Canaletto Sells For $20 Million at Christie's

Thursday, 07 July 2005 11:38

LONDON, ENGLAND.- Christie's sale of The Champalimaud Collection £30,022,360 ($52,749,286 / €44,132,869) . The sale was 96% sold by lot and 99% sold by value. The star lof the sale was The Bucintoro at the Molo Venice, on Ascension Day by Canaletto which sold for £11,432,000 ($20,086,024 €16,805,040), a new world record price for the artist at auction (estimate: £4,000,000-6,000,000). . Pedro Girao, Deputy Chairman of Christie's Europe, who oversaw the sale commented: "The prices achieved tonight reflect the high quality of objects collected by Antonio Champalimaud and the results pay tribute to him. We are particularly pleased with the record price achieved for the superb painting by Canaletto which was sold after a long bidding battle between several collectors. Further highlights tonight included a Louis XVI ormolu-mounted ebony and Japanese lacquer commode and Guardi's The Island of San Cristoforo, near Murano, Venice. The Old Master Paintings were highly sought after reflecting the interest of the market in this category. The superb painting by Canaletto which led the sale this evening showed the view of the Molo, with the Doge's Barge, the Bucintoro, prominently moored and was produced on a scale that makes it the most monumental Venetian view of the artist's London period. While several variations of the theme exist, it is unique in its vertical format and viewpoint. More intimate in scale was Canaletto's pair of views of Venice: the Piazzetta looking West and The Piazza San Marco, looking West (estimate: £700,000-1,000,000) which realized £1,800,000 ($3,162,600 €2,646,000). Other paintings that attracted considerable interest were two pendant canvases by Francesco Guardi, The Island of San Cristoforo, Murano (estimate: £600,000-800,000) which sold for £1,800,000 ($3,162,600 €2,646,000) and The Grand Canal, Venice, with the Church of the Scalzi and the Lista di Spagna (estimate: £400,000-600,000) which realized £1,688,000 ($2,965,816 €2,481,360). The French 18th century paintings in the sale were also very well received with Jean-Honoré Fragonard's La Jardinière, circa 1754-5 (estimate: £400,000-600,000), achieving £1,184,000 ($2,080,288 €1,740,480) and the beautifully preserved work by Jean-Baptiste Greuze Innocence: a girl, bust-length, in a white chemise, looking up to the right (estimate: £150,000-250,000) selling for £512,000 ($899,584 €752,640). Francois Boucher and Studio's Clio, the Muse of History and Song; and Erato, the Muse of Love Poetry (estimate: £300,000-500,000) achieved £1,184,000 ($2,080,288 €1,740,480).

---

Click on logo below to add this article to your favorite Social Website ~