23/11/2001
by Luisa Vassallo

Following the 19^th century art sales held in New York at the beginning of November, Christie’s and Sotheby’s have been holding their 19^th Century European Art auctions in London over the last two weeks. Sotheby’s sale was considerably more successful, with over 75% of sales coming from the first session dedicated to Spanish paintings.

Christie’s was first on the scene at their King Street headquarters with a sale on the 9^th of November that comprised 113 lots. The auction raised a total of $ 2,091,278 (€ 2,382,792), with 61% of the works remaining unsold as the sales rate fell below recent trends. This was the fate of the star lot, Gustave Moreau’s signed Sainte Cécile (Les Anges lui annoncent son prochain martyre), featured on the front cover of the catalogue. Estimated at $ 706,600-990,000 (€ 805,300-1,127,300), this ornate and rich oil, typical of the French artist’s late work, failed to reach its reserve price despite the extensive literature.

The sale began with a selection of twelve Spanish paintings, eight of which found buyers, mainly within estimated values. Two paintings by the Andalusian-born Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, one of the leading Spanish 19^th century artists, went unsold: a Portrait of Basil Mundy (estimate $ 70,500-98,700, € 80,200-112,300) that was new to the market and a patio view (estimate $ 141,240-211,870, € 160,650-241,000) produced near the end of his life (other pictures from the series being in museum collections). A good reception on the other hand was reserved for Julio Romero de Torres, whose La salud stood out of the selection on account of its modern approach. This signed oil on canvas, measuring 121 x 82 cm, eventually went for $ 89,190 (€ 101,460) more than doubling its high-end estimate.

The top price was fetched by a Dutch artist. Petrus van Schendel’s evocative 1861 Night market in Antwerp. This large (123.7 x 102.2 cm) signed oil was sold for $ 160,500 (€ 183,000) within its estimate of $ 141,170-211,773 (€ 160,874-241,311), helped by the fact that the painting had been exhibited in London by Richard Green Gallery in 1998 and more recently in 2000 at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Another good performance came from the Peruvian Federico del Campo, whose Grand Canal, Venice was finally acquired for $ 148,230 (€ 168,670) against an estimate of $ 84,740-112,990 (€ 96,410-128,570), confirming the British market’s taste for vedute of Venice, even those executed a century after Canaletto, the undisputed master of this genre.

Several attractive female portraits were of particular interest to private collectors. The Austrian Hans Makart’s Portrait of Gräffin Pálffy posted the third highest price, selling within estimate for $ 129,700 (€ 147,570). This elaborate oil on panel, depicting the sitter praying with a rosary in her hands, had been in Austrian and Swiss collections in the last century and was new to the London market. Beautiful Betty, a bust-length portrait by Albert Lynch, another Peruvian artist, tripled its low-end estimate to fetch $ 43,180 (€ 49,120). Finally, two signed portraits of young girls by the Russian Alexis Harlamoff were sold, the smaller of the two oils (41.5 x 33.3 cm) fetching $ 101,700 (€ 115,680), doubling its high-end estimate.

On the 19^th of November Sotheby’s held their 19^th Century European Paintings auction that proved to be more of a success. The sale was divided in two sessions and made a total of $ 7,364,899 (€ 8,357,634), selling just over 51% of the 165 lots on offer, in line with sales rates seen at the 19^th century auctions held in New York earlier in the month. The first section was dedicated to Spanish paintings from 1850-1930 and presented a selection of 81 lots that went for a total of $ 5,659,052 (€ 8,357,634), over three-quarters of the final figure. With the focus of the sale on Spanish pictures, it was predictable that they would dominate proceedings. There was a strong demand from private collectors for top works by artists like Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, whose Clotilde y Elena en las Rocas was the top pick. This luminous signed oil (90 x 125 cm) from 1905, depicting a coastal scene with the artist’s wife and daughter, was acquired in 1906 and has not been on the market since, increasing its desirability. Against an estimate of $ 1,413,820-2,120,780 (€ 1,607,950-2,411,950) the painting was eventually sold for $ 2,503,550 (€ 2,847,450). Another success was claimed by Vendimiadores by the Basque Ignacio Zuloaga, a very large oil on canvas (213 x 191 cm) depicting grape pickers and celebrating honest labour, reflecting the ideals of the artist. The painting, which had been in the Steinbart Collection in Berlin and which was returned to the vendor only this year, topped its estimate of $ 113,100-169,660 (€ 128,620-192,940) finally selling once again to a private bidder for $ 332,910 (€ 378,600).

Several good prices were fetched by non-Spanish artists, the highest of which was the Swede August Strindberg, whose expressionistic The Danube flooding its banks, a small signed and inscribed oil on board (44 x 33 cm), was the object of intense telephone bidding. The sale was certainly helped by the fact that the painting had been part of the collection of the Museum of Cultural History in Lund until 1989 and had been extensively exhibited. The painting finally fetched the third-highest price in the auction, going for $ 434,400 (€ 494,000) just above its high-end estimate.

Alexis Harlamoff did well in the sales at both auction houses. At Sotheby’s two portraits of young girls by the artist were included in the top ten prices. The flower girl, a depiction of beauty and innocence revealing the influence of Rembrandt and Harlamoff’s Impressionist contemporaries, was acquired by an anonymous buyer for an impressive $ 293,900 (€ 334,180) against an estimate of $ 113,100-169,660 (€ 128,620-192,940).

The overall results posted by the two leading auction houses confirmed London as an important market for 19^th century art, while the demand from buyers for top quality works reflects just how selective the market has become, particularly in view of ongoing international turmoil. The auctions pointed up the growing strength of the market for 19^th Century paintings by the Spanish School and the continuing appeal of themed sales. However, good prices were also established by other European artists, with a particular demand for Russian and Scandinavian works.