Auction of Old Masters Christie's, held yesterday in London, can be considered quite successful

Yesterday in London was auction Christie's, which were works of old Masters . The results of tenders can be called good. The main sensation became canvases for sale «Flora» brush XVIII century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Giovanni Battista Tiepolo). Organizers had hoped to gain a picture of 700-900 thousand pounds, but it brought the whole 2.8 million (4.2 million dollars, with the Buyer's premium), exceeding the upper estimeyt three times!

This year the auction was put up relatively few lots - just 44. Auction yielded 14.7 million pounds (including the Buyer's premium) at the bottom estimeyte at 15.6 million (without the Buyer's premium). Buyers have 36 lots (80 percent). Last December, an auction of old masters at Christie's in London there were 70 pieces of which have left 37 (54 percent). Then the general result of trades amounted to 18.8 million pounds.

Before the auction, experts say that its outcome will serve as «test» the state of the market the old masters. Yesterday's trading showed that all was not bad. Because the market works by artists, to create up to XIX century (namely, they belong to the «old masters»), was originally a «good», than inflated market speculation of modernism and contemporary art.

«I was surprised how well everything went, - said New York dealer, Anthony Creighton-Stuart (Anthony Chrichton-Stuart). - It was expected that the market will drop the old masters, as well as market-modernism and contemporary art . But this did not happen ». That's because over the last years of the old masters are not so much went.

What is the reason for such a huge success «Flora» Tiepolo? The thing is that the old masters in the market, buyers most actively struggling for work, never before appearing at the auctions. They now find quite difficult: most of the works of old masters, are present in the market, sold and resold at many times. A «Flora» laying for many years, no one noticed in the attic of a French Chateau, whose owner, until recently, did not suspect its existence. Cloth had hidden his grandmother, considering the image naked beauties too immodest. The film, written, most likely on the order of Russian Empress Elizabeth, before anywhere else and never exhibited. The crisis is not a crisis - such work will be the buyer always.

For a picture struggled for at least five customers, and eventually became the winner of the London dealer Jean-Luc Baroni (Jean-Luc Baroni). «I am happy with the price - said Baroni, bought the work on behalf of a collector. - This is the best picture of the best Italian artists of XVIII century, which I saw. Six months ago she had a five million pounds. Now all fear ».

The most expensive picture of the evening, however, was not «Flora», a kind of Venice painted by Canaletto Grand Canal (Canaletto), which brought 3.8 million pounds (c Buyer's premium). Estimeyt work at 3-5 million. She bought a European collector. Another painting by Canaletto, which shows the area of San Marco ( «Pyatsetta»), has not been sold. It was expected that she will go for 4-6 million pounds. Dealers say that «Pyatsetta» objectively better than the «Grand Canal», and the state it better, but the second picture more attractive plot. Yes even estimeyt proved to be too high.

Auction not «dopolz» estimeyta to the lower limit, because no one has bought a portrait of the Tahitian Princess British artist John Webber (John Webber). The painting was estimated at 800 thousand - 1.2 million pounds. It did not help that it does not appear in public more than two years - all, Webber is not a well-known as Tiepolo.

«Portrait Konradusa Vitoria» Dutch painter Frans Hals (Frans Hals) went for 1.2 million pounds and «Madonna and Child» Siena XIV century artist Senya di Bonaventura (Segna di Bonaventura) yielded 937 thousand.

Most of the buyers were from Europe. According to the head of the department of old masters in London Christie's Raysona Paul (Paul Raison), the important role played by the fact that now the pound is weak against the euro. Rayson also said that buyers from the United States and Russia were less than usual.

In general, at Christie's are very happy with the results. Rayson and Richard Knight (Richard Knight), Head of International Department of the old masters, they say: «Based on the result of certain trades evening, attracted the attention of collectors of rare and outstanding works of art, it is possible to say that the demand for work that first appeared in Art market is not influenced by economic factors. Pre-show, preceded by these trades, also caused a noticeable interest from both collectors and the general public. At the very tender for the work of Tiepolo unfolded, this "war of rates", as a result of which she went under the hammer for 2.84 million pounds, substantially above its initial estimeyt ».

Top-10 lots

1. Lot number 46. Canaletto (1697-1768). «Grand Canal with a view to the north-west of Ka'Korner to Ka'Kontarini Del screen and the bell tower church of Santa Maria della Carità». Estimeyt: 3-5 million pounds. Total: 3 849 250 pounds /5 727 684 USD /4 526 718 euro. Buyer - private collector from Europe.

2. Lot number 40. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770). «Flora» . Estimeyt: 700-900 thousand pounds. Total: 2 841 250 lbs /4 227 780 USD /3 341 310 euro. Anonymous buyer

3. Lot number 19. Frans Hals (1588-1657). «Portrait of Conrad Viet» . Estimeyt: 1,2-1,8 million pounds. Total: 1 161 250 lb /1 727 940 USD /1 365 630 Euro. The buyer - a company from Great Britain.
4. Lot number 31. Senya di Bonaventura (1298 (?) - Up to 1331). «Madonna with Child, Saints Bartholomew and Ansanom and donor» . Estimeyt: 0,8-1,2 million pounds. Total: 937 250 lb /1 394 628 USD /1 102 206 Euro. Anonymous buyer

5. Lot number 7. Pieter Bruegel Younger (1564/5-1637/8). «The Adoration of the Magi» . Estimeyt: 500-700 thousand pounds. Total: 802 850 lb /1 194 641 USD /944 152 Euro. The buyer - a company from the UK.

6. Lot number 15. Bartolomeus Brain (1493-1555). Portrait of Gerhard von Vesterburga. Estimeyt: 300-500 thousand pounds. Total: 469 250 GBP /698 USD 244 /551 838 Euro. Anonymous buyer.

7. Lot number 41. Gandolfo Gaetano (1734-1802). «Diana and Endimion». Estimeyt: 500-800 thousand pounds. Total: 469 250 GBP /698 USD 244 /551 838 Euro. Anonymous buyer.

8. Lot number 34. Terms Sandro Botichelli, «Madonna with Child and John the Baptist». Estimeyt: 100-150 thousand pounds. Total: 373 250 pounds /555 U.S. $ 396 /438 942 Euro. The private collector from Europe.

9. Lot number 5. Jan baths Kessel I (1626-1679), «Tulips, peonies, cornflowers, roses and other flowers in a glass vase, as well as berries and orange slices on a wooden table with butterflies, dragonflies, caterpillars and spiders». Estimeyt: 150-250 thousand pounds. Total: 361 250 pounds /537 U.S. $ 540 /424 830 Euro. The buyer - a private collector from Europe.

10. Lot number 22. Simon Vue (1590-1649). «Rest during the flight into Egypt». Estimeyt: 120-180 thousand pounds. Total: 349 250 GBP /519 USD 684 /410 718 Euro. The buyer - a private collector from Europe.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: Press Releases Christie's, bloomberg.com , christies.com , artinvestment.ru