Bonhams twelfth sale of Greek pictures realised a total of £4,623,580. which was £2million over the pre sale low estimate, making 12 new world records for Greek pictures.
Bidders crowded in to the New Bond Street rooms to attend the sale in which nearly 80% of the lots on offer were sold. A very busy preview in Athens, attended by nearly 1500 people led to strong bidding which saw 80 per cent of the paintings on sale snapped up for strong prices for high quality establishing 12 new world records for Greek artists.
The following list of artists achieved record prices for their work:
Cassas – £180,000
Pantazis – £356,000
Tsingos – two top records £72,000 & £105,600
Sikeliotis – £20,400
Coulendianos – £27,600
Condopoulos – £105,600
Samios – £48,000
Filopoulou – £22,800
Solidakis £14,400
Leventis – £37,200
Georgas – £14,400
Fotopoulos –£27,600
Terpsichore Angelopoulou of Art Expertise, Bonhams agents in Greece, comments: “Interest was strong throughout the sale as buyers were keen to acquire traditional Greek works as well as paintings form the emerging and dynamic market for contemporary artists. At a time when some areas are increasingly selective, there was no shortage of new, passionate collectors prepared to invest in this most buoyant of markets.
Top item in this sale was Lot 36, a painting by Theodore Jaques Ralli (Greek, 1852 -1909) ‘Praying before the communion at Megara’ which had been estimated to sell for £240,000 to £400,000 but which made £692,000.
Second highest price in the sale was Lot 37, Pericles Pantazis (Greek 1849/50-1884) titled `Mauvaise recette’, sold for £356,000 against a pre-sale estimate of £250,000 to £350,000. Third highest in the sale was Lot 72 by Theofilios Hadjimichail (1867-1934) ‘Kariskakis Camp in Pireaus, 1827 which achieved a sale price of ££216,000 against an estimate of £100,000 to £150,000.
The sale is a clear indication that the Greek market for quality paintings remains very strong.
