Twenty of the most expensive works of Old Masters in private collections in the online version of the journal theartwolf.com. In compiling the list were taken into account only those works that are not displayed on a permanent basis

Not all masterpieces of world art exhibited in museums and galleries. The online magazine has compiled a list theartwolf.com most expensive works (by his own estimation compilers), which are in private collections. AI offers it, as well as brief comments drafters of our readers.

All the works on the list distributed them in three categories: works of Old Masters, Impressionists and modern art, representatives of modern art (20 works in each category). The calculation took only those things that are not displayed on a permanent basis in private collections and galleries, so here you will not see the works of such private organizations as the Getty Foundation, the new gallery in New York and the Foundation of Emil Bührle in Zurich.

The idea compilers, the list should reflect the approximate price of works of art, if they hit the open market. Given this, it has not been included some important work on the export of which is now banned (most of them are in countries with strict export restrictions). So, work like "Portrait of Jan Six's" Rembrandt and the fourth picture, "Novels of Nastadzhio degli Honest" brush Botticelli represented in the list.

< div class = "imgcenter"> Titian Diana and Callisto. 1559 Oil on canvas. 185 × 202 Duke Collection Sutherland (National Gallery of Scotland for rent) estimated at 120-160 million dollars Source: wikipedia.org

«Diana and Callisto," in conjunction with the painting "Diana and Acteon" are brilliant works of a series of paintings based on Titian's "Metamorphoses" of Ovid. In 2008, the Duke of Sutherland has agreed to give both the people of Great Britain for 100 million pounds. «Diana and Actaeon" in 2009 was not without difficulties bought for half that amount, the British government . The other half will pay for the "Diana and Callisto" in 2013. Nevertheless, the price of each of the paintings on the open market could be much higher, the total cost of the pair, according to experts, is 300 million pounds.

Rembrandt Self. 1659 Oil on canvas. 52,7 × 42,7 Collection of the Duke of Sutherland (National Gallery of Scotland for rent) estimated at 100-150 million dollars Source: rembrandtpainting.net

This work, written for 50-year-old master, perhaps, is one of the best self-portraits in the history - this is a true and grim picture of the artist who never gave himself favors.

No work of Rembrandt this quality does not appear on the market in recent years. The dealer, who works with the works of Old Masters, Otto Naumann (Otto Naumann) praised the work of another - "Portrait of Jan Six's" - more expensive than $ 150 million. Self-portrait from the collection of the Duke of Sutherland, though smaller in value will not give him.

Diego Velasquez Prince Baltasar Carlos on horseback. 1636 Oil on canvas. 144 × 91 Collection of the Duke of Westminster estimated at 80-120 million dollars Source: rationalskepticism.org

work of Velasquez, "Prince Baltasar Carlos on horseback" has an incomparable works for baroque splendor. This is one of the best works of Velázquez, perhaps the only one of his masterpiece, is still in private hands. The picture, of course, would have graced any assembly a major museum, if only the Duke of Westminster has agreed to sell it.

The only major work by Velazquez, which is "relatively" recently managed to see at the auction - it's "Portrait of Juan Parejo," bought by the Museum of Metropolitan in 1971 for $ 5.5 million (at that time the largest price auction for a work of art.) Equestrian Portrait of Prince Baltasar - it is much more serious work of the wizard. However, some doubt the drafters of the list in the attribution of this painting was not allowed to evaluate the performance of more expensive at 100-150 million dollars.

Caravaggio Lute Player. Around 1596 Oil on canvas. 100 × 126,5 Vildenshteyna Collection, New York estimated at 75-100 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org

Caravaggio Lute Player. About 1596 Oil on canvas. 96 × 121 Private Collection (previously was in the Badminton House, Gloucestershire) estimated at 75-100 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org

«Lute Player" - one of the most interesting subjects of Caravaggio. There are three versions of paintings, two of them are in private collections, and the third - the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. This is an outstanding example of Caravaggio's chiaroscuro. effeminate young man - a frequent visitor to the paintings of the artist, the experts disagree about who was the prototype of the lute player. All the pictures also has elements of still life (especially bright, he turned on the canvas of Badminton Hausa).

«Lute Player" from Badminton House in 2007 exhibited at the Gallery Selendera Lawrence, who is serving a prison sentence today for fraud in large- sizes. Disgraced art dealer then boasted that the painting by Caravaggio, "the most expensive ever sold paintings" (which is not true) and that it may be worth more than $ 100 million (in dispute). Job "Lute Player" from the Badminton House in 2001 went under the hammer at Sotheby's in just 110 thousand dollars, because then it still felt "a copy of a follower of Caravaggio." There are still some doubts about the attribution of this version of the picture, so her score could be lower .

Titian Portrait of a young man. Around 1515-1520 Oil on canvas. 92,7 × 70,7 Collection Count Halifax (rented London National Gallery) estimated at 70-90 million dollars Source: dailymail.co.uk

early masterpiece by Titian, perhaps the best portrait of him from those that are still in private hands. The work, written under the influence of Giorgione's, has a brilliant provenance.

In 2005, Earl of Halifax decided to sell his "Portrait of a young man," but even the combined efforts of London's National Gallery and National Gallery of Scotland to collect the requested amount, over 50 million pounds, failed. True, there were no other customers. Now the canvas again leased the National Gallery, but in fact it is still offered for sale with a starting price of £ 50 million. At public auction the portrait can get a higher estimate, given that another master work of Titian - "Portrait of Alfonso d'Avalosa" - in 2003, was purchased in a private transaction of the Getty Museum for alleged $ 70 million.

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Rembrandt Judas returns the thirty pieces of silver. 1629 Oil on canvas. 79 × 102,3 A collection of the Marquis Normanby estimated at 70-90 million dollars Source: michaelarnoldart.com

early masterpiece by Rembrandt, in which the artist skillfully uses chiaroscuro and perspective for a better transfer of the plot.

For works by Rembrandt on a religious theme is a record price of 25.8 million dollars, paid in 2008 at Sotheby's for the painting "Saint James." However, the picture of Judas, the drafters of the list are estimated, may cost much more.

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Hans Holbein the Younger Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam. 1523 board, oil, tempera. 76 × 51 Private Collection, Longford Castle, Wiltshire estimated at 60-90 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org

Holbein painted three portraits of Erasmus, this option - the largest and most carefully drawn. This masterpiece of Renaissance portraiture - one of the most famous works of Old Masters, which is still in private hands.

Another important work by Holbein - « Madonna Mayer "- in the middle of July this year, was sold in a private transaction to German billionaire Reinhold Wurth expensive $ 70 million , despite the fact that export operation was vetoed. This is the biggest deal in the art market in Germany. To negotiate the dealer Christoph Graf Douglas said that if it were possible to take the picture abroad, and it would buy 100 million.

Caravaggio Sacrifice of Isaac. Around 1598 Oil on canvas. 116 × 173 Collection Barbara Piasecki Johnson estimated at 60-90 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org /wiki

Written a year before the painting "The Calling of St. Matthew," work "Sacrifice of Isaac" - is perhaps the best creation of Caravaggio in private hands - more mature than both "Lute Player". But some doubts about the attribution of the paintings may affect the theoretical estimate, do not be them, the picture would be valued at least $ 100 million.

Diego Velazquez Isabella Burbonskaya.1631-1632 Oil on canvas. 207 × 119 Private Collection, New York estimated at 60-80 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org

This is one of three painted portraits of Velázquez Spanish Queen Isabella of Bourbon (France). Portrait of the artist created after returning from his first trip to Italy, is one of the first "mature" works of Velasquez.

difficult to assess the great Velazquez. Attribution to him, "Portrait of a Man" from the Metropolitan Museum of Art raised the estimate of leaf up to 40 million dollars. "Portrait of Isabella" - certainly something more substantial.

Caravaggio Rounders. 1594 Oil on canvas. 94 × 131 Denis Mahon Collection < br /> estimated at 60-80 million dollars Source: en.wikipedia.org

In 2007, the renowned British collector and art historian Denis Mahon (Denis Mahon) found that the film "Rounders" from his collection, which was previously considered a copy of the eponymous painting by Caravaggio of the Kimbell Art Museum, in fact, is the author's version of the cloth, and not the work of one of the followers of the master. Mahon died in April this year at the age of 100 years, but do not expect that this jewel of his collection hits the auction: we know that Mahone was going to donate it to the Museum of Ashmole at Oxford University.

< p class = "mat1"> version of the film "Rounders" from the Kimbell Museum was bought in 1987 for about $ 15 million (adjusted for inflation, about 27 million). Art Market upscale Old Masters is now in the stage of growth. Caravaggio - "rare bird "at auction, so the estimate of 60-80 million seems fair list compilers.

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Titian Three-age men. Around 1512-1514 Oil on canvas. 90 × 150,7 Collection of the Duke of Sutherland (National Gallery of Scotland for rent) estimated at 50-75 million dollars Source: nationalgalleries.org

This early masterpiece by Titian, which was influenced by Giorgione and Giovanni Bellini is more important to his work than the "Venus Anadyomene" from the same collection (purchased for 11 million pounds of the National Gallery of Scotland, the market price - 20 million pounds), but not as valuable as the "Diana and Callisto" (see above).

Rembrandt Portrait Katrina Hoogsat. 1657 Oil on canvas. 126 × 98,5 Private collection, Penrhyn Castle, Wales estimated at 50-75 million dollars Source: nationalgalleries.org

outstanding example of Rembrandt's late portraits. a half century, from 1860, is in the collections of Penrhyn Castle in Wales. In 2007, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where the painting came to a temporary exhibition, persistently tried to buy the portrait. The transaction is not place, even though that by the year 2008 for the purchase were collected for 34 million euros. According to unofficial data, the picture is still up for sale with a starting price of £ 40 million.

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