The most expensive paintings of Old Masters
ARTinvestment.RU   05 июля 2011

The list of the most expensive works of Old Masters, sold at public auction. Nine out of ten works went under the hammer in the 2000s

artprice.com site published a list of the most expensive works of Old Masters, sold at public auction.

Most of the old masters have long adorned the world-famous museums and galleries, and only a few works from time to time fall on a public auction. Sale of works of Old Masters was only 4 percent of the total number of transactions on the art market in 2010, but those sales have more than 11 percent of the worldwide annual auction revenue. While new records last year in this sector has not been established, nine of the ten most expensive works of Old Masters went under the hammer in the last ten years.

Top 10 Best auction results of the Old Masters

Massacre of the Innocents

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Peter Paul Rubens Massacre of the Innocents Source: artinvestment.ru

For years, no works of old masters could beat auction record price of U.S. $ 35.2 million paid in 1989 at Christie's Los Angeles Getty Museum for the "Portrait of Duke Cosimo I de 'Medici (Young man with a halberd)" brush Jacopo Pontormo Karuchchi (Jacopo da Carucci Pontormo). This work led the list of the most expensive works of Old Masters as long as 13 years, and it is unknown how much this is going on, if not a sudden discovery of Art and. Experts have proven that the painting "Massacre of the Innocents" was actually written by Peter Paul Rubens (Peter Paul Rubens), rather than his pupil, Jan van den Hook (Jan van den Hoecke), as previously thought. This news aroused the interest of buyers so that the subsequent auction at Sotheby's in the summer of 2002 for this work was developed serious battle betting, in which the lot price soared c 6 to 45 million pounds (nearly $ 70 million). "Massacre of the Innocents," still occupies the first line of the rating the most expensive works of Old Masters, in the global rankings as the most expensive works of art, this picture at 8th place .

success of paintings of Old Masters in the art market largely due to their extreme rarity. The appearance of the work of individual artists at auction is an event. Thus, the work of "Descent into Hell" by Andrea Mantegna (Andrea Mantegna), proposed in January 2003 at Sotheby's, was the second picture of the author at a public auction. Not surprisingly, for her, and paid accordingly - 25.5 million dollars.

Vermeer The girl behind harpsichord Source: 1artclub.com < /td>

The following year, a very small (25,2 x 20), work by Jan Vermeer (Jan Vermeer) «The girl behind the harpsichord "went under the hammer and the more expensive - for 26.7 million dollars (July 7, 2004, Sotheby's). This is the first and the only work of Vermeer, which appeared at a public auction in 1921.

Although most expensive Old Master paintings mostly portraits or paintings on religious themes, there is in this rating, and one landscape brush Antonio Canaletto (Antonio Canaletto). The work "Venice. Grand Canal. View from the Palace Balbi toward the Rialto Bridge "at the July auction at Sotheby's in 2005 found a new owner for 29.1 million dollars.

Trades sector in Old Masters in 2007 revived the deal with the works of Raphael Santi (Raphael Santi) and Rembrandt van Rijn (Rembrandt van Rijn). Painting by Rembrandt, "Saint James" was bought for $ 23 million at Sotheby's in January, and "Portrait of Lorenzo de 'Medici, Duke of Urbinskogo" brush Rafael prices reached 33.2 million pounds of the hammer at Christie's in July, becoming a two-year the most expensive work this author. Regarding the works of Rembrandt, leadership is still left for the "Portrait of a lady of 62 years (presumably Alte Eilenburg)", which in 2000 at Christie's was sold for $ 26 million.

Despite the economic crisis in 2009 the price of works by Rembrandt and ratings upgraded by Raphael, which once again confirms the stability of the market of masterpieces of Old Masters. "Portrait of a Man" by Rembrandt went under the hammer for 29.5 million dollars - so many of Rembrandt at a public auction has never paid, and a drawing by Raphael, "The head of the Muses," the buyer paid the entire $ 42 million - it's graphic work is now on the second line ranking immediately after the blade in front of a portrait by Rubens and Pontormo.

publication of this rating on artprice came in handy, because, very likely in the coming days on this list may be new names . Today evening in London at auction Christie's Old Master drawing by Michelangelo will be (estimate: 4.8 - $ 8 million) , and at the same auction Sotheby's, which will be held on July 6, exhibited a rare landscape Francesco Guardi (Francesco Guardi)« Venice. View from the Rialto Bridge Coal waterfront "with an estimate 32 million dollars . Finally, at auction Christie's European sculpture July 7 top lot promises to be a rare bronze statue of Adrian de Vries (1556-1626) . The sculpture is estimated at 5-8 million pounds, but experts believe that it will be able to sell much more expensive: around 15-20 million pounds (32 million). So in the ranking of the most expensive works of Old Masters can appear and sculpture.

Prepared by Mary Onuchina, AI

Sources: artprice.com , artinvestment.ru