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. 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.
Old Masters never fail to live up to their reputation as ‘golden oldies’. After Guido Cagnacci’s “Lucretia“ caused an international stir with its 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. After its discovery in a European private collection not long ago, renowned Reni experts have acknowledged the painting to be an original work by this artist and have welcomed it as a valuable addition to the œuvre of the famous Bologna painter. The idealised painting reminiscent of the style of Raphael is expected to fetch between 250.000 and 300.000 Euro.
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”. This excellently preserved painting of nearly square format comes from a Viennese private collection (€ 80.000 – 120.000). Van Goyen, Paul Troger, and Francois Edouard Picot – with an erotically charged „Cupid and Psyche“ – are just some of the other artists featured at this top Dorotheum auction.
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). The Sculptures originate in the 12th to 18th century and feature a particularly noteworthy and enchantingly fragmented “Enthroned Virgin” by Andrea Riccio. The 110 cm tall terracotta sculpture dates to approximately 1500 and is expected to fetch between 60.000 and 80.000 Euro. A graceful limestone figure of St John of about 1400 is shown wearing his typical garment of skins and has been valued at 7.000 to 9.000 Euro. A second St John, from Lower Austria around 1150, is depicted in the form of a sandstone relief (€ 8.000 – 9.500). „It’s teatime“ seems to be the guiding principle of the Porcelain selection with a number of rare early teapots by Du Paquier and Böttger (€ 38.000 – 50.000 resp. € 20.000 – 30.000). The Du Paquier teapot is decorated with an abundance of birds and insects in a garden landscape with Chinese scenes. In the Glass category, collectors can look forward to beakers by Mohn, Mildner or Kothgasser, with one Johann Joseph Mildner beaker bearing a monogram and the dedication: „Ich achte Freundschaft hoch, und bin dem sehr verbunden, der das bekannte Land der Freundschaft hat erfunden“ (“I hold friendship in high esteem and am indebted to him who once discovered the familiar land of friendship”, € 6.000 – 9.000).
Old masters and porcelain painters are far from the only ones to try their hand at floral still lifes and the varied animal kingdom – as an original, gold micro-mosaic necklace amply proves. Made up of thousands of tiny pieces of glass arranged in the shape of flowers, birds, and butterflies, this Italian jewel made around 1850 (€ 10.000 – 15.000) will be featured at the Jewellery Auction on 18th April 2008. Its superior selection includes fine gold jewellery, such as a classical silver and gold necklace with brilliants and diamonds from the second half of the 19th century 85.000 – 100.000), or some white-gold pedant ear clips set with brilliants and opals (€ 20.000 – 30.000). Guido Reni also puts in a ‘cameo’ appearance here: an ornamental comb decorated with a cameo stone shows the motif of his famous fresco „Aurora“ (€ 4.500 – 7.500). The sparkling selection is rounded off by a range of valuable as well as decorative brooches, rings, spangles, and bracelets.
First Auction Week:
15 – 18 april 2008
Old Masters, 15 april 2008
19th Century Paintings, 16 april 2008
Antiques, 17 april 2008
(Sculpture, Silver, Furniture, Glass, Porcelain)
Jewellery, 18 april 2008
Venue:
Palais Dorotheum, 1010 Vienna, Dorotheergasse 17
Preview:
from 4 april 2008
www.dorotheum.com/en
