Christie’s online auction Old Master & British Drawings including property from The Cornelia Bessie Estate will be offered for sale 14-28 January and will feature works from the 15th to the 19th centuries, with a particular focus on drawings by some of the greatest 18th-century French artists.
A rare highlight of the auction appearing on the market for the first time is Jean-Étienne Liotard’s pastel Portrait of Philibert Cramer, one of Voltaire’s publishers, which is offered by his descendants (estimate: $400,000-600,000). The dashing sitter is identified on a label on the back of the canvas as Philibert Cramer (1727-1779), who together with his brother Gabriel, were the principal publishers of Voltaire and responsible for the first editions of major works such as the novel Candide. Liotard is closely associated with the medium of pastel and the portrait is a striking demonstration of his art, characterized by originality and a sense of realism.
JEAN-ÉTIENNE LIOTARD (Geneva 1702–1789) Portrait of Philibert Cramer with period frame and glass pastel on blue paper, mounted on canvas 25 x 21¼ in. (63.5 x 53.8 cm) $400,000-600,000
The estate of Cornelia Bessie features a strong group of 18th century works including an important wash drawing of The Flight into Egypt by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo which exhibits incredible freshness and was once owned by Aleksey Fyodorovich, Prince Orlov (estimate: $200,000-300,000). Another highlight of the Cornelia Bessie collection is an enchanting red-chalk figure study Young woman dozing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (estimate: $300,000-500,000).
The sale features thirteen sheets from Fragonard’s illustrations for Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso, the popular sixteenth-century epic poem, which is offered from the Collection of Nina R. and Arthur A. Houghton, Jr (estimates range from $15,000-30,000). The thirteen examples have been kept together since Fragonard’s death and are likely the largest group available in private hands. A red-chalk Study of the head of a woman by Jean-Baptiste Greuze highlights the group from The Collection of Nina Griscom (estimate: $70,000-100,000). Rounding out the selection by French artists is a large drawing by Laurent de La Hyre related to his Binding of Isaac in Reims (estimate: $80,000-120,000).
Among the Italian drawings are rare works such as a sketch for a painting by the 15th-century Roman artist Antoniazzo Romano, an architectural drawing by architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, the pupil of Palladio, and a drawing of The Nativity by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. Northern drawings include Jan Siberecht’s Study of an old gnarled tree, a selection of works from the Rembrandt School, a pastel family portrait by Cornelis Troost, as well as one of the finest early copies after Dürer’s Hare.
LOT 30 JEAN-BAPTISTE GREUZE (Tournus 1725–1825 Paris) Study of the head of a woman looking to the right, her hair in a cap red chalk 145 x 11 in. (38 x 28 cm) $70,000-100,000 LOT 39 JEAN-HONORÉ FRAGONARD (Grasse 1732–1806 Paris) A young woman dozing traces of black chalk, red chalk 9½ x 7½ in. (24 x 19 cm) $300,000-500,000 LOT 17 GIOVANNI BATTISTA TIEPOLO (Venice 1696-1770 Madrid) The Flight into Egypt black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash 163⁄4 x 117⁄8 in. (42.5 x 30 cm) $200,000-300,000 LOT 34 LAURENT DE LA HYRE (Paris 1606-1656) The Binding of Isaac with inscription ‘La Hire’(on the mount) black and white chalk on light brown paper 12 x 153⁄8 in. (30.5 x 39.1 cm) $80,000-120,000 LOT 4 ANTONIO DI BENEDETTO AQUILO DEGLI AQUILI, CALLED ANTONIAZZO ROMANO (Rome circa 1435/1440-1508) The Nativity of Christ with Saint Lawrence with inscription ‘D’Alessio Baldovinetti’ pen and brown ink, brown wash 10 x 8 in. (25.3 x 20.2 cm) $80,000-120,000 LOT 23 MUNICH SCHOOL, EARLY 17TH CENTURY The hare with Dürer’s monogram and date ‘AD 1502’ watercolor and bodycolor, on paper laid down on panel 57⁄8 x 71⁄4 in. (15 x 18.1 cm) $40,000-60,000
Viewing is by appointment only, January 20–28 2021
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