World records set at work Berkheyde, Lorrain, Patera, van Honthorst, Carpaccio, Delaroche and master of portraits Baroncelli

Source: Press Release Christie's

December 7 in London hosted an evening auction of Christie's «Art and Old Master paintings, drawings and watercolors by artists of the XIX Century." Organizers helped out 25 million pounds ($ 39 million) 8 works sold for a sum of more than 1 million pounds and 9 paintings - more than $ 1 million. In the auction was attended by buyers from 16 countries, of whom 64 percent are of European countries, 28 per cent - the U.S., 8 percent - Asia. In total, the hammer had gone 75 percent of all lots, which exceeds the average of the previous ten years, amounting to 69 percent.

Richard Knight, International Director, and Paul Raison, the director of London's Department of Art of the Old masters and XIX centuries »Christie's:« These trades have shown a steady demand for works of classical European art. Apart from the fact that the hall was filled with collectors from around the world, more than 60 people actively participated in the auction by telephone. Great interest was expressed for the British and Dutch painting. It should also be noted that 8 percent of the lots were purchased by buyers from Asia, which is a new trend for this market segment. Despite the fact that, to everyone's regret, brush Poussin masterpiece could not find a buyer, we observed increased activity from collectors from Europe (including Russia), Asia and the USA. We look forward to bidding, which will be held today, and in January 2011 in New York ».

representative of the Board of Trustees of Belvoir Castle:" This result (failure paintings by Nicolas Poussin (1594 -1665) "Ordination». - AI .), of course, is for us a sort of disappointment, taking into account the fact that the decision to offer for sale of the paintings was quite difficult for us. Despite this the Board of Trustees continues its policy of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage of Belvoir Castle ».

favorite auction was the work of master portraits Baroncelli (Bruges, about 1489), entitled" Pentecost ". This panel, affecting the degree of its preservation for many years, scientists say one of the best examples of painting style, common in Bruges at the end of the XV century. Until now, the work was relatively unknown to the general public, as the last time it was exhibited for public review in 1902, and its color reproduction never appeared in print.

New price records were installed on the following work:

• Gerrit Berkheyde Adriaanse (1638-1698, Haarlem), "View of Haarlem from the north-west, and the gates of the Holy Cross and St. Bavo's Cathedral", sold for 2 617,250 pounds (4,127,403 dollars);
• Claude (Gellee) Lorraine (1604/1605 (?), Champagne - 1682, Rome), "Landscape with shepherds dancing against the backdrop of the herd; sold for 2,057,250 pounds (3,244,283 dollars);
• Gerrit van Honthorst (1590, Utrecht - 1656, ibid), "The Adoration of the Magi", sold for 1,105,250 pounds (1,742,979 dollars);
• Jean-Baptiste Pater (1695, Valenciennes - 1736, Paris), "Rural festival with musicians and a statue of Venus in the background" and "Country Festival with a bather on the background of the fountain"; sold for 457,250 pounds ( 721,083 dollars);
• Vittore Carpaccio (1460-1466, Venice - about 1522-1525), "Pieta with Angels"; sold for 337,250 pounds (531,843 dollars);
• Paul Delaroche (1797-1856, Paris), "Napoleon at Fontainebleau, 31 March 1814", sold for 289,250 pounds (456,147 dollars).

Other top lots:

• «The Battle of Carnival and Lent" by Pieter Brueghel the younger Brush (1564, Brussels - 1637-1638, Antwerp), sold for 2,001,250 pounds (3,155,971 dollars) - one of the most recognizable works by the artist;
• «Portrait of Mary, Countess of Wilton (1801-1858), depicted in three-quarters, sitting in a red velvet dress with a brooch in a landscape" of Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769, Bristol - 1830, London ), who went under the hammer for 1,777,250 pounds (2,802,723 dollars);
• canvas by El Greco (1541, Candia, Crete - 1614, Toledo), "Saint Francis in ecstasy," has found a buyer for 1,161,250 pounds (1,831,291 dollars).

Top-10 evening auction Christie ' s December 7, 2010 years (London) "The Art of the old masters and paintings, drawings and watercolors by artists of the XIX century»

Lot	Description	Estimate, millions of pounds	Price, pounds	buyer
8	Master portraits Baroncelli (Bruges, about 1489) Pentecost	1-1,5	4,185,250	anonymous buyer
20	Gerrit Berkheyde Adriaanse (1638-1698, Haarlem) View of Haarlem from the north-west as well as on the gates of the Holy Cross and the Cathedral of St. Bavo world record for the artist	0,5-0,7	2,617,250	An anonymous buyer
51	Claude (Gellee) Lorraine (1604-1605 (?), Champagne - 1682, Rome) Landscape with shepherds dancing against the backdrop of the herd World record for the artist	2-3	2,057,250	anonymous buyer
15	Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564, Brussels - 1637-1638, Antwerp) Battle of Carnival and Lent	2-3	2,001,250	anonymous buyer
45	Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769, Bristol - 1830, London) Portrait of Mary, Countess of Wilton (1801-1858) depicted in three-quarters, sitting in a red velvet dress with a brooch in a landscape	0,4-0,6	1,777,250	anonymous buyer
17	(Dominikos Theotokopoulos) El Greco (1541, Candia, Crete - 1614, Toledo) St Francis in ecstasy	0,6-0 , 8	1,161,250	anonymous buyer
25	Gerrit van Honthorst (1590, Utrecht - 1656 , ibid) Adoration of the Magi world record for the artist	0,8-1,2	1,105,250	anonymous buyer
18	Anthony Van Dyck (1599, Antwerp - 1641, London) waist portrait of a gentleman, which is traditionally considered to be the senator of Antwerp	1-1,5	1,049,250	An anonymous buyer
7	Giovanni Guidi (1406, near Arezzo - 1486, Florence) History Coriolanus	0 ,5-0, 8	993 250	anonymous buyer
42	Bossoli Carlo (1815, Davesko - 1884, Turin) View of Constantinople from Uskyudara	0,25-0 35	553 250	anonymous buyer

Source: press release Christie's