At Sotheby's sold by auction for 2,4 million pounds watercolor by John Robert Cozens
At last week's sale of a private collection of Jan Kraft at Sotheby's in London was set a number of records.
at auction Sotheby's «Un Certain Regard: private collection of Britain", held last week in London, a confident stance taken British watercolor. It was beaten four personal records. And one of the paintings went under the hammer for 2.4 million pounds, becoming the most expensive British watercolor XVIII century.
This was an event for the market watercolor painting Britain XVIII-XIX centuries. In recent regular trading on this beautiful technique, is not implemented. At the auction of old masters appear some watercolor, but usually there are only a few popular artists - William Turner (William Turner), John Constable (John Constable) and Thomas Gainsborough (Thomas Gainsborough). The remaining work is too cheap and old-fashioned to get to the core auctions Britain. And it was the British 200 years ago, a veritable revolution in watercolor, transforming it from a simple means of describing the full expression of the form of contemplation and poetry scene. Now the congregation, consisting only of watercolors appear at auction only if the sale of a single private collection.
So it was in 2007 when Sotheby's put 14 Turner watercolors from the collection of Guy and Myriam Ullens ( Guy and Myriam Ullens). They brought 12 million pounds sterling.
Now his personal collection put up for auction, Professor Ian Craft (Ian Craft), director of London-based Center for Gynecology and Reproductive Health. The collection was first in his estate in Albania.
Home rekordam put water in 1766, Joseph Wright, known as Wright of Derby (Joseph Wright of Derby), depicting a boy, reading. She went under the hammer for 313,250 pounds, becoming the second value the work of this author on the paper.
Then the fight was for the rare work of landscape painter Richard Wilson (Richard Wilson). Villa Borghese in Rome "got a Canadian art collector Baron David Thomson (Baron David Thomson) for 109,250 pounds (estimate 100-200 thousand).
Under the 60-th number appeared top-lot auction - a panorama of sky and storm darkening hills around Lake Albano near Rome, John Robert Cozens hand (John Robert Cozens). This expressive, aerial work is considered one of the best works of the artist. Jan Kraft bought the picture in 1991 for a record then 198,500 pounds. Now for watercolor, estimated at 500-700 thousand £ A struggle between the former expert Sotheby's, London dealer Guy Peppiattom (Guy Peppiatt) and David Thomson. As a result, Thomson again triumphed, stopping the auction for the sum of 2.4 million pounds. From now on, "Lake Albano and Castle Gandolfo" not only the most expensive work Couzens, but the most expensive British watercolor XVIII century.
Of course, this is not a record watercolors by William Turner. But Turner wrote them already in the XIX century. Incidentally, during the formation of the creative artist is inspired by the works of John Robert Cozens.