29/01/2002

An auction of Old Master drawings from the Martin Bodmer Foundation in Switzerland (a Zurich library founded in 1971) took place at Christie's New York on the 23rd of January, with the sale totalling almost $ 1.8 million (€ 2.08 million) and with 36 of 46 lots finding buyers. The top lot was Watteau's Head of a Man which sold for $ 245,000 (€ 282,490), while Poussin's Studies after Antique Reliefs made $ 200,760 (€ 232,370). The second part of the Christie’s Old Masters drawings sale made a total of $ 6.4 million (€ 7.4 million) with 77% hammering. Top sellers included Head of a Man by Il Parmigianino which sold for nearly twice its estimate at $ 765,000 (€ 885,430), eventually going to Old Master drawing collector Jean-Luc Baroni (until 2002, director of Colnaghi gallery, London). The following day Sotheby’s, New York held its Old Master paintings auction. The sale raised a total of $ 33 million (€ 38.2 million) with new records made for Sir Anthony van Dyck and his Bust of the apostle Peter which made $ 3.1 million (€ 3.6 million) against an estimate of $ 600,000-800,000 (€ 694,370-925,900), as well as records for Baron Gerard, George Romney and Rosalba Carriera. On the 25th of January, Christie’s in New York held its respective paintings sale with the accolades going to Pier Francesco Mola’s An artist and a youth which wildly exceeded its estimate of $ 300,000-500,000 (€ 347,200-578,640) when it sold for $ 3.08 million (€ 3.5 million). (Andrew Moore)