18th Century Painting
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : French painting < 1860 George III Venice Canaletto Birth of USA US painting before 1940 Early still life Horse Sport in art Origins of sports Madonna and Child
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1760-1769 1770-1779
See also : French painting < 1860 George III Venice Canaletto Birth of USA US painting before 1940 Early still life Horse Sport in art Origins of sports Madonna and Child
Chronology : 18th century 1730-1739 1760-1769 1770-1779
the Walpole pendants by CANALETTO
1
1732 Return of the Bucentaur
2025 SOLD for £ 32M by Christie's
Appearing as a successor to Carlevarijs, Canaletto managed very early to attract foreign customers. His themes are touristic, in a wide variety of views for displaying Venice in its whole historical and social diversity.
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
Two large size views of Venice by Canaletto were listed in the 1736 manuscript catalogue of Sir Robert Walpole's pictures in Downing Street, Westminster, the residence offered in 1732 by King George II to Walpole.
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 25
Is this the finest work by Canaletto remaining in private hands? Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day was formerly in the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who hung the painting in 10 Downing Street: https://christie-s.visitlink.me/Z1XgqO
Around 1723, he paints two very large views, 141 x 204 cm and 144 x 207 cm, certainly as pendants for a single client who may be the prince of Liechtenstein.
He chooses the panoramic view of the Piazza San Marco with the basilica to illustrate the grandiose architecture, and the view of the Grand Canal between Palazzo Balbi and the Rialto bridge to show the life on the gondolas. The canal rotates at a right angle at that place. It is seen from full front when we look through a window from one of the three floors of the Palazzo Foscari.
Two large size views of Venice by Canaletto were listed in the 1736 manuscript catalogue of Sir Robert Walpole's pictures in Downing Street, Westminster, the residence offered in 1732 by King George II to Walpole.
As First Lord of the Treasury Walpole was the very first British statesman to exercise the function of a prime minister. He belonged to the whig party opposed to royal absolutism and certainly considered Venice, which he had not visited, as a model of a republican regime.
In the same format, 86 x 138 cm, these oil on canvas were certainly used as pendants although the date of their reception in the collection is not known. They feature an opposite animation that highlights the extent of skills of the artist in his mid thirties.
The view of the Grand Canal, sold for £ 18.6M by Sotheby's in 2005, is quiet with its gondolas in a nearly resting position. The Celebration of the Bucentaur on Ascension day is active, with rowers hurrying small crowded boats on the Bacino to the Mole, place of the celebration, in a superb accuracy.
Until its destruction by Napoléon in 1798, the Bucentaur was the festive symbol of Venice. On Ascension day since 1178, this huge state barge with two decks, 35 m long and 8.5 m high propelled by 168 oarsmen, escorted the Doge and the highest dignitaries. The Doge blessed the sea and threw a golden ring in the Adriatic. During the rest of the year the boat remained at the Arsenal.
Unlike his predecessor Carlevarijs, Canaletto is not interested in official celebrations. He prefers to observe everyday life in all the variety of costumes and occupations of this cosmopolitan city. The ambiance of Ascension day is very specific and he does not disdain the subject, but the Bucentaur, while perfectly recognizable, is always far behind the bustling quay and the well-loaded gondolas.
This view painted ca 1732 was separated from its pendant just before being sold for FF 66M before fees by Ader Tajan on December 15, 1993, lot 13. The Walpole provenance was not identified at that time. It was sold for £ 32M by Christie's on July 1, 2025, lot 8. The impasto of many of the figures is beautifully preserved.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 25
Is this the finest work by Canaletto remaining in private hands? Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day was formerly in the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who hung the painting in 10 Downing Street: https://christie-s.visitlink.me/Z1XgqO
- Christie's post highlights a rare early-1730s Canaletto oil painting of Venice's Ascension Day Bucintoro ceremony, once hung in 10 Downing Street by Britain's first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, emphasizing its pristine condition and unmatched provenance among private collections.
- The work, measuring 86 x 138 cm and depicting a vibrant lagoon procession with gondolas and crowds, sold for £31.9 million at Christie's London Old Masters Evening Sale on July 1, 2025, exceeding expectations and affirming Canaletto's peak vedute mastery.
- A single reply skeptically asks if it's an "original copy," alluding to Canaletto's habit of replicating popular compositions for collectors, though expert attribution confirms its authenticity via 18th-century inventory records.
Is this the finest work by Canaletto remaining in private hands? Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day was formerly in the collection of Britain’s first prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, who hung the painting in 10 Downing Street: https://t.co/w90YveMG2T pic.twitter.com/bocdh0BQEe
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 25, 2025
2
1733 Canal Grande
2005 SOLD for £ 18.6 M by Sotheby's
On July 7, 2005, Sotheby's sold for £ 18.6M from a lower estimate of £ 6M a view of the Grand Canal between Balbi and Rialto, in excellent condition, lot 47. This oil on canvas 86 x 138 cm is dated around 1733 by considerations of style, and is the very last large size example painted by Canaletto with this specific position. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole.
The provenance of this painting was reconstructed before the sale. It had been listed as early as 1736 in the collection of Robert Walpole.
1735 Madonna of the Rosary with Angels by Tiepolo
2020 SOLD for $ 17.3M by Sotheby's
At the time of the Vedutists, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo specializes in religious painting. He takes as models his great Venetian predecessors including Tintoretto and Veronese. His personal style is theatrical and overloaded, typical of the rococo taste.
On January 29, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 17.3M a monumental altarpiece painted by Tiepolo in 1735, oil on canvas 246 x 156 cm, lot 61. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The theme is a Madonna of the Rosary with Angels. The simple and effective composition, unusual for the artist, and the liveliness of the colors remind Titian, and the attitude is mannerist.
The artist wanted this Madonna to appear with the utmost majesty. She is standing on a stone pedestal, for being worshiped like a statue. Her youth and elegance are enhanced by a hip position. The red cloak is a symbol of royalty.
The fully unfolded rosary is hanging from her outstretched hand like an offering for an out-of-field user. This artefact brings a modernism to the image : its use in Marian prayer was recommended by Pope Benedict XIII, a former Dominican who died in 1730.
The artist has constructed an interesting symmetry between the rosary held by the Mother and the cross held by the Child. The gaze of the Mother is introverted, while that of the Child is directed towards the hand holding the rosary.
On January 29, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 17.3M a monumental altarpiece painted by Tiepolo in 1735, oil on canvas 246 x 156 cm, lot 61. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The theme is a Madonna of the Rosary with Angels. The simple and effective composition, unusual for the artist, and the liveliness of the colors remind Titian, and the attitude is mannerist.
The artist wanted this Madonna to appear with the utmost majesty. She is standing on a stone pedestal, for being worshiped like a statue. Her youth and elegance are enhanced by a hip position. The red cloak is a symbol of royalty.
The fully unfolded rosary is hanging from her outstretched hand like an offering for an out-of-field user. This artefact brings a modernism to the image : its use in Marian prayer was recommended by Pope Benedict XIII, a former Dominican who died in 1730.
The artist has constructed an interesting symmetry between the rosary held by the Mother and the cross held by the Child. The gaze of the Mother is introverted, while that of the Child is directed towards the hand holding the rosary.
CHARDIN
1
for reference
1758 Le Bocal d'Abricots
Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto)
Chardin is appointed in 1755 trésorier of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. In 1757 he is granted by King Louis XV an apartment in the Galeries du Louvre. He is also the tapissier of the annual Salon de peinture et de sculpture, in charge of the arrangement of the selected artworks.
Busy with these official functions and financially secure, Chardin executes still lifes in a new style started in 1748, very different from his earlier depictions of dead games, and closer to classical Dutch arrangements. He is more attentive to reflections, to light. The colors are less impastoed. The artist is more interested in volumes and composition than in details. The subjects are varied : game, fruits, bouquets, pots, jars, glasses.
Le Bocal d'abricots, painted and dated by Chardin in 1758, is an oval oil on canvas 57 x 51 cm. This marble table top is featuring glasses, pieces of bread, a knife, cups, a tambourine and a tied package placed around a jar containing apricots. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Busy with these official functions and financially secure, Chardin executes still lifes in a new style started in 1748, very different from his earlier depictions of dead games, and closer to classical Dutch arrangements. He is more attentive to reflections, to light. The colors are less impastoed. The artist is more interested in volumes and composition than in details. The subjects are varied : game, fruits, bouquets, pots, jars, glasses.
Le Bocal d'abricots, painted and dated by Chardin in 1758, is an oval oil on canvas 57 x 51 cm. This marble table top is featuring glasses, pieces of bread, a knife, cups, a tambourine and a tied package placed around a jar containing apricots. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
1760 Le Melon entamé
2024 SOLD for € 26.7M by Christie's, Unpaid
Le Bocal d'abricots was owned by the Parisian goldsmith and silversmith Jacques Roettiers. In 1760 Chardin executed and dated a pendant still life for this patron, in the same oval format.
On the same table top, two bottles and a pitcher surround a sliced melon, some peaches, plums and two pears. The freshly cut slice balanced precariously on top of the melon predated by 120 years the precarious arrangements of Cézanne's tabletops. The warm palette has been described by Rosenberg as a "mysterious half light". The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Both works were exhibited at the Salon de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1761 and illustrated by Saint-Aubin in the catalogue.
Coming from the former Marcille collection and a Rothschild provenance, Le Melon entamé was sold for € 26.7M from a lower estimate of € 8M by Christie's on June 12, 2024, lot 5.
An identical replica executed by the workshop in 1763 is owned by the Musée du Louvre.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 30, 2024
Jean Siméon Chardin’s The Cut Melon — a spellbinding work by the ‘great magician’. This masterpiece from the Rothschild family collection is offered in Paris on 12 June. Find out more here: https://christie-s.visitlink.me/5Y7cfR
On the same table top, two bottles and a pitcher surround a sliced melon, some peaches, plums and two pears. The freshly cut slice balanced precariously on top of the melon predated by 120 years the precarious arrangements of Cézanne's tabletops. The warm palette has been described by Rosenberg as a "mysterious half light". The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Both works were exhibited at the Salon de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1761 and illustrated by Saint-Aubin in the catalogue.
Coming from the former Marcille collection and a Rothschild provenance, Le Melon entamé was sold for € 26.7M from a lower estimate of € 8M by Christie's on June 12, 2024, lot 5.
An identical replica executed by the workshop in 1763 is owned by the Musée du Louvre.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's @ChristiesInc May 30, 2024
Jean Siméon Chardin’s The Cut Melon — a spellbinding work by the ‘great magician’. This masterpiece from the Rothschild family collection is offered in Paris on 12 June. Find out more here: https://christie-s.visitlink.me/5Y7cfR
- Christie's post promotes Jean Siméon Chardin's 1760 still-life "The Cut Melon," a Rothschild family masterpiece featuring a sliced cantaloupe, peaches, pears, plums, and glassware on a marble table, rendered with exquisite light and texture.
- Auctioned in Paris on June 12, 2024, the painting fetched a record €26.73 million ($28.76 million) for Chardin, surpassing prior benchmarks and underscoring his status as a pinnacle of 18th-century French realism.
- After the buyer's default, the work entered the Kimbell Art Museum's collection in May 2025, preserving public access to this "great magician's" illusion of tangible everyday objects.
Back Home…
— La Gazette Drouot – International (@Gazette_Inter) April 10, 2025
Chardin's ‘Melon entamé’ which sold for the record price of €26.7M is returned to its owners. The painting had been in default since its auction in June 2024 to an Italian Real Estate developer based in Switzerland. Declared insolvent, he was unable to pay. pic.twitter.com/XJE7Rhcu0x
3
1761 Panier de Fraises des Bois
2022 SOLD for € 24.4M by Artcurial
Jean-Siméon Chardin manages his career without taking care of artistic fashions. A highly skilled perfectionist, he takes the reality of texture and color as his top concern.
Following the path opened by Adriaen Coorte around 1700, Chardin opts for the simplest geometric tabletop compositions in a contrasted light in front of a dark raw background.
Le Panier de fraises des bois, oil on canvas 38 x 46 cm, was released for the Salon de 1761 and illustrated by Saint-Aubin in the livret of that exhibition. It displays a stack of wild strawberries as a spectacular conical tabletop in a basket. That vivid red fruit had been Coorte's preferred pictorial theme.
The composition is completed on the table by a glass filled with limpid water, and by two ornamental cut off flowers, two cherries and a peach. Chardin had skillfully added an upper layer of red lacquer to link together the grainy berries while he left slightly unfocused the carnations.
Recognized as a masterpiece of Chardin's maturity offering a perfect sharp viewing from an ideal distance of 5 m away, Le panier was kept in a private French collection since 1862. It was sold for € 24.4M from a lower estimate of € 12M by Artcurial on March 23, 2022, lot 15. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Following the path opened by Adriaen Coorte around 1700, Chardin opts for the simplest geometric tabletop compositions in a contrasted light in front of a dark raw background.
Le Panier de fraises des bois, oil on canvas 38 x 46 cm, was released for the Salon de 1761 and illustrated by Saint-Aubin in the livret of that exhibition. It displays a stack of wild strawberries as a spectacular conical tabletop in a basket. That vivid red fruit had been Coorte's preferred pictorial theme.
The composition is completed on the table by a glass filled with limpid water, and by two ornamental cut off flowers, two cherries and a peach. Chardin had skillfully added an upper layer of red lacquer to link together the grainy berries while he left slightly unfocused the carnations.
Recognized as a masterpiece of Chardin's maturity offering a perfect sharp viewing from an ideal distance of 5 m away, Le panier was kept in a private French collection since 1862. It was sold for € 24.4M from a lower estimate of € 12M by Artcurial on March 23, 2022, lot 15. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Asking Grok to compare Panier de Fraises des Bois by Chardin, sold by Artcurial on March 23, 2022, lot 15, with Le Melon entamé, sale cancelled for buyer's default after sold by Christie's on June 12, 2024, lot 5.
Overview
Both Panier de Fraises des Bois (The Basket of Wild Strawberries, c. 1761) and Le Melon Entamé (The Cut Melon, 1760) are masterpieces of still-life painting by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699–1779), the preeminent French artist of intimate domestic scenes and everyday objects. Created at the peak of his career, these oval and rectangular compositions respectively showcase Chardin's mastery of light, texture, and subtle color harmonies, evoking a sense of quiet poetry and suspended time. They were both exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1761--Le Melon Entamé as a pendant to Le Bocal d’Abricots (now in the Art Gallery of Ontario), and Panier de Fraises des Bois independently—and share a provenance tied to the renowned Marcille collection, which amassed over 4,500 works by 18th-century French masters. These paintings highlight Chardin's influence from 17th-century Dutch still lifes, rendered with impasto techniques and soft, diffused lighting that imbues humble fruits and vessels with almost tactile presence.
Their auction histories reflect surging institutional interest in Chardin, with both setting records for the artist and 18th-century French Old Masters, though Le Melon Entamé's path was complicated by post-sale drama.
Date and Exhibition
Panier : c. 1761; exhibited at Salon of 1761 (catalogue no. 46).
Melon : 1760, signed and dated 'Chardin 1760'; exhibited at Salon of 1761 (with pendant Le Bocal d’Abricots).
Medium and DimensionsO
Panier : Oil on canvas; 38 x 46 cm (rectangular).
Melon : Oil on canvas; 57 x 51.5 cm (oval format, echoing the melon's shape).
Subject and Composition
Panier : A pyramidal basket of wild strawberries on a stone ledge, flanked by a glass of white wine, cherries, peaches, and two white carnations; simple geometric balance in white, red, and soft neutrals, with a diagonal flourish from the flowers for modern abstraction.
Melon : A sliced melon on a table, accompanied by greengage plums, peaches in a basket, two corked liqueur bottles, pears, and a flower-decorated ceramic pitcher; dynamic yet poised oval arrangement, with nuanced light creating buoyancy and volume amid rich greens, golds, and translucent flesh.
Artistic Significance
Panier : Iconic for its "extreme simplicity" and "audacious execution," blending silence and meditation; comparable to Panier de Prunes (Louvre) for its pyramidal form and peak-period assurance. Critics praise its "frank white-and-red accord" as unforgettable and proto-modern.
Melon : Monumental in scale and preservation; a "pure pictorial poetry" encapsulating Chardin's late genius in glazing, atmosphere, and half-light; invites tactile engagement with objects' weight and luster. One of his largest still lifes, rivaling Raymure à la Serviette for enveloping mellow light.
Provenance Highlights
Panier : Marcille collection (from 1862); remained in family until 2022; rediscovered in 19th century after obscurity.
Melon : Marcille collection (post-1876 sale); acquired by Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild; descended through Rothschild heirs until 2024.
Auction Details
Panier : Artcurial, Paris, March 23, 2022, lot 15 (Maître Matthieu Fournier, with expert Éric Turquin).
Melon : Christie's, Paris, June 12, 2024, lot 5 (auctioneer Camille de Foresta).
Buyer and Outcome
Panier : New York dealer Adam Williams (on behalf of Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth); resold privately to Louvre in February 2024 for undisclosed sum (preempted export).
Melon : Italian investor Nanni Bassani Antivari; sale cancelled due to buyer's default (no payment); Christie's pursued legal action; repurchased by Rothschild heirs and sold privately to Kimbell Art Museum in 2025.
Market Impact
Panier : Set artist's record (until 2024); sparked French export debate and Louvre acquisition, affirming Chardin's rising status.
Melon : Surpassed prior record; most expensive Old Master and 18th-century French work sold in France (2024); default highlighted risks in high-value bids, but boosted Chardin's profile with Kimbell acquisition.
Similarities:
Both works exemplify Chardin's late style—effortless yet rigorous compositions of recurring motifs (e.g., fruits like peaches and plums, reflective glass)—elevating the mundane to the sublime. Their 2022–2024 sales underscore a "Chardin renaissance," driven by museum demand and the artist's underrepresentation in public collections relative to peers like Watteau. Provenance from elite French dynasties (Marcille/Rothschild) adds luster, and both were marketed as "rediscovered" gems from private holdings.
Differences:
Panier de Fraises des Bois emphasizes minimalist geometry and bold color restraint, suiting its smaller scale and rectangular format for intimate contemplation. Le Melon Entamé, larger and oval, feels more expansive and sensual, with deeper atmospheric effects and a pendant history that amplifies its narrative weight. Auction-wise, Le Melon's higher hammer reflected greater scarcity (fewer major Chardins remain private) and hype post-Panier's sale, but its default introduced rare auction-house vulnerability—contrasting Panier's smooth institutional transfer. Ultimately, both now enrich U.S. museums (Kimbell holds both indirectly via sales), ensuring Chardin's legacy endures beyond borders.
Overview
Both Panier de Fraises des Bois (The Basket of Wild Strawberries, c. 1761) and Le Melon Entamé (The Cut Melon, 1760) are masterpieces of still-life painting by Jean-Siméon Chardin (1699–1779), the preeminent French artist of intimate domestic scenes and everyday objects. Created at the peak of his career, these oval and rectangular compositions respectively showcase Chardin's mastery of light, texture, and subtle color harmonies, evoking a sense of quiet poetry and suspended time. They were both exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1761--Le Melon Entamé as a pendant to Le Bocal d’Abricots (now in the Art Gallery of Ontario), and Panier de Fraises des Bois independently—and share a provenance tied to the renowned Marcille collection, which amassed over 4,500 works by 18th-century French masters. These paintings highlight Chardin's influence from 17th-century Dutch still lifes, rendered with impasto techniques and soft, diffused lighting that imbues humble fruits and vessels with almost tactile presence.
Their auction histories reflect surging institutional interest in Chardin, with both setting records for the artist and 18th-century French Old Masters, though Le Melon Entamé's path was complicated by post-sale drama.
Date and Exhibition
Panier : c. 1761; exhibited at Salon of 1761 (catalogue no. 46).
Melon : 1760, signed and dated 'Chardin 1760'; exhibited at Salon of 1761 (with pendant Le Bocal d’Abricots).
Medium and DimensionsO
Panier : Oil on canvas; 38 x 46 cm (rectangular).
Melon : Oil on canvas; 57 x 51.5 cm (oval format, echoing the melon's shape).
Subject and Composition
Panier : A pyramidal basket of wild strawberries on a stone ledge, flanked by a glass of white wine, cherries, peaches, and two white carnations; simple geometric balance in white, red, and soft neutrals, with a diagonal flourish from the flowers for modern abstraction.
Melon : A sliced melon on a table, accompanied by greengage plums, peaches in a basket, two corked liqueur bottles, pears, and a flower-decorated ceramic pitcher; dynamic yet poised oval arrangement, with nuanced light creating buoyancy and volume amid rich greens, golds, and translucent flesh.
Artistic Significance
Panier : Iconic for its "extreme simplicity" and "audacious execution," blending silence and meditation; comparable to Panier de Prunes (Louvre) for its pyramidal form and peak-period assurance. Critics praise its "frank white-and-red accord" as unforgettable and proto-modern.
Melon : Monumental in scale and preservation; a "pure pictorial poetry" encapsulating Chardin's late genius in glazing, atmosphere, and half-light; invites tactile engagement with objects' weight and luster. One of his largest still lifes, rivaling Raymure à la Serviette for enveloping mellow light.
Provenance Highlights
Panier : Marcille collection (from 1862); remained in family until 2022; rediscovered in 19th century after obscurity.
Melon : Marcille collection (post-1876 sale); acquired by Baroness Nathaniel de Rothschild; descended through Rothschild heirs until 2024.
Auction Details
Panier : Artcurial, Paris, March 23, 2022, lot 15 (Maître Matthieu Fournier, with expert Éric Turquin).
Melon : Christie's, Paris, June 12, 2024, lot 5 (auctioneer Camille de Foresta).
Buyer and Outcome
Panier : New York dealer Adam Williams (on behalf of Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth); resold privately to Louvre in February 2024 for undisclosed sum (preempted export).
Melon : Italian investor Nanni Bassani Antivari; sale cancelled due to buyer's default (no payment); Christie's pursued legal action; repurchased by Rothschild heirs and sold privately to Kimbell Art Museum in 2025.
Market Impact
Panier : Set artist's record (until 2024); sparked French export debate and Louvre acquisition, affirming Chardin's rising status.
Melon : Surpassed prior record; most expensive Old Master and 18th-century French work sold in France (2024); default highlighted risks in high-value bids, but boosted Chardin's profile with Kimbell acquisition.
Similarities:
Both works exemplify Chardin's late style—effortless yet rigorous compositions of recurring motifs (e.g., fruits like peaches and plums, reflective glass)—elevating the mundane to the sublime. Their 2022–2024 sales underscore a "Chardin renaissance," driven by museum demand and the artist's underrepresentation in public collections relative to peers like Watteau. Provenance from elite French dynasties (Marcille/Rothschild) adds luster, and both were marketed as "rediscovered" gems from private holdings.
Differences:
Panier de Fraises des Bois emphasizes minimalist geometry and bold color restraint, suiting its smaller scale and rectangular format for intimate contemplation. Le Melon Entamé, larger and oval, feels more expansive and sensual, with deeper atmospheric effects and a pendant history that amplifies its narrative weight. Auction-wise, Le Melon's higher hammer reflected greater scarcity (fewer major Chardins remain private) and hype post-Panier's sale, but its default introduced rare auction-house vulnerability—contrasting Panier's smooth institutional transfer. Ultimately, both now enrich U.S. museums (Kimbell holds both indirectly via sales), ensuring Chardin's legacy endures beyond borders.
1765 Gimcrack by Stubbs
2011 SOLD for £ 22.4M by Christie's
Serving wealthy English aristocrats, George Stubbs specialized in the topic of race horses. On December 8, 2010, Sotheby's sold £ 10.1M a very elegant study of mares and foals in a meadow, painted in 1767.
A horse named Gimcrack was winning most of the races where he was engaged. His portrait was sold for £ 22.4M by Christie's on July 5, 2011, lot 12.
Made around 1765, this broad composition, oil on canvas 102 x 196 cm, simple and effective, is divided into two parts. On the left, Gimcrack shows his beautiful profile, surrounded by a coach, a stable boy and a jockey.
A race is held on the horizon, on the right. A horse is far ahead of his three followers. He is also Gimcrack, of course. He is therefore shown twice on that image that had everything to flatter the sponsor of the work, Lord Bolingbroke, owner of the champion.
Stubbs is very accurate in anatomical detail, but still shows horses galloping with their four legs flying above the ground. This feature, which can be excused one century before the studies of Muybridge, applies here only in the background and provides this work with an undeniable poetic dimension.
A horse named Gimcrack was winning most of the races where he was engaged. His portrait was sold for £ 22.4M by Christie's on July 5, 2011, lot 12.
Made around 1765, this broad composition, oil on canvas 102 x 196 cm, simple and effective, is divided into two parts. On the left, Gimcrack shows his beautiful profile, surrounded by a coach, a stable boy and a jockey.
A race is held on the horizon, on the right. A horse is far ahead of his three followers. He is also Gimcrack, of course. He is therefore shown twice on that image that had everything to flatter the sponsor of the work, Lord Bolingbroke, owner of the champion.
Stubbs is very accurate in anatomical detail, but still shows horses galloping with their four legs flying above the ground. This feature, which can be excused one century before the studies of Muybridge, applies here only in the background and provides this work with an undeniable poetic dimension.
Significance in the artist's career and in horse racing history.
The Painting
George Stubbs' "Gimcrack with John Pratt Up on Newmarket Heath" (oil on canvas, 1765) is one of the most iconic images in British sporting art. It depicts the celebrated racehorse Gimcrack, a small grey colt, with his jockey John Pratt in the colors of his owner, the 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke. In the background Stubbs included a famous “rubbing-down house” (a shelter where horses were cooled off after exercise) on Newmarket Heath, giving the picture a strong sense of place.
The painting was commissioned by Gimcrack’s first important owner, Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, and remained in the family until it was sold at Christie’s London on 5 July 2011 for £22,441,250 (approximately $36 million at the time), still the world-record auction price for a British sporting painting and for any work by George Stubbs.
Significance in George Stubbs’ Career
Gimcrack (foaled 1760) was one of the most famous racehorses of the 18th century despite being unusually small (barely 14.1 hands):
When the painting appeared at Christie’s in 2011 after almost 250 years in the same family (Woolavington Collection), it caused a sensation:
The Painting
George Stubbs' "Gimcrack with John Pratt Up on Newmarket Heath" (oil on canvas, 1765) is one of the most iconic images in British sporting art. It depicts the celebrated racehorse Gimcrack, a small grey colt, with his jockey John Pratt in the colors of his owner, the 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke. In the background Stubbs included a famous “rubbing-down house” (a shelter where horses were cooled off after exercise) on Newmarket Heath, giving the picture a strong sense of place.
The painting was commissioned by Gimcrack’s first important owner, Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, and remained in the family until it was sold at Christie’s London on 5 July 2011 for £22,441,250 (approximately $36 million at the time), still the world-record auction price for a British sporting painting and for any work by George Stubbs.
Significance in George Stubbs’ Career
- This is arguably Stubbs’ most famous single horse portrait and the one that cemented his reputation as the greatest painter of racehorses in history.
- Painted in 1765, it came at the absolute peak of Stubbs’ powers, shortly after the publication of his revolutionary book The Anatomy of the Horse (1766), which had established him as both an artist and a serious equine anatomist.
- The picture shows Stubbs’ mature style in full: astonishingly accurate anatomy combined with luminous atmospheric effects, subtle greys and silvers in the horse’s coat, and a low horizon that makes the horse appear heroic against the vast Suffolk sky.
- It was one of the first paintings in which Stubbs placed a named, contemporary Thoroughbred in a specific landscape setting rather than the more generic parkland backgrounds of earlier portraits. This innovation became his signature format and influenced generations of sporting artists.
- Gimcrack was exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1766 (one of only three paintings Stubbs ever exhibited in his lifetime), bringing him enormous publicity at exactly the moment he was establishing his independent studio in London.
Gimcrack (foaled 1760) was one of the most famous racehorses of the 18th century despite being unusually small (barely 14.1 hands):
- He raced an extraordinary 36 times between 1764 and 1771 and won 27 of those races (a remarkable record for the era of long-distance heat racing).
- His most celebrated victory was beating the previously unbeaten Pontac over four-mile heats at Newmarket in 1765 — the year Stubbs painted him.
- In 1768 he was sold to the Comte de Lauraguais and exported to France, where he won several races and became the first British horse to race successfully on the Continent, helping spread the fashion for English Thoroughbreds in Europe.
- After retirement he stood as a stallion in England again and sired a number of good runners, though he is more important historically than as a sire.
- Gimcrack’s fame was such that the Gimcrack Stakes (now a prestigious Group 2 race for two-year-olds at York) has been named after him since 1846, and the Gimcrack Dinner, one of the most important social events in British racing, is still held annually by the York Gimcrack Club.
When the painting appeared at Christie’s in 2011 after almost 250 years in the same family (Woolavington Collection), it caused a sensation:
- It shattered the previous record for Stubbs (£10.1 million for “Broodmares and Foals” in 1996).
- It remains the most expensive sporting picture and the most expensive Old Master painting ever sold at auction in London.
- It was bought by an anonymous bidder (later revealed to be the British art dealer Simon Dickinson acting for a private collector) and is now on long-term loan to the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket, where it can be seen by the public.
#GeorgeStubbs was born #OTD in 1724. We sold Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath in 2011 for £22,441,250 #WorldAuctionRecord #artistbirthday pic.twitter.com/B7fCB2eivD
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) August 25, 2017
1768 The Rialto by GUARDI
Intro
The death of Canaletto in April 1768 generates great ambitions to Francesco Guardi suddenly becoming the best supplier of the British tourists.
A pair of oils on canvases is unique in the history of the vedutas by the conjunction of their monumental dimension, 120 x 204 cm each, with the maturity of Guardi. The canvases are wider than the looms in use at that time and a nearly invisible seam had been needed in the lower part of the image.
They show the commercial district of Venice, the Rialto, on the Grand Canal on both sides of its spectacular single arched covered bridge which housed shops. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy of Canaletto.
The sequence of monuments is correct but these panoramas are too wide to respect a unique perspective. The large format brings an abundance of details and an exceptional vision of the Venetian atmosphere.
The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice. Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the configuration of the monuments does not provide a terminus post quem.
A pair of oils on canvases is unique in the history of the vedutas by the conjunction of their monumental dimension, 120 x 204 cm each, with the maturity of Guardi. The canvases are wider than the looms in use at that time and a nearly invisible seam had been needed in the lower part of the image.
They show the commercial district of Venice, the Rialto, on the Grand Canal on both sides of its spectacular single arched covered bridge which housed shops. The dense and gentle animation is typical of Guardi but the cloudy atmosphere and contrasting sunlight are worthy of Canaletto.
The sequence of monuments is correct but these panoramas are too wide to respect a unique perspective. The large format brings an abundance of details and an exceptional vision of the Venetian atmosphere.
The first owner was a young British aristocrat who had his tour in 1768, arriving in August in Venice. Guardi worked from the collection of his autograph drawings and the configuration of the monuments does not provide a terminus post quem.
1
Northward
2011 SOLD for £ 26.7M by Sotheby's
The pair was separated. The view taken northward was sold by Sotheby's for £ 26.7M on July 6, 2011.
2
with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi
2017 SOLD for £ 26M by Christie's
The view in the reverse direction with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi was sold for £ 26M from a lower estimate of £ 15M on July 6, 2017 by Christie's, lot 25.
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's Paris @christiesparis Jun 12, 2017
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 http://ow.ly/Nvi430cwaxT
Grok thought :
Quote
Christie's Paris @christiesparis Jun 12, 2017
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 http://ow.ly/Nvi430cwaxT
- This 2017 post from Christie's Paris highlights a monumental Venetian veduta, "The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi" by Francesco Guardi, a leading lot in their London Old Masters sale on July 6.
- The 122x200cm oil on canvas, capturing Venice's bustling Grand Canal with atmospheric precision typical of Guardi's late-18th-century style, estimated at up to £25 million.
- It sold for £26.2 million—a record for Guardi and the top Old Master price that year—previously owned by collector Sir Edward Guinness and reflecting Venice's fading grandeur amid economic decline.
Une toile monumentale (122x200cm) de Francesco Guardi fait partie de la vente Old Master à Londres le 6/07 https://t.co/99ODYfvEzn pic.twitter.com/hHqqm8dzHo
— Christie's Paris (@christiesparis) June 12, 2017
1769 FH d'Harcourt by Fragonard
2013 SOLD for £ 17M by Bonhams
Like all painters of his time excepted Chardin, Fragonard varied his styles to find customers. Influenced by Boucher, he early found fame in the theme of very young frivolous women with their games and passions.
Fragonard made a small series of oils on canvas known under the generic title of Portraits de fantaisie. Only one of these artworks is dated : 1769, the year of his marriage. It is not by chance.
Close to the aristocracy, Fragonard endeavours at that time to demonstrate that he may revolutionize the art of portrait. These paintings are comparable to the tronies made by Rembrandt. The likeness to the sitter is not the most important.
The movement of shoulders and head brings energy and even violence. Strong colors evoke passion. Fancy costumes "à l'Espagnole" provide a theatrical dimension that also positions the work out of its time.
Influenced by Chardin, Fragonard understood the importance of color. This series of fantasy portraits is an essential link in the history of art between Rembrandt and Manet. He will be the great-granduncle of Berthe Morisot.
Few models have been identified with certainty. Brilliant intellectual, François-Henri d' Harcourt enjoyed his portrait to the point that his family kept it until 1971.
This oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm was then purchased at auction by Dr. Rau. Coming now from this prestigious collection, it was sold to the benefit of UNICEF for £ 17M by Bonhams in London on December 5, 2013. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared on Wikimedia.
Fragonard made a small series of oils on canvas known under the generic title of Portraits de fantaisie. Only one of these artworks is dated : 1769, the year of his marriage. It is not by chance.
Close to the aristocracy, Fragonard endeavours at that time to demonstrate that he may revolutionize the art of portrait. These paintings are comparable to the tronies made by Rembrandt. The likeness to the sitter is not the most important.
The movement of shoulders and head brings energy and even violence. Strong colors evoke passion. Fancy costumes "à l'Espagnole" provide a theatrical dimension that also positions the work out of its time.
Influenced by Chardin, Fragonard understood the importance of color. This series of fantasy portraits is an essential link in the history of art between Rembrandt and Manet. He will be the great-granduncle of Berthe Morisot.
Few models have been identified with certainty. Brilliant intellectual, François-Henri d' Harcourt enjoyed his portrait to the point that his family kept it until 1971.
This oil on canvas 81 x 65 cm was then purchased at auction by Dr. Rau. Coming now from this prestigious collection, it was sold to the benefit of UNICEF for £ 17M by Bonhams in London on December 5, 2013. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared on Wikimedia.
1779 George Washington at Princeton by Peale
2006 SOLD for $ 21.3M by Christie's
On June 14, 1774, the Continental Congress creates an army to carry on the War of Independence. Its commander-in-chief is George Washington, a Virginia planter who is also an officer and a veteran of the Seven Years' War.
Washington is towering by his tall stature and by his phlegm, and surprises his assistants by his abnegation and his virtues. It is not enough. He had never exercised a command on the battlefield and his weak and inexperienced army has everything to learn.
Everything seems easy for the British in December 1776, to the point that they decide to take up their winter quarters in New Jersey, waiting for the sunny days to capture Philadelphia. George Washington will soon be unable to pay his exhausted troops. In a heroic burst, he surprises the British garrisons in Trenton and Princeton. These were the first ever victories of the American army.
The war remains undecided, and they must continue to set an example. On January 18, 1779, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania commissions a portrait of General Washington to Charles Willson Peale.
The young artist had made an early portrait of the hero at Mount Vernon in 1772. He had been part of the reinforcements from the militias of Pennsylvania who had contributed to the victories of Trenton and Princeton, and had been appreciated by the soldiers for the miniature portraits painted on the field of battle.
The work which responds to the order from Pennsylvania is a full-length standing portrait of Washington after the Battle of Princeton. The hero is displayed in his signature attitude of modesty, without the face or the clothing having been embellished. He puts his hand on a cannon. Symbols of victory include a column of British prisoners with their red coats. This oil on canvas 246 x 149 cm is kept at the museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
The strengthening of the young nation also includes an international propaganda to its new French and Spanish allies. Autograph replicas are made by the artist. One of them, oil on canvas 244 x 156 cm dated 1779, was conveyed to Spain by an American diplomat. The political message gradually lost its force and the painting ended up being bequeathed to a Capuchin school in the Basque region, where it was bought around 1918 by an antiquarian dealer from New York.
This portrait of Washington at Princeton was sold for $ 21.3M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Christie's on January 21, 2006, lot 547.
Washington is towering by his tall stature and by his phlegm, and surprises his assistants by his abnegation and his virtues. It is not enough. He had never exercised a command on the battlefield and his weak and inexperienced army has everything to learn.
Everything seems easy for the British in December 1776, to the point that they decide to take up their winter quarters in New Jersey, waiting for the sunny days to capture Philadelphia. George Washington will soon be unable to pay his exhausted troops. In a heroic burst, he surprises the British garrisons in Trenton and Princeton. These were the first ever victories of the American army.
The war remains undecided, and they must continue to set an example. On January 18, 1779, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania commissions a portrait of General Washington to Charles Willson Peale.
The young artist had made an early portrait of the hero at Mount Vernon in 1772. He had been part of the reinforcements from the militias of Pennsylvania who had contributed to the victories of Trenton and Princeton, and had been appreciated by the soldiers for the miniature portraits painted on the field of battle.
The work which responds to the order from Pennsylvania is a full-length standing portrait of Washington after the Battle of Princeton. The hero is displayed in his signature attitude of modesty, without the face or the clothing having been embellished. He puts his hand on a cannon. Symbols of victory include a column of British prisoners with their red coats. This oil on canvas 246 x 149 cm is kept at the museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
The strengthening of the young nation also includes an international propaganda to its new French and Spanish allies. Autograph replicas are made by the artist. One of them, oil on canvas 244 x 156 cm dated 1779, was conveyed to Spain by an American diplomat. The political message gradually lost its force and the painting ended up being bequeathed to a Capuchin school in the Basque region, where it was bought around 1918 by an antiquarian dealer from New York.
This portrait of Washington at Princeton was sold for $ 21.3M from a lower estimate of $ 10M by Christie's on January 21, 2006, lot 547.
