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Most expensive ancient artworks sold at auctions
Most expensive ancient artworks sold at auctions
Paris, 24 June 2011, Art Media Agnecy (AMA).
Artprice has compiled a list of the ten most expensive artworks sold at auctions. Paintings by old masters represent approximately 4% of the toal lots, but made up 11% of sales figures in 2010. This can be attributed to the rareness of the pieces, which are often worthy of being displayed in museums.
The ten most expensive paintings by old masters are:
Rubens, Massacre of the Innocents, sold at Sotheby’s London on 10 July 2002 for $69,714,000;
Raphael, Head of a Muse, sold at Christie’s London on 8 December 2009 for €42,723,200;
Pontormo, Portrait of Duke Cosimo I, sold at Christie’s New York on 31 May 1989 for $35,200,000;
Raphael, Portrait of Lorenzo de Medici, sold at Christie’s London on 5 July 2007 for $33,285,450 ;
Rembrandt, Portrait of a Man with Arms Akimbo, sold at Christie’s London on 8 December 2009 for $29,577,600;
Canaletto, Grand Canal Looking North-East from the Palazzo Balbi, sold at Sotheby’s London on 7 July 2005 for $29,144,620;
Vermeer, Young Woman Seated at the Virginals, sold at Sotheby’s London on 7 July 2004 for $26,720,600;
Rembrandt, Portrait of a Lady Aged Sixty-Two, sold at Christie’s London on 13 December 2000 for $26,720,600.
Mantegna, Christ’s Descent into Limbo, sold at Sotheby’s New York on 23 January 2003 for $25,500,000.
Rembrandt, Saint James the Greater (1661), sold at Sotheby’s New York on 25 January 2007 for $23,000,000.




Archive for “Sotheby’s”
Sotheby’s to sell very rare painting by Francesco Guardi
London, 28 June 2011, Art Media Agency (AMA).
On 6 July 2011, Sotheby’s will be selling a selection of newly discovered and extremely rare works at the Old Master & British Paintings sale.
Expected to reach a total of £31 million, the sale of seventy-three paintings includes a monumental painting by Francesco Guardi entitled Venice, a View of the Rialto Bridge, Looking North, from the Fondamenta del Carbon, estimated at £15 million to £25 million. This large-scale oil canvas, completed in 1760, depicts Venice during the eighteenth century and measures 115cm by 199.5cm. The piece is one of four large works by Guardi and has contributed to the artist’s popularity. The canvas is of prestigious provenance, as it was acquired in Venice in 1768 by English tourist Chaloner Arcedeckne. The painting has always been conserved in private collections and was recently loaned to the Iveagh Bequest at the Kenwood House in London for a short period. Previously, it had only been exhibited twice.
The sale will also include works by Sir Anthony Van Dyck, Correggio, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, John Constable and Giovanni.