Details about the film Lawrence Alma-Tadema "Finding of Moses", quite unexpectedly brought to the bidding 35.9 million dollars

sometimes occur on the art market has amazing, little unexplainable things. For example, the interim results of the current auction season: Who would have thought that a list of the most expensive lots of Modigliani and Matisse will be side by side picture of half-forgotten artist of the Victorian era? .. It is a canvas "Finding of Moses" Lawrence Alma-Tadema (Lawrence Alma-Tadema, 1836-1912), has brought at auction Sotheby's «The Art of the XIX century" 35.9 million dollars. The amount of the transaction seems all the more incredible that the auction history of the canvas (estimated at 3-5 million) was not so fun.

himself Alma-Tadema, however, this result is unlikely to be surprised : When the artist's life his work enjoyed extraordinary demand and caring for mad amounts. Why not Jeff Koons? .. But by the end of creative ways to Alma-Tadema vector mode has shifted into a completely different direction, and his "Victorians in togas" gradually ceased to be popular - indeed, they started a lot and be happy to blame.

As picture" Finding of Moses, it was established in 1904, commissioned by the prominent British engineer John Erda (John Aird), who invited the artist to Egypt to admire his creation - the Aswan Dam. For leaf Erd posted considerable sum for those times 5,250 pounds. Thirty years later the heirs of the engineer was able to sell the canvas for only 820 pounds ...

Next picture long gone hand and in the end turned out to be a New York art dealer, bought it for 3 £ 600. It was in 1967. Picture of happiness with her new owner came to consult Allen Funt (Allen Funt) - a famous television producer who decides to decorate his apartment in Manhattan in the Victorian style. They say that the dealer asked him bluntly: "Want to see the work of the worst artist of all time?" Fant agreed to and did not regret: after seeing "Finding of Moses", he immediately bought the painting.

painting back up for auction in 1995. Its got a very respectable 2.8 million dollars - a record that held until last Thursday. The name of the new owner of not reported, it is known that for her active (and unsuccessfully) fought a buyer from Asia, including in the bid even after the other customers who called bids by phone, drove the price up to 20-million mark. They say that the creativity of Alma-Tadema (and the Pre-Raphaelites in general) is close to buyers from the Middle East: that like as sensual, but not very frankly ...

material was prepared by Julia Maksimov, AI

Source: artinfo.com , artinvestment.ru