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Release: Success for the Old Master Paintings Totaling more than €5 Millions


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The Old master paintings sale realised €5,117,200/£4,363,948/$6,692,274, selling 62% by lots and 84% by value. The Sacrifice of Polyxène (lot 36) by Charles Le Brun, reached the record price of €1,441,500/£1,229,311/$1,885,194

Paris- The Old master paintings sale realised €5,117,200/£4,363,948/$6,692,274, selling 62% by lots and 84% by value. The Sacrifice of Polyxène (lot 36) by Charles Le Brun, rediscovered in the Coco Chanel suite of the prestigious Ritz Hotel, reached the record price of €1,441,500/£1,229,311/$1,885,194 multiplying its pre-sale estimate by five. After a long battle over the phone and in the auction room, the masterpiece was finally sold in the room. This major painting was recognized only recently by the Ritz’s art adviser Joseph Friedman and fellow consultant Wanda Tymowska, and its attribution has been unanimously supported by leading French museums.

Cécile Bernard, director of the Old Master paintings department: “The results of the sale confirm the strong market for old master paintings and the presence of international collectors. We are honored to have been entrusted with the sale of the Sacrifice de Polyxène by Charles Le Brun outlining this exceptional discovery of a masterpiece by the artist.

Exceptional results were also obtained for several important paintings by old masters from the 17th century encountered a real success such as the oil on canvas by François de Troy titled Portrait de la famille Davène de Fontaine which sold for €577,500/£492,492/$755,255 (lot 42) and the beautiful L’Arche de Noé by Jan Brueghel The Younger which realised €481,500/£410,623/$629,706 (lot 28). The painting by Martin Drolling intitled La Leçon de Musique realised €169,500, going beyond its pre-sale estimate (lot 59) and setting a new world record for the artist. Another auction record was realised by the oil on canvas La sagesse de Scipion à l’égard des femmes Hergètes ; et La continence de Scipion executed by Louis-Jean François Lagrenée which sold for €313.500 (lot 52). The 19th century was represented by a painting by Gustave Moreau Léda, le cygne et l’amour which sold for €229.500 (lot 82).

Finally, the Portrait d’un Officier realised by a Flemish school circa 1650 a surprising €157,500 compared to its pre-sale estimate of 10,000-15,000 (lot 27).

About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2011 that totaled £3.6 billion/$5.7 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie’s has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totaled £502 million / $808.6m in 2011, an increase of 44% on the previous year.

Christie’s has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.

Complete catalogue available online at www.christies.com or via Christie’s Mobile, iPhone, iPad and Android apps.



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