Decade 1820-1829
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
See also : French painting < 1860 Books Coin Coins 1820-49 US gold coins Sciences The birds of America Mechanical craft ca 1800 Jaquet-Droz and followers
See also : French painting < 1860 Books Coin Coins 1820-49 US gold coins Sciences The birds of America Mechanical craft ca 1800 Jaquet-Droz and followers
1820 Ramel de Nogaret by David
2008 SOLD for $ 7.2M by Christie's
Jacques-Louis David is passionately committed to the Révolution. He was elected deputy for Paris at the Convention and voted for the death of Louis XVI. His support for the Empire will be unwavering. He applies the traditions of history painting to contemporary events, with a grandiose emphasis.
David runs his business well. His prices are high and his paid exhibition of the Sabines for five years in a room of the Louvre brings him a fortune. He receives a pension as Premier Peintre de l'Empire and increases his income through education and the right to engraving.
The regicides are proscribed after the fall of the Empire. David joins the imperial diaspora in Brussels where he fails to obtain an official position. From then on, to earn a living, he welcomes the commissions by his friends for portraits.
David's work has always been dual : on the one hand the heroic paintings which attract the public, on the other the realistic portraits. The portrait of Delahaye, painted in Paris in 1815, was sold for € 2.14M by Christie's on June 22, 2006.
The regicide Ramel, also known as Ramel de Nogaret, was also an expatriate in Brussels. He had been Ministre des Finances under the Directoire and tried to resume political service during the Cent Jours. He was a close friend of David of whom he will deliver the funeral oration.
In 1820 David paints the portraits of Ramel and his wife. Ramel, aged 60, expresses his incorruptible virtue with dignity.
The two paintings, which had been separated, were reunited after the sale of the portrait of Ramel by Binoche for FF 16M on October 18, 1995. They were again separated in the auction by Christie's on April 15, 2008. The portrait of Ramel, oil on canvas 59 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 7.2M, lot 72. The portrait of his wife was not sold. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
David runs his business well. His prices are high and his paid exhibition of the Sabines for five years in a room of the Louvre brings him a fortune. He receives a pension as Premier Peintre de l'Empire and increases his income through education and the right to engraving.
The regicides are proscribed after the fall of the Empire. David joins the imperial diaspora in Brussels where he fails to obtain an official position. From then on, to earn a living, he welcomes the commissions by his friends for portraits.
David's work has always been dual : on the one hand the heroic paintings which attract the public, on the other the realistic portraits. The portrait of Delahaye, painted in Paris in 1815, was sold for € 2.14M by Christie's on June 22, 2006.
The regicide Ramel, also known as Ramel de Nogaret, was also an expatriate in Brussels. He had been Ministre des Finances under the Directoire and tried to resume political service during the Cent Jours. He was a close friend of David of whom he will deliver the funeral oration.
In 1820 David paints the portraits of Ramel and his wife. Ramel, aged 60, expresses his incorruptible virtue with dignity.
The two paintings, which had been separated, were reunited after the sale of the portrait of Ramel by Binoche for FF 16M on October 18, 1995. They were again separated in the auction by Christie's on April 15, 2008. The portrait of Ramel, oil on canvas 59 x 46 cm, was sold for $ 7.2M, lot 72. The portrait of his wife was not sold. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
1820 Singing Bird Pistols by Rochat
2011 SOLD for HK$ 45.5M by Christie's
Geneva got an important place in art history for its jewelry and its precision mechanical crafts. A pair of singing birds created circa 1820, attributed to Frères Rochat, was sold by Christie's on May 30, 2011 for HK $ 45.5M from a lower estimate of HK $ 20M. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
These automata are pistol shaped and their barrels house the hundreds of mechanical components. The decor is exquisite and the materials are precious: gold, enamel, agate, pearl, diamond.
When the trigger is pulled, the colorful bird leaves at the end of the barrel, turns, opens and closes its wings and beak, sings. After such a work, it returns home.
They are in superb condition, as demonstrated by a video on the website of Christie's. Singing bird pistol automaton are very rare, and these are the only remaining examples that have been kept as a pair.
These automata are pistol shaped and their barrels house the hundreds of mechanical components. The decor is exquisite and the materials are precious: gold, enamel, agate, pearl, diamond.
When the trigger is pulled, the colorful bird leaves at the end of the barrel, turns, opens and closes its wings and beak, sings. After such a work, it returns home.
They are in superb condition, as demonstrated by a video on the website of Christie's. Singing bird pistol automaton are very rare, and these are the only remaining examples that have been kept as a pair.
Half Eagle
1
1821 Proof
2022 SOLD for $ 4.6M by Heritage
The Mint acquired the know how of the proof gold in 1820, enabling a prestige marketing. The yearly mintage was possibly first established at five, with some years probably missing. A few one sided proofs were also minted. These gold coin struck with a new or newly polished die display a mirror effect and color variations.
Proof coins are generally presented from mint to amateurs or other persons who know their specificity and keep them safe. They thus remain in excellent condition. Everything is easier for recent issues which have of course a better traceability. For older pieces, the experts should use their best inspection equipment.
The 1821 Capped Head Left half eagle is rare with only 15 examples known in business strike.
Two 1821 proof half eagles survive, both in PR65 Cameo. One of them is kept at the Smithsonian after entering the Mint Cabinet at its inception in 1838. The other example, graded by PCGS, was sold for $ 4.6M by Heritage on September 29, 2022, lot 11052. Coming from the Harry Bass Core Collection, it had previously been owned by Randall, Woodin, Newcomer, Colonel Green, King Farouk and Norweb. Please watch the videos shared by the auction house.
Proof coins are generally presented from mint to amateurs or other persons who know their specificity and keep them safe. They thus remain in excellent condition. Everything is easier for recent issues which have of course a better traceability. For older pieces, the experts should use their best inspection equipment.
The 1821 Capped Head Left half eagle is rare with only 15 examples known in business strike.
Two 1821 proof half eagles survive, both in PR65 Cameo. One of them is kept at the Smithsonian after entering the Mint Cabinet at its inception in 1838. The other example, graded by PCGS, was sold for $ 4.6M by Heritage on September 29, 2022, lot 11052. Coming from the Harry Bass Core Collection, it had previously been owned by Randall, Woodin, Newcomer, Colonel Green, King Farouk and Norweb. Please watch the videos shared by the auction house.
The Capped Head Left Five 1821 is prohibitively rare. Two proof examples are known, one of those coins is in the National #Numismatic Collection at the #Smithsonian. Bidders took notice and drove the price for the only proof in private hands to $4,620,000. https://t.co/M5ao7FYZ1j pic.twitter.com/SQvYfzf5s6
— Heritage Auctions (@HeritageAuction) September 30, 2022
2
1822 Half Eagle
2021 SOLD for $ 8.4M by Stack's Bowers
When the eagle was suspended from production in 1804, the half eagle became the highest denomination processed at the Philadelphia Mint. For the same reason of avoiding speculation, its production was very limited.
The half eagle in its draped bust design was produced from 1807 to 1834 through two small changes : the improvement of the figure in 1812 and a slight reduction to the diameter in 1829. The design with classic head takes over from 1834 to 1839.
1815 is highly rare due to the shortage of gold, the 1815 half eagle was sold for $ 820K by Stack's Bowers on February 9, 2016. No half eagle was released in 1816 and 1817.
In the 1820s the half eagle is an issue because its value in gold has become greater than its face value. For this reason, a large proportion of the coins was redeemed and melted. Its change from 1834 will aim to limit the consequences.
Another fact may explain the utmost rarity of the half eagle on the date of 1822. On that year, the recorded production was similar to the other years, probably insufficient for the dies to be worn at the end of the year. Most half eagles struck in 1822 have certainly been made with the tooling marked 1821, although no document confirms this hypothesis. The following year marked a return to normal.
The top collectors of US coins want to own an example of all the regular varieties. The earlier ones were not yet concerned with discriminating between the production sites. 1822 was known from a severely worn coin found by an executive of the Philadelphia mint who was already looking to fill in the gaps. The first craze applied to the 1815.
In 1864 the Seavey collection of gold coins was reputed complete. Parmelee acquired it en bloc, including an 1822 half eagle.
In 1890 Parmelee put his collection up for auction at the New York Coin and Stamp Company. His 1822 half eagle was to be the star of the event, symbolizing the sensational quality of his collection. Catastrophe : this highly desirable coin is a counterfeit.
A subterfuge is found. By chance, one of the managers of the auction house owns an 1822 half eagle, which is then somehow the only one in private hands. He substitutes it for the Seavey-Parmelee unit and auctions it to himself for $ 900. It is the most expensive lot of the sale, far ahead of the 1815 half eagle, already less rare at that time, sold for $ 235. The authentic 1822 will enter the Smithsonian collection in 1968.
Only one other 1822 half eagle has surfaced. It appeared in 1899, bought by Virgil Brand from a dealer. Louis E. Eliasberg acquired it in 1945 from a broker. It made the big dream come true : his collection is complete and unrivaled, since this authentic piece is the only one of its variety in private hands. Without it, it is impossible to assemble a complete private collection of US coinage.
Coming from the D. Brent Pogue collection and graded AU-50 by PCGS, it passed at Stack's Bowers on May 24, 2016, lot 4026, and was sold by the same auction house for $ 8.4M on March 25, 2021, lot 4149. Please watch the short video shared by Stack's Bowers.
In the same 2016 sale, an 1833 half eagle exceptional in its condition, graded Proof-67 by PCGS, was sold for $ 1.35M, lot 4044.
The half eagle in its draped bust design was produced from 1807 to 1834 through two small changes : the improvement of the figure in 1812 and a slight reduction to the diameter in 1829. The design with classic head takes over from 1834 to 1839.
1815 is highly rare due to the shortage of gold, the 1815 half eagle was sold for $ 820K by Stack's Bowers on February 9, 2016. No half eagle was released in 1816 and 1817.
In the 1820s the half eagle is an issue because its value in gold has become greater than its face value. For this reason, a large proportion of the coins was redeemed and melted. Its change from 1834 will aim to limit the consequences.
Another fact may explain the utmost rarity of the half eagle on the date of 1822. On that year, the recorded production was similar to the other years, probably insufficient for the dies to be worn at the end of the year. Most half eagles struck in 1822 have certainly been made with the tooling marked 1821, although no document confirms this hypothesis. The following year marked a return to normal.
The top collectors of US coins want to own an example of all the regular varieties. The earlier ones were not yet concerned with discriminating between the production sites. 1822 was known from a severely worn coin found by an executive of the Philadelphia mint who was already looking to fill in the gaps. The first craze applied to the 1815.
In 1864 the Seavey collection of gold coins was reputed complete. Parmelee acquired it en bloc, including an 1822 half eagle.
In 1890 Parmelee put his collection up for auction at the New York Coin and Stamp Company. His 1822 half eagle was to be the star of the event, symbolizing the sensational quality of his collection. Catastrophe : this highly desirable coin is a counterfeit.
A subterfuge is found. By chance, one of the managers of the auction house owns an 1822 half eagle, which is then somehow the only one in private hands. He substitutes it for the Seavey-Parmelee unit and auctions it to himself for $ 900. It is the most expensive lot of the sale, far ahead of the 1815 half eagle, already less rare at that time, sold for $ 235. The authentic 1822 will enter the Smithsonian collection in 1968.
Only one other 1822 half eagle has surfaced. It appeared in 1899, bought by Virgil Brand from a dealer. Louis E. Eliasberg acquired it in 1945 from a broker. It made the big dream come true : his collection is complete and unrivaled, since this authentic piece is the only one of its variety in private hands. Without it, it is impossible to assemble a complete private collection of US coinage.
Coming from the D. Brent Pogue collection and graded AU-50 by PCGS, it passed at Stack's Bowers on May 24, 2016, lot 4026, and was sold by the same auction house for $ 8.4M on March 25, 2021, lot 4149. Please watch the short video shared by Stack's Bowers.
In the same 2016 sale, an 1833 half eagle exceptional in its condition, graded Proof-67 by PCGS, was sold for $ 1.35M, lot 4044.
The Only 1822 Half Eagle Available to Collectors
— Stack's Bowers (@StacksBowers) March 23, 2021
1822 Capped Head Left Half Eagle. BD-1. Rarity-8. AU-50 (PCGS).
"I have the only one not in the hands of the government." - Louis Eliasberg, on the 1822 half eagle, 1975
Bid on Lot 4149 at https://t.co/BoJzSFkF9P. pic.twitter.com/7PybjguHcM
CONSTABLE
Intro
John Constable was the son of a wealthy miller in Suffolk who owned some mills and operated the transportation of his corn to London by the River Stour, made navigable since 1705 through thirteen locks. The miller was responsible for the maintenance of some of these locks that were on his land.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John Constable masterfully demonstrates that it is not mandatory to travel to become the best painter of landscapes. The nature is for him an emotional theme, an opportunity to exacerbate his childhood impressions in Suffolk. He remains in communion with the English countryside.
His landscapes are common sites in the country. In these humble subjects, he captures the movement : the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. He is the interpreter of the air like Monet, later, will be the interpreter of water.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain.
The series of six paintings around the River Stour executed from 1819 to 1825 in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers is combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
From 1819, the artist gets a highly deserved recognition for his paintings of rural scenery. Now having full confidence in his art, he begins a series in large size of the local landscapes in which he was impregnated since his childhood.
John Constable masterfully demonstrates that it is not mandatory to travel to become the best painter of landscapes. The nature is for him an emotional theme, an opportunity to exacerbate his childhood impressions in Suffolk. He remains in communion with the English countryside.
His landscapes are common sites in the country. In these humble subjects, he captures the movement : the ever-changing shapes of the clouds, the leaves rustling in the wind. He is the interpreter of the air like Monet, later, will be the interpreter of water.
John works slowly in his studio, using his sketches. He expresses altogether the charm of the place, the tranquility of the activity, the ever-changing sky, the wind, the threat of a shower rain.
The series of six paintings around the River Stour executed from 1819 to 1825 in a distance range not exceeding five kilometers is combining a romantic inspiration to an execution in a perfect realism.
1
1822 View on the Stour near Dedham, sketch
2016 SOLD for £ 14M by Christie's
In his studio John Constable transfers his detailed sketches on a large canvas, generating the full scale sketch that he tirelessly reworks until he finds the balance of composition and the animation for the final work.
The six-foot sketches of the six paintings of the Stour series have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30, 2016, Christie's sold for £ 14M at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy.
The six-foot sketches of the six paintings of the Stour series have been preserved. Constable refused to sell his sketches, considering that we must sell the corn and not the field that grew it. They were dispersed in his deceased estate sale but it was not until 1862 that their importance could be analyzed when two sketches were finally exhibited beside their matching final artwork.
Seen by a modern observer, the comparison is stunning. The sketch is the direct result of the creativity of the painter in a thick impasto that provides a pre-Impressionist expressiveness. The application of the brush is free and vibrant without the conventional restraint that will be applied to the final work. By design, the numerous remorses directly reflect the creative process of the artist.
On June 30, 2016, Christie's sold for £ 14M at lot 12 the six-foot sketch for the fourth painting in the series, the View on the Stour near Dedham, which is the only full scale sketch of the Stour series still in private hands. This oil on canvas 129 x 185 cm was worked between autumn 1821 and the exhibition of the final work in 1822 at the Royal Academy.
A 'titan of British painting' — John Constable among highlights of our 30 June sale https://t.co/PERruOhsUE pic.twitter.com/kr8K1bbx7s
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 26, 2016
2
for reference
1822 View on the Stour near Dedham
Huntington Library, Los Angeles
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
3
1824 The Lock
2012 SOLD for £ 22.4M by Christie's
One of the six paintings of the Stour series is The Lock, 142 x 121 cm, achieved in 1824. The only original still in private hands, it was sold for £ 10.8M by Sotheby's on November 14, 1990, and for £ 22.4M by Christie's on July 3, 2012. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
4
1825 The Lock, replica
2015 SOLD for £ 9.1M by Sotheby's
The Lock, painted in 1824, is the fifth of the six paintings in the Stour series. Exhibited at the Royal Academy, it is bought on the first day by a collector. This oil on canvas 142 x 120 cm was sold for £ 22.4M by Christie's on July 3, 2012.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas was sold for £ 9.1M by Sotheby's on December 9, 2015, lot 44. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. The similarity of the two paintings is interesting. John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy but he had his full size sketch which he kept in his studio all along his life. He conceived his compositions with a great care.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
John is a sensitive artist who certainly felt the sale of his painting as a tear to his childhood memories. His personal papers indicate in 1825 that he is completing a copy. This oil on canvas was sold for £ 9.1M by Sotheby's on December 9, 2015, lot 44. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Experts see some differences between the two versions, perhaps a sky darker in places which announces the most expressionist landscapes of the following years. The similarity of the two paintings is interesting. John had not the original version in hands when he made the copy but he had his full size sketch which he kept in his studio all along his life. He conceived his compositions with a great care.
The second version had not been painted for the purpose of sale and John kept it all along his life. It was used to prepare the print published in 1834.
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1827-1838 The Birds of America by AUDUBON
Intro
see also next decade
In 1807 two young Frenchmen open a general store in Louisville, Kentucky. Jean-Jacques Audubon cannot concentrate on his work. He is passionate about hunting and bird watching. He takes the US citizenship in 1812 and anglicizes his first name as John James.
He is early trained in taxidermy and performs one of the earliest attempts of bird ringing. His method is unprecedented. He kills his specimen with a shotgun and straightens it in a natural pose with a wire. Then he draws it life size, often with its female or its prey. He never draws from a stuffed bird.
Audubon goes bankrupt in 1819 and moves to Louisiana. Against the advice of his friends but with the support of his wife, he decides to publish his work. American learned societies repel this rustic man who had ridiculed the drawings by the ornithologist Alexander Wilson. In 1826, right in the romantic period, he arrives in England with his collection of watercolors.
The work to be done is colossal. He wants to maintain the 97 x 66 cm format of his drawing sheets. The plates should be colored one by one by hand. The only solution is the sale by subscription. The price will be two guineas per part of five plates.
This double elephant folio size is the largest format in period for an illustrated book : 100 x 67 cm. The gigantic size is matching the goal that John James Audubon managed for the great work of his life : he wanted all his birds being displayed in their natural habitat in life size, even by curving for that purpose in an elegant arabesque the neck of the flamingo.
No book has ever been printed in such a big size. He finds in Edinburgh in 1827 a printer, Lizars, to carry out the work. A first set of 10 plates, numbered from I to X, is prepared. There will be no additional part by Lizars, following a strike of the colorists. The business is now entrusted to Robert Havell Jr in London, until the 435th and final plate in 1838. A skilled engraver and printer unmatched in the aquatint, Havell manages to further improve the images.
The five volumes of texts are published separately in octavo format starting in 1831. The publication had spanned twelve years (1827-1838). Such a duration was not unusual at this time for ambitious books.
A census updated in 2006 lists 119 copies, 12 of them in private hands.
He is early trained in taxidermy and performs one of the earliest attempts of bird ringing. His method is unprecedented. He kills his specimen with a shotgun and straightens it in a natural pose with a wire. Then he draws it life size, often with its female or its prey. He never draws from a stuffed bird.
Audubon goes bankrupt in 1819 and moves to Louisiana. Against the advice of his friends but with the support of his wife, he decides to publish his work. American learned societies repel this rustic man who had ridiculed the drawings by the ornithologist Alexander Wilson. In 1826, right in the romantic period, he arrives in England with his collection of watercolors.
The work to be done is colossal. He wants to maintain the 97 x 66 cm format of his drawing sheets. The plates should be colored one by one by hand. The only solution is the sale by subscription. The price will be two guineas per part of five plates.
This double elephant folio size is the largest format in period for an illustrated book : 100 x 67 cm. The gigantic size is matching the goal that John James Audubon managed for the great work of his life : he wanted all his birds being displayed in their natural habitat in life size, even by curving for that purpose in an elegant arabesque the neck of the flamingo.
No book has ever been printed in such a big size. He finds in Edinburgh in 1827 a printer, Lizars, to carry out the work. A first set of 10 plates, numbered from I to X, is prepared. There will be no additional part by Lizars, following a strike of the colorists. The business is now entrusted to Robert Havell Jr in London, until the 435th and final plate in 1838. A skilled engraver and printer unmatched in the aquatint, Havell manages to further improve the images.
The five volumes of texts are published separately in octavo format starting in 1831. The publication had spanned twelve years (1827-1838). Such a duration was not unusual at this time for ambitious books.
A census updated in 2006 lists 119 copies, 12 of them in private hands.
1
1827-1838 subscription copy
2010 SOLD for £ 7.3M by Sotheby's
The eleventh subscriber in Audubon's ledger for the Birds of America was a paleobotanist from Edinburgh who was convinced of the value of the project during a wine party with the author.
The colors of that copy had remained remarkably fresh. In its original binding, it was sold for £ 7.3M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Sotheby's on December 7, 2010, lot 50.
The colors of that copy had remained remarkably fresh. In its original binding, it was sold for £ 7.3M from a lower estimate of £ 4M by Sotheby's on December 7, 2010, lot 50.
2
1827-1838 subscription copy
2000 SOLD for $ 8.8M by Christie's
A copy from the original deliveries by subscription of The Birds of America was sold for $ 8.8M from a lower estimate of $ 3M by Christie's on March 10, 2000, lot 39. Its colors are remarkably fresh.
3
1827-1838 subscription copy
2019 SOLD for $ 6.6M by Sotheby's
A complete set of the Birds of America was sold by Sotheby's for £ 1.76M on June 21, 1990 and for $ 6.6M on December 18, 2019, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. It is in very good condition despite the obscuring of some captions by the binding.
It was formed for the subscription of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, received by Audubon in April 1827. All ten first plates are engraved by Lizars without the later retouching by Havell.
It was formed for the subscription of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, received by Audubon in April 1827. All ten first plates are engraved by Lizars without the later retouching by Havell.
