18/12/2001

A view or vedute of Naples made a new world record at Sotheby’s sale of Old Master paintings in London on the 13th of December, for the Flemish artist Gaspard Van Wittel, (later known as Vanvitelli) (1653-1736) when it sold for $ 3.2 million (€ 3.54 million). The work was one of two paintings both known as the Medinaceli Vanvitellis, which were commissioned by the 9th Duque of Medinaceli, Viceroy of Naples and date to 1700. The record seller entitled A Prospect of Posillipo with the Palazzo Donn'Anna and Naples in the Background was bought by the Compton Verney Trust. The Trust, situated in an 18th century mansion in South Warwickshire, England holds a gallery which will open in 2003 and contains an Old Masters collection, with a focus on Neapolitan paintings. In the same sale at Sotheby’s a telephone bidder paid $ 293,400 (€ 324,840) for Carlo Maratta's (1625-1713) Bacchus and Ariadne, well above the $ 174,750 (€ 193,470) estimate, while another Italian vedute scene, Antonio Joli's (1700-1777) Venice, a View of the Bacino di San Marco sold over its estimate for $ 1.2 million (€ 1.3 million). (Andrew Moore)