Decade 1750-1759
See also : 18th century painting Canaletto Chinese porcelain Qing porcelain Qianlong "Bird" Glass and crystal Glass <1900 Swiss painting < 1940
1736-1758 Brushpots in Enamel Glass
2008 SOLD for HK$ 73M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
In the 35th year of his reign corresponding to 1696 CE, the Kangxi emperor devoted a place in the Imperial City to the enamel painting of glass vessels. This workshop was operated by Jesuits. The transparency of the glass offers the possibility of a supreme refinement but the yield is very low. The themes are often European.
The pieces produced without bubble and without crack which deserve to receive the imperial mark are almost nonexistent under Kangxi and Yongzheng. All of the items listed below have the Qianlong imperial mark. The know-how ceases to be maintained after 1758 CE.
Brushpots in enameled glass are extremely rare.
A 8.5 cm high piece with square section and canted corners was sold for HK $ 68M including premium by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 27, 2007, lot 1665. Its buyer, the Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao, put it back on sale in the same room on May 27, 2008 as a charity lot to help the victims of the Sichuan earthquake. It was sold for HK $ 73M including premium, lot 1525.
A 6.1 cm high cylindrical brushpot was sold for HK $ 49M including premium by Christie's on November 28, 2012 over a lower estimate of HK $ 6M, lot 2124.
An 18 cm high vase in the shape of an ovoid pouch was sold for HK $ 207M including premium by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019. Snuff bottles are less rare. A rectangular piece 8 cm high was sold for HK $ 25.3M including premium by Bonhams on November 28, 2011 over a lower estimate of HK $ 4.9M.
The pieces produced without bubble and without crack which deserve to receive the imperial mark are almost nonexistent under Kangxi and Yongzheng. All of the items listed below have the Qianlong imperial mark. The know-how ceases to be maintained after 1758 CE.
Brushpots in enameled glass are extremely rare.
A 8.5 cm high piece with square section and canted corners was sold for HK $ 68M including premium by Christie's in Hong Kong on November 27, 2007, lot 1665. Its buyer, the Taiwanese businessman Robert Tsao, put it back on sale in the same room on May 27, 2008 as a charity lot to help the victims of the Sichuan earthquake. It was sold for HK $ 73M including premium, lot 1525.
A 6.1 cm high cylindrical brushpot was sold for HK $ 49M including premium by Christie's on November 28, 2012 over a lower estimate of HK $ 6M, lot 2124.
An 18 cm high vase in the shape of an ovoid pouch was sold for HK $ 207M including premium by Sotheby's on October 8, 2019. Snuff bottles are less rare. A rectangular piece 8 cm high was sold for HK $ 25.3M including premium by Bonhams on November 28, 2011 over a lower estimate of HK $ 4.9M.
1747-1755 Churches and Gondolas
2012 SOLD 5.7 M$ including premium
Among the top masters of ancient painting, Canaletto is certainly the most common and most regular at auction.
On January 26 at Sotheby's in New York, he takes us to see the Giudecca, and more specifically one of his favorite views. The huge Church of the Redeemer (Redentore) is a masterpiece of Palladio. Next door, the bell tower of San Giacomo will be demolished in 1837.
This oil on canvas painted between 1747 and 1755 is nicely animated, with carefully spread gondolas gliding on the quiet canal. The composition is bold, with a warship at anchor that masks the lower part of San Giacomo.
Considering these qualities, the work is estimated $ 5M. It is shown in the release shared by AuctionPublicity.
Many works by Canaletto had been prepared as pairs. This one was separated from its pendant after 1960. It is neither shocking nor surprising: the conservation of pairs is not essential to the appreciation of his art.
The catalogue is online. Here is the size : 60 x 95 cm.
POST SALE COMMENT
The price, $ 5.7 million including premium, confirms that this work is in the high end for this famous and prolific artist.
On January 26 at Sotheby's in New York, he takes us to see the Giudecca, and more specifically one of his favorite views. The huge Church of the Redeemer (Redentore) is a masterpiece of Palladio. Next door, the bell tower of San Giacomo will be demolished in 1837.
This oil on canvas painted between 1747 and 1755 is nicely animated, with carefully spread gondolas gliding on the quiet canal. The composition is bold, with a warship at anchor that masks the lower part of San Giacomo.
Considering these qualities, the work is estimated $ 5M. It is shown in the release shared by AuctionPublicity.
Many works by Canaletto had been prepared as pairs. This one was separated from its pendant after 1960. It is neither shocking nor surprising: the conservation of pairs is not essential to the appreciation of his art.
The catalogue is online. Here is the size : 60 x 95 cm.
POST SALE COMMENT
The price, $ 5.7 million including premium, confirms that this work is in the high end for this famous and prolific artist.
1751 Young Skin and Old Beards
2013 SOLD 11.4 M$ including premium
The Roman painter Pompeo Batoni is a follower of Guercino and a predecessor of David. His genre scenes are inspired by Baroque stories, but his painstaking drawing and color announce the classicism.
Famous as a portraitist, he had a long and prosperous career and took advantage of the wealthy English customers who visited Italy.
Susanna and the Elders is a large oil on canvas, 99 x 136 cm, made in 1751 on order for a Viennese aristocrat. The action is violent and symbolizes the contrast of good and evil. The scene is beautifully situated in the grounds of a villa.
The young woman is at bath in a pool, but her textiles chastely cover her nakedness. Her bright and fresh skin is the strong point of the composition. The two assailants, one venal and the other despicable, are particularly unfriendly with their baroque old beards.
This painting is estimated $ 6M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 31. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate has been greatly exceeded, rewarding the quality and rarity of the artwork, and also the contrast between the young woman and the post-Baroque elders. It was sold $ 11.4 million including premium.
Famous as a portraitist, he had a long and prosperous career and took advantage of the wealthy English customers who visited Italy.
Susanna and the Elders is a large oil on canvas, 99 x 136 cm, made in 1751 on order for a Viennese aristocrat. The action is violent and symbolizes the contrast of good and evil. The scene is beautifully situated in the grounds of a villa.
The young woman is at bath in a pool, but her textiles chastely cover her nakedness. Her bright and fresh skin is the strong point of the composition. The two assailants, one venal and the other despicable, are particularly unfriendly with their baroque old beards.
This painting is estimated $ 6M, for sale by Sotheby's in New York on January 31. Here is the link to the catalog.
POST SALE COMMENT
The estimate has been greatly exceeded, rewarding the quality and rarity of the artwork, and also the contrast between the young woman and the post-Baroque elders. It was sold $ 11.4 million including premium.
1751 Yangcai Flowers on an Imperial Vase
2014 SOLD for HK$ 57M including premium
The opening of the Kangxi emperor to the Western civilizations is the source of one of the best advances in Chinese ceramics, the falangcai, meaning foreign colors. The surface of the pottery is enameled over the glaze for offering a wide range of bright and saturated colors.
At the end of the reign of Yongzheng followed by the beginning of Qianlong reign, while Tang Ying is the Superintendent for Jingdezhen, the artistic creation is at its best. Two variants of falangcai are used, the yingcai in a range of colors close to the wucai of the Ming, and the yangcai that incorporates the most recent invention of the pink enamel.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a yangcai vase with floral decoration, lot 3639 estimated HK $ 30 million, 29 cm high in a nice slightly swollen pear shape, bearing the imperial Qianlong mark.
The background of the decor is a deep lemon yellow, similar to a piece dated from the 7th year of the reign of Qianlong. Realistic flowers in a great botanical variety are the best excuse to offer an interesting range of colors. Their enamel has been deposited on a previously incised drawing, using a technique somewhat reminiscent of the cloisonne on metal.
This piece is very rare both in its shape and its decorative theme. It is probably the survivor from a pair of vases delivered to the imperial collection in the sixteenth year of the reign of Qianlong, 1751 in our calendar.
At the end of the reign of Yongzheng followed by the beginning of Qianlong reign, while Tang Ying is the Superintendent for Jingdezhen, the artistic creation is at its best. Two variants of falangcai are used, the yingcai in a range of colors close to the wucai of the Ming, and the yangcai that incorporates the most recent invention of the pink enamel.
On October 8 in Hong Kong, Sotheby's sells a yangcai vase with floral decoration, lot 3639 estimated HK $ 30 million, 29 cm high in a nice slightly swollen pear shape, bearing the imperial Qianlong mark.
The background of the decor is a deep lemon yellow, similar to a piece dated from the 7th year of the reign of Qianlong. Realistic flowers in a great botanical variety are the best excuse to offer an interesting range of colors. Their enamel has been deposited on a previously incised drawing, using a technique somewhat reminiscent of the cloisonne on metal.
This piece is very rare both in its shape and its decorative theme. It is probably the survivor from a pair of vases delivered to the imperial collection in the sixteenth year of the reign of Qianlong, 1751 in our calendar.
1751 Parasol Hall in Autumn by Zhang Zongcang
2017 SOLD for HK$ 50M by Poly
The Qianlong emperor resumed and maintained the excellent practice of his grandfather of the inspection tours in the Southern provinces. In the 16th year of his reign, 1751 CE, he received an album of sceneries near Lake Tai painted by a local artist. He was delighted to appreciate that someone in his empire was able to paint landscapes with the same utmost qualities as the great masters if the Yuan dynasty.
The hitherto unknown artist was a minor local official aged 65 named Zhang Zongcang whose home town was Suzhou, a city whose beauty was highly conducive to art.
Zhang was fully aware of the greatness of his art. His style was a dense pattern of black ink lines applied with a dry brush without washing. The result was the introduction of a chiaroscuro effect that could express mist in the landscape. He also looked for a rhythmic balance of the overall composition.
Qianlong offered to Zhang an official position of court painter. Zhang was highly creative during the four years of his residence in the Beijing Imperial palace. He then returned to Suzhou for reasons of poor health and died in 1756. He had been rightly cherished as a sort of living treasure at the Beijing court, and Qianlong endeavored to acquire most of his earlier art.
Parasol Hall in autumn, ink and color 32 x 150 cm hand scroll, was made in his first Beijing year, 1751 CE. The Qianlong emperor was so astonished by this artwork that he immediately inscribed an autumn poem of Song time and then added twelve seal marks in different periods of his life.
The image is centered on an open pavilion in the Gardens of Perfect Brightness (Yuanming Yuan). The two tiny figures are the emperor in red robes inside the pavilion and the artist himself in a frail single scull on the lake. An exquisite touch a color on some leaves is enough to identify the transition between summer and autumn. Parasol is a reference to the parasol tree, also named wutong, outside the imperial pavilion.
Parasol Hall wad sold for HK $ 50M by Poly on April 3, 2017, lot 664. It passed at Christie's on May 26, 2021, lot 895.
The hitherto unknown artist was a minor local official aged 65 named Zhang Zongcang whose home town was Suzhou, a city whose beauty was highly conducive to art.
Zhang was fully aware of the greatness of his art. His style was a dense pattern of black ink lines applied with a dry brush without washing. The result was the introduction of a chiaroscuro effect that could express mist in the landscape. He also looked for a rhythmic balance of the overall composition.
Qianlong offered to Zhang an official position of court painter. Zhang was highly creative during the four years of his residence in the Beijing Imperial palace. He then returned to Suzhou for reasons of poor health and died in 1756. He had been rightly cherished as a sort of living treasure at the Beijing court, and Qianlong endeavored to acquire most of his earlier art.
Parasol Hall in autumn, ink and color 32 x 150 cm hand scroll, was made in his first Beijing year, 1751 CE. The Qianlong emperor was so astonished by this artwork that he immediately inscribed an autumn poem of Song time and then added twelve seal marks in different periods of his life.
The image is centered on an open pavilion in the Gardens of Perfect Brightness (Yuanming Yuan). The two tiny figures are the emperor in red robes inside the pavilion and the artist himself in a frail single scull on the lake. An exquisite touch a color on some leaves is enough to identify the transition between summer and autumn. Parasol is a reference to the parasol tree, also named wutong, outside the imperial pavilion.
Parasol Hall wad sold for HK $ 50M by Poly on April 3, 2017, lot 664. It passed at Christie's on May 26, 2021, lot 895.
Cherished by Qing emperors for over a century, Wutong Studio in Autumn is being offered in Christie's Hong Kong 2021 Spring Sales. International Specialist Head of Chinese Paintings Kim Yu shares the story: https://t.co/8SzU5R4Ajk pic.twitter.com/OgLx9PHGrv
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 7, 2021
1752 100 Birds
2021 SOLD for RMB 266M by Poly
The manufacturing process of the reticulated revolving vase was arguably the most difficult ever, with the elements being assembled after separate firing. The Qianlong emperor wisely stopped it after pairing the last additional pieces to the production from the first batches.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
The technology of the double vase nevertheless remained appealing for offering the most favorable auspices. Such pieces may be identified as turning heart bottles.
One of them, 63 cm high, is among the most massive in that category. The outer belly features a flying phoenix in a scenery. The open work matches the details of the landscape in irregular shapes, which is an additional feat with a higher risk of deformation during the firing. The rotation of the inner cylinder reveals the flock of ten species of auspicious birds in their flight facing the phoenix as a symbol of the harmonious balance of yin and yang.
The Divine Mother Empress Dowager Chongqing was held in very high regard by her son the Qianlong emperor and her 60th birthday in 1752 CE was one of the most lavish events of his reign.
The Imperial archives record that, on the fifth month of Qianlong's 18th year, the emperor commissioned Jingdezhen to fire a turning heart bottle with fighting dragons which was delivered by Tang Ying in the 11th month of the next year after 18 months of labor.
The yangcai vase with the phoenix was not documented. It was certainly prepared in the same period for a filial presenting to the empress dowager who was known to enjoy the story of the '100 birds'. It was sold for £ 330K by Christie's on June 15, 1999, lot 99, and for RMB 266M by Poly on June 7, 2021, lot 5153.
1754 The Bucentaur by Canaletto
2005 SOLD for £ 11.4M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2020
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.
On July 6, 2005 at lot 20, Christie's sold for £ 11.4M including premium from a lower estimate of £ 4M a view taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo.
This 152 x 138 cm oil on canvas was painted circa 1754. Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, certainly responded to a specific request from an English aristocrat who will be its first owner. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
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.
On July 6, 2005 at lot 20, Christie's sold for £ 11.4M including premium from a lower estimate of £ 4M a view taken from the Riva degli Schiavoni, in the superb light of the end of the day, with the Bucentaur docked at the Molo.
This 152 x 138 cm oil on canvas was painted circa 1754. Canaletto, settled in London since 1746, certainly responded to a specific request from an English aristocrat who will be its first owner. The canvas is still in its period frame of English style, carved, pierced and gilded.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1755-1756 Beau Fini by Liotard
2016 SOLD for £ 4.4M including premium
Born in Geneva, Jean-Étienne Liotard traveled widely. His stay in the Levant from 1738 to 1742 gave him the opportunity to wear Turkish clothes, a practice recommended at that time to the European travelers. He acquired a deserved and desired reputation of eccentricity by keeping this type of costume after returning and by growing his beard.
Liotard was also a theorist. From the beginning, he practiced pastel rather than oil to ensure a "beau fini" (good finish), meaning a smooth picture without a visible trace from a brushstroke.
With the help from his patron Lord Duncannon later 2nd Earl of Bessborough whom he had accompanied in the Levant, the career of the "Turkish painter" was a lasting success, allowing the artist to gather a large collection of Dutch paintings of the seventeenth century.
It was tempting for the artist to imitate these masters. On July 6 in London, Sotheby's sells a genre scene in Holland, oil on canvas 47 x 39 cm painted by Liotard, lot 36 estimated £ 4M, which is certainly the most successful example of his "très beau fini".
The scene of great tranquility shows a young woman in apron busy pouring coffee (not chocolate despite a title later given to this work by comparison with one of his most famous pastels). The breakfast on the table is a miniature still life and the painting on the wall is a direct reference to the lighting effects in Dutch art.
Liotard probably made this painting for his personal use as a culmination of his know how. Undated, it appears at Christie's in 1774 in a sale of his collection. It was purchased by the Earl of Bessborough in whose family it remained until the death of the 10th Earl.
A contemporary of Chardin, Liotard wants to be a modern artist. The clothes and accessories of the Dutch woman and the decorative elements are contemporary. It is taken for sure that the work was painted during a trip in Holland, probably the stay of 1755-1756 which ended with his marriage and with the loss of his fifteen years beard that was a direct consequence.
The image is shared by Sotheby's on Wikimedia :
Liotard was also a theorist. From the beginning, he practiced pastel rather than oil to ensure a "beau fini" (good finish), meaning a smooth picture without a visible trace from a brushstroke.
With the help from his patron Lord Duncannon later 2nd Earl of Bessborough whom he had accompanied in the Levant, the career of the "Turkish painter" was a lasting success, allowing the artist to gather a large collection of Dutch paintings of the seventeenth century.
It was tempting for the artist to imitate these masters. On July 6 in London, Sotheby's sells a genre scene in Holland, oil on canvas 47 x 39 cm painted by Liotard, lot 36 estimated £ 4M, which is certainly the most successful example of his "très beau fini".
The scene of great tranquility shows a young woman in apron busy pouring coffee (not chocolate despite a title later given to this work by comparison with one of his most famous pastels). The breakfast on the table is a miniature still life and the painting on the wall is a direct reference to the lighting effects in Dutch art.
Liotard probably made this painting for his personal use as a culmination of his know how. Undated, it appears at Christie's in 1774 in a sale of his collection. It was purchased by the Earl of Bessborough in whose family it remained until the death of the 10th Earl.
A contemporary of Chardin, Liotard wants to be a modern artist. The clothes and accessories of the Dutch woman and the decorative elements are contemporary. It is taken for sure that the work was painted during a trip in Holland, probably the stay of 1755-1756 which ended with his marriage and with the loss of his fifteen years beard that was a direct consequence.
The image is shared by Sotheby's on Wikimedia :
1756-1759 Come Back of Rat and Rabbit
2009 15.7 M€ including premium, UNPAID
Today, we are not just talking about auctions, but also on international politics. In September, just after the announcement of the sale of the Yves Saint-Laurent collection, Chinese lobbying groups have opposed the sale of two fountain ornaments. The echoes of the press show that these groups are increasingly active.
Twelve bronzes represented the Chinese zodiac in the main fountain at the palace of Qianlong in Beijing. They were the heads of the animals, and water flowed from their mouths at defined times. These figures are neither of Chinese or Western art, but a combination of the two: they were made on the plans of the Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione between 1756 and 1759.
This all disappeared at the looting of the palace by the Anglo-French troops in 1860, making today the opponents of the sale stating that the bronzes were stolen. Five statues were returned to China, five of them are not localized, and rat and rabbit are each estimated € 8 million in the sale of Christie's and Pierre Bergé in Paris from 23 to 25 February.
This price was announced, but curiously they are now the only lots in this three day sales catalog for which potential buyers must have the estimate confirmed by Christie's. I give you my personal opinion. Such pressure can intimidate a potential bidder. Christie's is perhaps in the process of seeking a buyer whose personality satisfies all parties. This is what Sotheby's did in 2007, when they removed the horse head from an announced sale. Stanley Ho bought it then privately for $ 69.1 MHK and donated it to the Chinese government.
The rat head is 30 cm high. The rabbit is higher ... through his ears!
POST SALE COMMENT
As prepared, rat and rabbit were presented separately. They were sold, both at the same price, € 15.7 million including premium.
The sale of these lots has not finished generating comments. I made two predictions, they have proved false. Buyers were not intimidated. Christie's and Pierre Bergé achieved the process without being intimidated, and therefore without recourse to a private transaction.
We must not forget that the activity that makes the difference between an international auction group and a national or local auction houses is their ability to convince buyers. The work done by Christie's to sell these two bronzes was probably huge.
These were the last two bronzes of the Imperial fountain to be available on the market. This has certainly increased their value.
In addition, the Chinese themselves, with their protests republished by the international press, have shown their interest in this group of works. Their price would certainly have been much lower if the dispute had not occurred.
It is something of a spectacular example which reinforces my premise: the price of an item at auction is a reliable metrics of the cultural importance given to this object at a dedicated time.
Now, five heads are lost. It should be very exciting if these excellent results push some of them to appear on the market.
2013 COMMENT
The travel back to China of rat and rabbit has just been decided.
The Chinese buyer of 2009 immediately said that he would not pay, and Mr. Bergé had kept the bronzes. They later entered into the ownership of Mr. Pinault who now presents them to China. Christie's facilitated this operation.
Both bronzes are shown in the story shared by Bloomberg.
Twelve bronzes represented the Chinese zodiac in the main fountain at the palace of Qianlong in Beijing. They were the heads of the animals, and water flowed from their mouths at defined times. These figures are neither of Chinese or Western art, but a combination of the two: they were made on the plans of the Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Castiglione between 1756 and 1759.
This all disappeared at the looting of the palace by the Anglo-French troops in 1860, making today the opponents of the sale stating that the bronzes were stolen. Five statues were returned to China, five of them are not localized, and rat and rabbit are each estimated € 8 million in the sale of Christie's and Pierre Bergé in Paris from 23 to 25 February.
This price was announced, but curiously they are now the only lots in this three day sales catalog for which potential buyers must have the estimate confirmed by Christie's. I give you my personal opinion. Such pressure can intimidate a potential bidder. Christie's is perhaps in the process of seeking a buyer whose personality satisfies all parties. This is what Sotheby's did in 2007, when they removed the horse head from an announced sale. Stanley Ho bought it then privately for $ 69.1 MHK and donated it to the Chinese government.
The rat head is 30 cm high. The rabbit is higher ... through his ears!
POST SALE COMMENT
As prepared, rat and rabbit were presented separately. They were sold, both at the same price, € 15.7 million including premium.
The sale of these lots has not finished generating comments. I made two predictions, they have proved false. Buyers were not intimidated. Christie's and Pierre Bergé achieved the process without being intimidated, and therefore without recourse to a private transaction.
We must not forget that the activity that makes the difference between an international auction group and a national or local auction houses is their ability to convince buyers. The work done by Christie's to sell these two bronzes was probably huge.
These were the last two bronzes of the Imperial fountain to be available on the market. This has certainly increased their value.
In addition, the Chinese themselves, with their protests republished by the international press, have shown their interest in this group of works. Their price would certainly have been much lower if the dispute had not occurred.
It is something of a spectacular example which reinforces my premise: the price of an item at auction is a reliable metrics of the cultural importance given to this object at a dedicated time.
Now, five heads are lost. It should be very exciting if these excellent results push some of them to appear on the market.
2013 COMMENT
The travel back to China of rat and rabbit has just been decided.
The Chinese buyer of 2009 immediately said that he would not pay, and Mr. Bergé had kept the bronzes. They later entered into the ownership of Mr. Pinault who now presents them to China. Christie's facilitated this operation.
Both bronzes are shown in the story shared by Bloomberg.
1757 Vernet came back to Avignon
2013 SOLD 5.4 M£ including premium
In 1753, the marquis de Marigny acting as Directeur des Bâtiments of King Louis XV orders to Joseph Vernet a series of monumental paintings of the Ports de France. The project will last ten years and will not be completed, but its fifteen masterpiece paintings are unique of their kind.
The port is seen as a very elongated panorama with great care given to the truth of the details. The foreground is animated by characters in their local daily activities, adding the study of manners to the topographic realism.
Vernet does not crush the view in a narrow format and leaves a large place to sky, treated with abundant clouds in a beautiful sunset light. Only Francesco Guardi in his best period has reached such a balance between topographic realism and artistic imagination.
In 1757, Vernet gets permission from the marquis to spend a few months in his hometown of Avignon where he executes an ancient commission for a local dignitary.
Completed in 1757 as a 99 x 183 cm oil on canvas, the view of Avignon from the right bank of the Rhône is smaller than the royal paintings but has otherwise identical characteristics, with a similar topographic detail. Of course, private works made by Vernet during the period of the Ports of France are very rare.
The Avignon view is estimated £ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 3.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting dates from the best period of Vernet. It deserved £ 5.4 million including premium.
The image is shared on Wikimedia:
The port is seen as a very elongated panorama with great care given to the truth of the details. The foreground is animated by characters in their local daily activities, adding the study of manners to the topographic realism.
Vernet does not crush the view in a narrow format and leaves a large place to sky, treated with abundant clouds in a beautiful sunset light. Only Francesco Guardi in his best period has reached such a balance between topographic realism and artistic imagination.
In 1757, Vernet gets permission from the marquis to spend a few months in his hometown of Avignon where he executes an ancient commission for a local dignitary.
Completed in 1757 as a 99 x 183 cm oil on canvas, the view of Avignon from the right bank of the Rhône is smaller than the royal paintings but has otherwise identical characteristics, with a similar topographic detail. Of course, private works made by Vernet during the period of the Ports of France are very rare.
The Avignon view is estimated £ 3M, for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 3.
POST SALE COMMENT
This painting dates from the best period of Vernet. It deserved £ 5.4 million including premium.
The image is shared on Wikimedia:
1758 Bellotto also known as Canaletto
2020 SOLD for £ 5.4M including premium
A pupil and nephew of Canaletto, Bernardo Bellotto left Venice in 1747. Until his death in 1780, he settled successively in the main capitals of Northern Europe, where he exported the Vedutist style with great success. Far from his uncle who left for London in 1746, Bernardo did not hesitate to call himself "Canaletto".
The first stopover is Dresden, where from 1748 he occupies the position of court painter. Bellotto paints topographical views with the same thoroughness as his uncle and in cold colors. The almost identical variants can often be dated by the state of the monuments. Fourteen large format views are being prepared for the Royal Gallery. One of them, 132 x 247 cm, shows the alignment of monuments along the Elbe. A 96 x 165 cm autograph copy passed at Christie's on July 9, 2015.
From 1961 to 2005, a view of the galleries of the Zwinger, the pleasure palace of the Elector of Saxony, adorned the presidential residence in Bonn. It had been forcibly acquired in 1938 for the use of the Führermuseum and has now been returned to the heirs of the looted collector. This oil on canvas 48 x 80 cm is estimated £ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 28, lot 33. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Zwinger had been built on ancient fortifications outside the city. The painting shows a side view behind a canal animated by swans. A rudimentary wooden bridge leads to an orangery with a promenade.
The original was an oil on canvas 133 x 235 cm. Its variant can be dated to 1758, the year Bellotto left for Vienna. It is very comparable by its overall composition and by almost all the details to an etching 53 x 84 cm printed in that year with a title in French by "Ber(d) Bellotto dit Canaletto".
The first stopover is Dresden, where from 1748 he occupies the position of court painter. Bellotto paints topographical views with the same thoroughness as his uncle and in cold colors. The almost identical variants can often be dated by the state of the monuments. Fourteen large format views are being prepared for the Royal Gallery. One of them, 132 x 247 cm, shows the alignment of monuments along the Elbe. A 96 x 165 cm autograph copy passed at Christie's on July 9, 2015.
From 1961 to 2005, a view of the galleries of the Zwinger, the pleasure palace of the Elector of Saxony, adorned the presidential residence in Bonn. It had been forcibly acquired in 1938 for the use of the Führermuseum and has now been returned to the heirs of the looted collector. This oil on canvas 48 x 80 cm is estimated £ 3M for sale by Sotheby's in London on July 28, lot 33. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
The Zwinger had been built on ancient fortifications outside the city. The painting shows a side view behind a canal animated by swans. A rudimentary wooden bridge leads to an orangery with a promenade.
The original was an oil on canvas 133 x 235 cm. Its variant can be dated to 1758, the year Bellotto left for Vienna. It is very comparable by its overall composition and by almost all the details to an etching 53 x 84 cm printed in that year with a title in French by "Ber(d) Bellotto dit Canaletto".
