Sotheby’s had an Old Master and British Painting sale in London yesterday. These sales aren’t the marquee events. Instead, they hark back to the firm’s earlier role as a wholesaler to dealers. And yet there were three lots that soared yesterday and they’re worth taking a brief look at:
Estimated at between £40,000 and £60,000, this landscape of Amsterdam with the naval storehouse in the center distance is a rare collaboration between Aelbert Meyeringh and Jacobus Storck. Meyeringh probably contributed the landscape part of the painting and few of his winter landscapes are still around. Storck specialized in maritime paintings, so he probably painted the figures and the ship. Together the work added up to £175,250 for the final buyer, nearly three times the high estimate.
Sotheby’s could only estimate these landscapes at £20-30,000 even though the canvases greatly resemble a number of paintings Francesco Guardi completed toward the end of his career. That was enough for the buyer to pay £253,250 for the pair of Capriccio River landscapes.
This view of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez where King Ferdinand IV of Spain spent the spring time is the same as three pictures that were signed by Antonio Joli. Estimated at between £30,000 and £40,000 the buyer paid £175,250
