Today, December 8, held in London on the evening auction Christie's «old masters and paintings of the XIX century". At the auction will be exhibited works by Raphael, Rembrandt and Domenichino.

Richard Knight, Head of International Department of "old masters and paintings of the XIX century» Christie's, said: "The December auction, in which traded exhibited masterpieces by Raphael, Domenichino, and Rembrandt, promises to be a landmark event in the history of the market of painting old masters and attract the attention of collectors and museums around the world. Last year the Old Masters market showed stable results, and collectors have used every opportunity to become owners of works that appear on the market extremely rare ».

Raphael. Head muse

• Raphael
  head muse. Paper, black chalk, charcoal. 30,5 x 22,2
  Christie's. 08.12.09. Lot number 43
  Estimate: 12-16 million pounds

preparatory sketch for the famous fresco of "Parnassus, Stanza della Senyatura decorating the Vatican and recognized one of the most treasured masterpieces of the artist.

Figure lets take another look at the mural itself, which was later rewritten, resulting in distorted some of the its original parts.

first mention of the figure dates from 1725, when he was included in the collection of engravings by Bernard Picard called Impostures Innocentes.

Figure was in the collections of Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) and future king of the Netherlands Willem II (1792-1849).

Rembrandt van Rijn. Portrait of a Man. 1658

• Rembrandt van Rijn
  Portrait of a Man. 1658. Oil on canvas. 107,4 x 87
  Christie's. 08.12.09. Lot number 12
  Estimate: 18-25 million pounds

addition to this painting to have survived only one work by Rembrandt, dated 1658 year - "Self Portrait", located today in the New York private Frick Museum.

portrait is included in the catalog-a reason the artist, art historian compiled Cornelius Hofstede de Groot in 1916. In this edition of the referenced key works by Rembrandt scholars throughout the XX century.

first description of the portrait appears in the exhibition catalog, which was held at the British Institution in London in 1847, which provided a fabric collector George Folliott.

The last time viewers could see the painting in 1970 in the framework of the exhibition "Rembrandt, 300 years later", held in the Detroit University of Arts.

Domenichino. St. John the Evangelist

• Domenichino
  St. John the Evangelist. Oil on canvas. 259 x 199,4
  Christie's. 08.12.09. Lot number 28
  Estimate: 7.10 million pounds

work was exhibited at auction the first time in the past 100 years.

canvas was commissioned by Vincenzo Giustiniani (1564-1637), one of the most famous collectors of XVII century.

The picture is an interpretation of the story murals by Domenichino executed in the largest Baroque church of Rome, Sant'Andrea della Valle.

first painting mentioned in the posthumous inventory of the collection Giustiniani, compiled in 1638 . Subsequently it was included in most guidebooks XVIII century, and the engraving on his motives created by Jean Honore Fragonard.

Source : Press Release Christie's

More on auction can read:

Rembrandt and Domenichino at Christie's

At Christie's auction will record an expensive painting by Rembrandt

At Christie's will be a masterpiece of Domenichino