Dorotheum Vienna's first auction week features Old Masters & 19th Century Painting

Written by Nicholas Carmody Saturday, 19 February 2011 23:13

 

Vienna, Austria - Devine, delicate, and devoted ladies are trumps at this year's first auction week, certainly in terms of subject matter. Filled with energy, the Dorotheum embarks on its 301st year which brings a number of new developments to the seasoned schedule of its four annual auction weeks. For the first time, Old Masters and 19th Century Painting will be presented as part of the Dorotheum Vienna's first auction week from the 15th to the 18th April 2008. Silver, Furniture, Sculpture, as well as Glass & Porcelain are gathered into a single auction of "Antiques", with Jewellery once again bringing the event to its close.

Tiepolo's modello of „Rebecca at the Well" represents another high point of Italian painting (€ 145.000 – 165.000) whereas a capriccio with a view of the Coliseum and the Arch of Constantine promises to be of particular interest to collectors. The latter offers a perfect prospect of Rome's famous architecture by the hand of Giovanni Paolo Panini (€ 140.000 – 170.000). Among the Dutch masters Arnold Boonen contributes a „Portrait of a Flower Painter“ while Jacob Marrell, who died in Frankfurt in 1675, offers a brilliantly executed and very decorative "Still Life of Flowers, with melons, reptiles, and a parrot".  – are just some of the other artists featured at this top Dorotheum auction.
 
Old Masters never fail to live up to their reputation as 'golden oldies'. After Guido Cagnacci's „Lucretia“ caused an international stir with its 2007 sale for € 1,4 million Euro, the 15th April 2008 will see a Magdalene and a Rebecca contest the top billing. Only recently entered into the painter's catalogue of works, "St Magdalene" is recognised as a true masterpiece by Guido Reni.

The auction of 19th Century Paintings on 16th April 2008 is also completely enthralled by impressive ladies, first and foremost in the form of a masterly portrait of the actress Alice Regnault, which radiates passion and vivacity. It is said that its creator, the Italian-born, London- and Paris trained painter Giovanni Boldini (Ferrara 1845 – 1931), was forced to hide the painting from Regnault's jealous lover, Alexandre Dumas Fils, in his studio. In terms of style, the 1884 portrait provides a perfect example of Boldini's nervous, sketch-like manner, in many ways anticipating the art of the 20th century. In 1933, Time Magazine once referred to this painter, who was also a friend of John Singer Sargent and Degas, as the „Master of Swish“ (€ 300.000 – 400.000).

Unexcelled in their elegance, two black dressed ladies stimulate our imagination in Vittorio Corcos' „Conversation in the Jardin du Luxembourg“ (€ 120.000 – 180.000), as does the Roman Campagna with the Via Appia, in Oswald Achenbach's illustrious 1892 painting (€ 70.000 – 90.000). Additional highlights include works by Gavril Pavlovich Kondratenko, Frans Mortelmans, as well as paintings by Friedrich Gauermann, Eugen Jettel, Olga Wisinger-Florian or Marie Egner. Egner's vividly coloured "Still Life with Buttercups" delicately captures the beginnings of spring (€ 60.000 – 80.000).

The following day of the auction week, the 17th April 2008 is dedicated to Antiques. The Furniture category, for example, features an impressive Russian Empire seat set upholstered in red velvet (€ 50.000 – 60.000) or a museum quality salon- or music table from around 1880/90, attributed to Theophil von Hansen (€ 16.000 – 20.000). A two-tiered 'wedding' wardrobe from Sweden dated 1628 is covered with numerous scenes carved in the round (€ 20.000 – 25.000). The Silver selection, meanwhile, is literally crowned by a Victorian ornamental centrepiece from London, surrounded by three graces (€ 20.000 – 28.000).  At the second auction week in May, incidentally, the successful design category will come up for auction together with modern and contemporary art, another first.
 
300 years after its foundation, the Dorotheum, established in 1707, is the largest auction house in Central Europe and in the German-speaking area, as well as one of the leading auctioneers worldwide. The Dorotheum hosts about 600 auctions a year, and more than 100 specialists attend to over 40 departments.

Visit : www.dorotheum.com/

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