At the meeting on July 24 and 25, the Saint Catherine of Alexandria was awarded for the exit and the State bought eight pieces
I began my article previewing Ansorena by saying that “It is always a joy when a painting by the Sevillian artist comes to the market. Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1618-1682), it is even more so when it comes to this type of works of proven quality” (see). Now we must add a higher point to that joy because the saint of her crowned on a dark, almost tenebrist background, and with her gaze towards the sky while she holds the sword with the palm of her martyrdom, her Saint Catherine of Alexandria (O/L, 121 x 91 cm; lot 614), has been sold for the requested 250,000 euros; Having already added 22% of the room premium (its commission and taxes), the final 305,000 euros remain. Let us remember, finally, that the Murillo specialist Pablo Hereza will publish it in his Corpus Murillo. Paintings and drawings. Hagiography (pending publication), with number H-110.
And, as it was an auction loaded with purchases, we are going a little light, before entering into the State purchases.
The most notable in old masters were those of the Master of Huesca and that of Vicente López. We start with the most distant one in time, that of Master of Huescawhose table Saint Blaise in prison (O/T, 84 x 66 cm; 587), from the old Raimundo Ruiz collection and published by Post in 1966 (vol. XIII, page 28, fig. 10), was awarded for the 20,000 euros requested. From the 17th century, two sales: Landscape with characters picking fruit and making wine (O/L, 81 x 118 cm; 589), by Flemish School, purchased at Sotheby’s London in April 1990 as a follower of Paul Bril, went from 9,000 to 10,000 euros; and the Portrait of Mr. J. Ochoa Chinchetru, Marquis of Campotéjar (O/L, 201 x 114 cm; 610), from Cordoba Juan Alfarowhich rose from 7,000 to 12,000 euros.
Of Vicente Lopezhis Painful, c. 1825-1826 (O/L, 103 x 80 cm; 597) from the collection of Bermúdez de Castro O’Lawlor, Marquisado de Lema (on verso, no. 506), commissioned by General O’Lawlor and O’ Brennan rose from 10,000 to 20,000 euros. José Luis Díez already indicated in his catalog that “this painting must have enjoyed considerable success due to the numerous versions known of it, this being the highest quality of all. The different replicas taken from this image were also included in the painter’s catalog raisonné with numbers (P-133, P-134, PS-3).”
And of José Benlliure They uploaded their two works, on wood, a small detail that must be taken into account… Thus, in the inn (O/T, 21.5 x 31 cm; 757), rose from 10,000 to 12,000 euros, and The fight (O/T, 13 x 20 cm; 756), from 8,000 to 10,000, showing that in small and careful matters, normally carried out on board, there is still a market.
Let’s now go through the eight State purchases, starting again with the most distant ones in time. From the 16th century Spanish School, the two tables with Burial of Christ and Fall of Christ on the way to Calvary (O/T, 72 x 54 cm each; lots 585 and 586), with echoes of Machuca and Berruguete in that obvious mannerist treatment, each was awarded for the 19,000 euros requested. They will go to the Valladolid Sculpture Museum. @broncino70 suggested in And from the Genoese Simone Barabinoat the end of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, Burial of Christ (O/T, 53.5 x 36.5 cm; 579), following Rafael’s work, was awarded the 3,000 euros requested.
Of Antonio María Esquivel, The three Marys [con san Juan], 1841 (O/L, 95.5 x 79 cm; 598) went from 5,000 to 6,500 euros, at which time the State exercised its right of first refusal. To everyone’s surprise, the State also tested lot 600, this time from Eugenio Lucas Velazquez: Bullfight (O/L, 55 x 81 cm; 600), for the 3,000 euros starting price, which no collector bid. But the fact is that its provenance – Thibault-Sisson collection, Paris and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota (United States) -, in addition to its exhibition at the Durlacher Bros, New York (Eugene Lucas, February 28th – March 24th, 1956, cat. 1 like The bullfight), speaks of quality, history and closeness to Goya. Following the surprises, the State bought a couple of Vases (O/L, 62 x 38 cm each, one of them signed; 601), from the Valencian Miguel Parrafor the 3,000 euros requested.
There was interest in drawing with charcoal and clarion on Mariano Benlliure, spring song, 1894 (63 x 147 cm; 530). Related to the sarcophagus of the mausoleum of Julián Gayarre and to the allegory of music of the frieze of the music room of the Bauer palace, its starting price of 5,000 euros encouraged several collectors to bid up to 9,000 euros at the auction, at which time the State exercised its right of first refusal.
And, to finish this section of the State, the sculpture of Roque Lopez, San Roque (polychrome and stewed wood carving, 48 cm; 817), for the 18,000 euros requested, which our colleague Noemí Marín will talk about in her article.
In the 20th century, it failed Tapiesand the Urculus of Lucía Bosé’s family was withdrawn at the last minute of the auction. Of Joaquin Sunyer, Girl with cats1948 (O/L, 65 x 54 cm; 47), with Barrachina & Ramoneda label and published by Enric Jardí in his Sunyer (Polígrafa, page 154, no. 286), went from 9,000 to 12,000 euros, offered by a collector in a prior written bid.
Of Luis Feitohis canvas from 1964, 432 (O/L, 81 x 100 cm; 227), almost halfway between the last throes of the painting he had done during Step and the next of the ‘eggs’, with much more marked circles, was awarded for the 27,000 euros requested. Of Benjamin Palenciahis Landscape, 1966 (O/L, 65 x 81 cm; 51), included in the Palencia Archive under number 006/66, rose from 21,000 euros to 28,000 euros, offered by a collector who had left a written bid. Continuing with the postwar figuration, the Bullfighting (O/l, 40 x 50 cm; 51) Juan Barjola, with shapes still quite defined, was awarded to the only bidder, who offered the 16,000 euros requested. It also offered a good Postlude2000 (A/L, 100 x 100 x 8 cm; 232) José María Yturraldein electric blue, which went from 6,000 to 9,500 euros.
Finally, the paper. The pencil drawing of Joan Miro, Personnage aiseaux, 1978 (31 x 21 cm; 59), with ADOM certificate, was awarded for the initial 11,000 euros. And the etching with aquatint from 1989, Zubi-Aundi (edition of 68 copies, 160 x 123 cm; 229) by Eduardo Chillida, with the number 89011 in the van der Koelen, rose as expected from the attractive 9,000 euros at the start to a more logical 12,000 at the auction; With 22% of the room premium it amounts to 14,640 euros. There have been few sales; almost a million, premium already included. Daniel Diaz @Invertinart
