March summary

This month, the number of pageviews continued to rise and ended at 666 views (exceeding the 1,000 cumulated), or more than 20 per day, up from 8 a day in February. Apart from the countries given in earlier summaries, I now welcomed new readers from Canada, New Zealand and Finland. HIghest number of pageviews in one day was 82.

I also have a new "most populat" post, with 13 pageviews: Cornelis de Vos or David Teniers, about a picture bought above estimate and sold again for a lot more a few months later. I already thought it expensive the first time round, so you probably shouldn't take my recommendations too seriously.

A lot of posts and auctions this month, and some nice results. Most paintings I posted as being interesting eventually sold, and a fair number exceeded the highest estimate.

From early February came a Workshop of Rubens "Virgin and Child", estimated at 4,000 to 5,000 Euro which eventually sold at a nice 11,000 Euro.

A Circle of Dirk Bouts "Virgin and Child" was estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 Euro, and sold for 16,500 Euro.

A Circle of Clouet (but more likely a Dumoustier) portrait was estimated at 3,000 to 4,000 Euro and sold for 7,000 Euro.

At Lempertz, they sold an Annunciation estimated at 8,000 to 9,000 Euro, which seemed very reasonable. It eventually sold for 31,000!

An interesting Early Netherlandish portrait at Koller was not sold, probably because the doubts whether it was original or a fake were too strong.

I highlighted a Lamentation for sale at Hargesheimer, estimated at 1,200 Euro. It sold for 9,500 Euro instead. A reader provided the identification of the original painting through an engraving. In the same auction was a portrait estimated at 280 Euro which I tried to buy, but which went for 3,000 Euro in the end...

A portrait in the manner of Holbein for sale at Morphets was estimated at £800 to 1,200, but sold for £2,800.

A portrait of General Darnaud, for sale at Myers, was only estimated at $600 to $800, but sold for $9,000 instead.

At Uppsala, they sold a Bacchus which I recognised as a copy after Coypel, and which was estimated at 330 to 430 Euro but sold for 1,600 Euro instead.

A Crucifixion by Francken II was for sale at Drouot Richelieu with an estimate of 4,000 to 6,000 Euro and sold for 11,100 Euro.

After Rubens, Rape of the Sabine Women

Attributed to "Environment of Theodor van Thulden" or "Antwerp School, 17th century" and identified as a "Rape of the Sabine Women", the painting for sale at Rouillac on 9 March 2015, a very large painting on copper (70 by 86 cm), estimated at 1,500 to 2,000 Euro, seems not to have been recognised as a copy after Rubens.

The unusual bit is that the composition by Rubens was never completed (it was finished by Gaspar de Craeyer after his death, but still looks like a final preparatory work, not the finished painting, which should have been much bigger). The quality of the work for sale is not good enough by far to suppose any involvement of Rubens or De Craeyer though, it is just a copy of it, but in more picturesque colours. Considering the condition, not worth more than the estimate probably, but not the most usual of copies after Rubens, and not identified as such in the catalogue. UPDATE: sold for 2,000 Euro.