; $50,000-80,000) as well as two Dutch scenes by Willem Koekkoek(Dutch, 1839-1895) (Lot 26; $50,000-80,000 and Lot 27 $25,000-40,000). Other landscape paintings of international repute will include an impressive landscape by Danish artist Peder Mørk Mønsted(1859–1941) (Lot 38; $20,000-30,000) and a newly unearthed painting of a chapel in Valdai County by Russian Symbolist painter Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich(1874-1947) (Lot 39; $30,000-50,000).

A STRONG SECTION OF OLD MASTERS

Along with 19th century works, Old Master paintings will be well-represented through  a rare and iconic woodcut of The Rhinoceros(Lot 1; $12,000-18,000) by Albrecht Dürer(German, 1471-1528) , a striking copy of a lost devotional piece by an artist in the circle of Quentin Massys the Elder(Dutch, 1466-1530) (Lot 4; $40,000-60,000) and a bountiful still life by David de Coninck(Flemish, 1644-1701) featuring jewel-toned fruits, animals, and architectural elements in an extensive landscape (Lot 8; $20,000-30,000).

2400 MARKET STREET

This month, Freeman’s opened its new flagship location in Center City’s prestigious 2400 Market Street. Featuring a purpose-built gallery and auction room with corporate offices above, Freeman’s is excited to be a part of the 600,000 square-foot development that has been recently hailed as one of the biggest and most visible mixed-use projects in Philadelphia. This move to new, custom-designed headquarters is a key component in the company’s contemporary business model and will further establish it as a leading and dynamic 21st century auction house. In their new location, Freeman’s is ideally positioned to meet the growing demand for global service, while continuing to be ingrained within the heart of the city that we have called home since 1805.

SPECIALIST

David Weiss | Senior Vice President | Head of Department

dweiss@freemansauction.com| 267-414-1214

Press Inquiries:

Madeline Hill, mhill@freemansauction.com, +1 267.414.1201