Jar with lotus scrolls, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze-blue and overglaze enamel decoration. H. 4 1/4 in x Diam. 4 3/8 in, H. 10.8 cm x Diam. 11.1 cm.  The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2361. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture

This piece is a clear emulation of the Chenghua style, closely following its color scheme, green enamel over underglaze-blue in this case. While akin to doucai wares in its blue outlines, the green was filled with wider passages of sinuous leaves. The borders of cloud heads on the shoulder and the lotus panels and scrolls below were simplified during the Jiajing. The famous quality visible in this piece is its achievement of the forest green color, a hue that other potters sought to re-create in later periods.

Cup with a scene of Taoist temples, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Painted and glazed porcelain. H. 4 in x Diam. 4 1/2 in, H. 10.2 cm x Diam. 11.5 cm.  The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P2374. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

The shape of this cup, resembling an upside-down bell, was commonly reproduced throughout the Qing period. The interior creates an atmosphere of immortal lands, with clouds on both the lip and the base. The outside is painted with four open panels on a cloud-and-crane background, each embracing an image of a sacred building borrowed from architecture and contemporary paintings. The light blue color, typical of the period, was an attempt to imitate the Chenghua underglaze-blue.

Fish bowl, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), probably reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with blue and white glaze. H. 20 1/2 in x Diam. 24 3/4 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B61P19. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

Jar, Ming dynasty, Jiajing six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration. The Avery Brundage Collection, B62P88. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

Fahua style glaze porcelain jar with lid, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566). H. 15 1/2 in x W. 14 1/2 in. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P75+.a-.b. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

Jar with fish in lotus pond, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Reign of the Jiajing emperor (1522-1566), China, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province.Porcelain with underglaze blue and overglaze polychrome decoration. H. 11 1/2 in x Diam. 13 5/8 in, H. 29.2 cm x Diam. 34.6 cm. The Avery Brundage Collection, B60P79. © 2016 Asian Art Museum Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture.

Fish in a lotus pond, symbolic of eternal prosperity, had been a widespread motif in Yuan porcelain and became repopularized in the Xuande and later periods. With charming naturalism, fish-in-lotus-pond motifs commonly adorned daily wares, particularly blue-and-white and polychromedecorated porcelain. From the sixteenth century onward, fishpond vessels increased in size, the primary subject varying in composition and components. The round, generous shapes of large jars were an especially suitable format for suggesting the fluid world of a fishpond. Along with their practical functions as fishbowls, display pieces, warmers, or storage containers, jars with such auspicious motifs satisfied clients' demands for intergenerational symbolism.

The exterior of this large jar is decorated with golden red fish swimming through layers of blue water plants in a deep pond. This vessel is an example of a method developed by the Xuande imperial kiln. On high-stemmed cups, bowls, and plates, potters depicted red dragons or mythic beasts against a blue ocean, or conversely blue creatures against red seas, by combining two processes: over a prefired blue-andwhite piece, red pigment was applied in empty areas drawn by the blue, and then fired again at a temperature of 700 to 800°c. This method was employed for broader subjects from the sixteenth century onward. Attesting to the level of potters' skill during this period, the red color with tints of orange and yellow served to express the glittering scales of the fish.

"When it came to Sotheby’s 2016 jewellery sales, pink and blue diamonds reigned supreme. From the radiant ‘Unique Pink’ diamond sold in Geneva to the ‘De Beers Millennium’ blue diamond sold in Hong Kong, it was a year for exceptional jewels with colour and carats to match. Of soothing pastel hues, these stones also perfectly reflected Pantone’s Color of the Year, which in 2016, was a unique pairing of Rose Quartz and Serenity. Click ahead to discover the 20 lots that topped this year’s jewellery list, and look out for our February Fine Jewels sale in New York to get 2017 off to an extra dazzling start."–Stephanie Sporn

Lot 1843. ‘De Beers Millennium Jewel 4,’ Superb and rare 10,10 carats fancy vivid blue diamond and diamond ring. Sold for HK$248,280,000 ($32,013,223) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. Sotheby’s Hong Kong présente le « De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 »

‘The Unique Pink,’ World Auction Record Price for Any Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond. Sold for CHF30,826,000 ($31,561,200) at Sotheby's Geneva, 17 May 2016. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. "The Unique Pink" chez Sotheby's Genève

 Lot 336. Magnificent 17.07 carats fancy intense pink diamond ring. Sold for CHF20,825,000 ($20,778,352) at Sotheby's Geneva, 16 Nov 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Magnificent 17.07 carats VVS1 Clarity step-cut fancy intense pink diamond ring

 Lot 494. Superb 7.32 carats fancy vivid blue diamond ring. Sold for CHF16,714,000 ($17,112,629) at Sotheby's Geneva, 17 May 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Superb 7.32 carats fancy vivid blue diamond ring 

Lot 337. ‘The Sky Blue Diamond’ Superb 8.01 carats Type IIb fancy vivid blue diamond ring, Cartier. Sold for CHF17,112,500 ($17,074,168) at Sotheby's Geneva, 16 Nov 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. “The Sky Blue Diamond”. Superb 8.01 carats Type IIb fancy vivid blue diamond ring, Cartier

 Lot 329. Magnificent 13.20 carats fancy intense pink diamond ring. Sold for CHF16,268,750 ($16,232,308) at Sotheby's Geneva, 16 Nov 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Magnificent 13.20 carats Internally Flawless fancy intense pink diamond ring

 Lot 298A. Magnificent 7.74 carats fancy deep blue diamond ring. Sold for CHF$13,737,500 ($13,706,728) at Sotheby's Geneva, 16 Nov 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Magnificent 7.74 carats VVS1 Clarity oval fancy deep blue diamond ring

 Lot 405. Important 6.64 carats fancy intense blue diamond brooch, Alexandre Reza. Sold for CHF13,354,000 ($13,672,493) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Important 6.64 carats fancy intense blue diamond brooch, Alexandre Reza

 Lot 411A. Important 18.51 carats fancy pink Type IIa diamond pendant. Sold for CHF9,546,000 ($9,773,672) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Important 18.51 carats fancy pink Type IIa diamond pendant

 Lot 331. Important 40.30 carats pear-shaped fancy light pink diamond ring. Sold for CHF7,550,000 ($7,533,088) at Sotheby's New York, 19 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Important 40.30 carats VVS2 Clarity pear-shaped fancy light pink diamond ring

 Lot 462. Pair of important 8.85 and 8.79 carats fancy blue and fancy orangy pink diamond earrings. Sold for CHF5,850,000 ($5,989,523) at Sotheby's New York, 19 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Pair of important 8.85 and 8.79 carats fancy blue and fancy orangy pink diamond earrings

 Lot 411. Fine 6.03 carats pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring. Sold for CHF5,626,000 at Sotheby's New York, 19 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Fine 6.03 carats pear-shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring

 Important 53.53  heart-shaped ring. Sold for CHF4,730,000 ($4,842,811) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Important 53.53 heart-shaped diamond ring

 Lot 189. Magnificent Platinum and 12.45 carats fancy purplish pink diamond ring. Sold for $4,562,000 at Sotheby's New York, 19 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Magnificent Platinum and Fancy Purplish Pink Diamond Ring

 Lot 296. 8.73 carats Fancy intense pink diamond ring. Sold for CHF4,287,500 ($4,277,896) at Sotheby's Geneva, 16 Nov 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. 8.73 carats VVS2 Clarity step-cut fancy intense pink diamond ring

 Lot 335. Superb  8.37 carats Burmese ruby and diamond ring, Cartier. Sold for CHF4,287,500 ($4,277,896) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Superb 8.37 carats Burmese cushion-shaped ruby and diamond ring, Cartier

 Lot 1844, Important 22.40 carats D Colour, Internally Flawless Type IIa Diamond Ring. Sold for HK$28,760,000 ($3,708,314) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 Apr 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Important Diamond Ring

 Lot 486. Attractive 14.18 carats fancy blue diamond ring. Sold for CHF3,610,000 ($3,696,098) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's. 

Cf. Attractive 14.18 carats step-cut fancy blue diamond ring

Lot 420. Important 8.20 carats fancy purplish pink diamond ring. Sold for CHF3,610,000 ($3,696,098) at Sotheby's Genève, 17 mai 2016. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. Important 8.20 carats fancy purplish pink diamond ring

Valentin de Boulogne, L'Innocence de Suzanne reconnue ou le Jugement de Daniel. Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) / Franck Raux

PARIS - Considéré comme le plus brillant des peintres à la suite de Caravage et comme l’un des plus grands artistes français à l’égal de Poussin, Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632) passa l’essentiel de sa carrière à Rome, où il reçut de prestigieuses commandes, notamment du pape Urbain VIII ; son oeuvre fut aussi collectionnée par les puissants, au premier rang desquels figurent Mazarin et Louis XIV et servit de modèle tout au long du XIX^e siècle à des maîtres aussi différents que David ou Courbet.

Aussi libre que Caravage, mort lui aussi dans la fleur de l’âge, il reprend à son devancier un réalisme dramatique, la tension suscitée par le clair-obscur et des thèmes novateurs tirés du quotidien (tavernes, concerts, martyrs et saints…), mais il les transfigure par une touche inédite à la fois d’introspection et de mélancolie ainsi qu’une sensibilitéà la couleur d’inspiration néo-vénitienne.

Le Louvre, qui possède la plus riche collection au monde d’oeuvres de l’artiste, s’est associé au Metropolitan Museum de New York pour la première monographie dédiée à cet artiste singulier, figure la plus importante du mouvement caravagesque en Europe.

Commissaires de l’exposition :
Commissaire général : Sébastien Allard, conservateur général, directeur du département des peintures, musée du Louvre.
Commissaire scientifiques : Keith Christiansen, John Pope-Hennessy Chairman du département des Peintures européennes, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York et Annick Lemoine, directeur scientifique du Festival de l’histoire de l’art et maître de conférences, université de Rennes 2. 

22 février - 22 mai 2017

Valentin de Boulogne. Les joueurs de cartes, vers 1615. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresde© BPK, Dresden Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister / Hans-Peter Kleist, dist. RMN-GP.

Réinventer Caravage : filiation et transfiguration

Valentin est fils d’un maître verrier et arrive à Rome dans les années 1610-1620 où il fera toute sa carrière. Il n’a jamais été marié et n’a pas eu d’enfants. Pendant ces années il vit de façon précaire et loue son travail à la journée. Il est peu enclin à côtoyer le milieu académique et fréquente davantage les tavernes et les banquets orgiaques où il se retrouve entre autres, avec des artistes nordiques, notamment de l’association des Bentvveghelst.

Son mode de vie est similaire en cela à celui de Caravage. Comme pour ce dernier, nous disposons de très peu d’informations et de documents sur sa vie. Par ailleurs, aucune oeuvre n’est datée avant celles de ses dernières années. Valentin est un des plus grands représentants du naturalisme à la suite de Caravage. Dans les années qui suivirent la mort de Caravage en 1610, l’Espagnol Jusepe de Ribera et le Français Valentin de Boulogne sont les deux plus importants protagonistes de la peinture naturaliste à Rome. Contrairement à Ribera, qui en 1616, s’installa à Naples, alors sous domination espagnole, l’intégralité de la carrière de Valentin se déroula à Rome, où il devint l’un des artistes de prédilection de la famille Barberini. Valentin va, comme d’autres artistes, être bouleversé par Caravage.

Si le rapprochement entre les deux artistes est évidemment perceptible autant par la brutalité et le choix des sujets tirés de la vie quotidienne (joueurs de cartes, chiromancie, scènes de cabaret ) – que dans la rhétorique des gestes, les cadrages et travail sur le clair-obscur. En revanche, Valentin va enfin parvenir à répondre aux critiques formulées à l’encontre de Caravage. Il développe une acuité psychologique, un sens de l’introspection et un raffinement chromatique (influence de la peinture vénitienne) qui tempèrent la violence des clair-obscur de Caravage (David et Goliath, collection Thyssen-Bornemisza) et parvient ainsi à transfigurer.

Valentin de Boulogne, David et Goliath, vers 1616-1618. © Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.

L’exposition propose un parcours chronologique autour de trois thèmes.

Entre les années 1610 et 1620, Valentin choisit de peindre des sujets du quotidien – en cela il est proche de Ribera, Cecco del Caravaggio et Manfredi – mais avec la démarche très novatrice de puiser ses modèles auprès de types du peuple romain : joueurs de cartes, tricheurs, scènes de tavernes, chiromancie. Les oeuvres de cette période, caractérisées par des cadrages resserrés, des figures sculpturales et un travail du clair-obscur très contrasté, qui annoncent le travail « photographique» restituent un sentiment de tension menaçante et sont animées d’une force dramatique inédite.

Valentin de Boulogne. Réunion dans un cabaret. Département des Peintures, musée du Louvre© RMN-GP (musée du Louvre) / Martine Beck Coppola

Valentin de Boulogne. La Diseuse de bonne aventure, vers 1628, Département des Peintures, musée du Louvre, Paris © RMN-GP (musée du Louvre) / Tony Querrec.

Après les années 1620, la rhétorique des compositions devient plus importante ainsi que la complexité des gestes et des personnages. Les compositions simples, aux cadrages serrés des années 1610 laissent place à des compositions peintes plus monumentales : que ce soit avec des figures isolées d’après modèle vivant (telles que S. Jean Baptiste, S. Jean de Maurienne) ou des scènes collectives (Reniement de S. Pierre, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence ; Soldats jouant aux cartes, Washington). Certaines oeuvres présentent une dimension historique avec des références à l’Antique (Concert au bas-relief, musée du Louvre, dont le relief reprend le motif de plaques en terre cuite de la collection Campana).

Valentin de Boulogne. Saint Jean Baptiste, vers 1628-29 © Santa Maria in Via, Camerino

Valentin de Boulogne. Saint Jean de Maurienne, vers 1620–22 © Cathédrale Saint Jean Baptiste, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.

Valentin de Boulogne, Le reniement de saint Pierre, 1616-1618 © Fondazione di studi di Storia dell'Arte Roberto Lonhi, Florence.

Valentin de Boulogne. Le concert au bas-relief, vers 1623-1625, Musée du Louvre, Paris© RMN-GP (musée du Louvre) / Adrien Didierjean.

Les gestes sont marqués par une sorte de théâtralité et le clairobscur est tempéré par une palette chromatique fine. Valentin apporte une dimension psychologique empreinte de mélancolie. Les grandes compositions religieuses datent également de cette période (Christ et la femme adultère, Getty, Le couronnement d’épines, Munich, Le Christ chassant les marchands du Temple, Palais Barberini). 

Valentin de Boulogne. Christ et la femme adultère, 1618-1622. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles© J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Valentin de Boulogne, Le couronnement d’épines, ca. 1627–28 © Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen München-Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Valentin de Boulogne, Le Christ chassant les marchands du Temple, ca. 1618–22 © Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Palazzo Barberini, Rome

Enfin les années 1627-1630 sont celles de la gloire et de l’obtention de commandes par la famille Barberini, dont celle qui marque l’apogée de la carrière de l’artiste avec celle du pape Urbain VIII. Ainsi pour la famille Barberini, Valentin peignit l’une des oeuvres les plus étonnantes du XVII^e siècle, L’Allégorie de l’Italie (prêt exceptionnel de l’Institut Finlandais de Rome) : figure du Tibre qui rappelle une sculpture antique mais peinte d’après nature. Dans les oeuvres de cette époque s’exprime une ambivalence entre la tension vers le naturalisme et une forme d’idéalisme, qui introduit une dimension surprenante. Le spectateur, pris par un sentiment de drame en suspend qui bouleverse, assiste à l’action en train de se dérouler, au moment de son basculement. Valentin reçut, grâce à l’intervention du cardinal Francesco Barberini, la plus prestigieuse commande qu’un artiste puisse recevoir, celle d’un retable pour la basilique Saint-Pierre, (Pinacothèque Vaticane), à l’instar de Nicolas Poussin et de Simon Vouet. Valentin fait preuve d’une grande maîtrise de la composition et des couleurs, dont témoigne Le Martyre de S. Procès et Martinien, (Pinacothèque Vaticane) par le grand réalisme des figures et l’éclat des coloris. L’installation de ce retable, ainsi que celui de Poussin, suscitèrent un vif débat sur les vertus d’un art naturaliste, célébrant la couleur, par rapport à un style classique, fondé sur le dessin, mettant ainsi en jeu un débat qui, sous diverses formes, perdurera au cours des trois siècles suivants.

Valentin de Boulogne, L’Allégorie de l’Italie, 1628–29 © Villa Lante al Gianicolo, Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, Rome.

Valentin de Boulogne. Martyres des saints Procès et Martinien, 1630. Vatican Pinacoteca© Musées du Vatican, Cité du Vatican, Rome.

La Fortune

Très célèbre en son temps, sa réputation est arrivée jusqu’en France où Valentin a été apprécié dès le XVII^e siècle. Son oeuvre S. Marc et S. Mathieu qui décora la chambre du roi à Versailles, est présenté pour la première fois hors du chateau. La réputation posthume de Valentin s’enflamma d’emblée. Deux semaines seulement après la mort prématurée du peintre en 1632, le marchand-graveur François Langlois, à la recherche de chefs-d’oeuvre de grands maîtres pour des collectionneurs, fut informé par Pierre Lemaire du phénomène : « on ne peut pas trouver ses peintures, ou si on les retrouve, il faut payer quatre fois ce qu’ils coûtent à l’origine ». Le cardinal Mazarin, ministre de Louis XIV, rassembla pourtant pas moins de neuf toiles de l’artiste, qui entrèrent dans les collections royales après sa mort et constituent l’un des fleurons de la collection du Louvre. Le roi, lui-même, acquit une importante série de quatre évangélistes de Valentin, toujours accrochée dans la Chambre du Roi à Versailles. Au XIX^e siècle, le style novateur de l’artiste devint un point de référence tant pour Courbet que pour Manet : fervents défenseurs d’un art d’après nature. Bien que sa trop brève carrière se déroule entièrement à Rome, Valentin peut donc être considéré comme une figure centrale dans l’histoire de la peinture française et de la peinture européenne, à l’instar de George de la Tour et de Vermeer.

Valentin de Boulogne. Saint Marc, l'évangéliste. Versailles© RMN-GP (château de Versailles) / Daniel Arnaudet. Jean Schormans.

Valentin de Boulogne. Saint Mathieu, l'évangéliste. Versailles© RMN-GP (château de Versailles) / Daniel Arnaudet. Jean Schormans

Valentin de Boulogne. Judith et Holopherne. National Museum of Art, Valetta Malta© Photo Scala, Florence.

Valentin de Boulogne, Judith avec la tête d'Holopherne, 1628-1629. © Musée des Augustins de Toulouse / Bridgeman images.

Leonardo da Vinci, Lady with the Ermine, 1489–90. Oil on wood panel, 54 cm × 39 cm (21 in × 15 in). Czartoryski Museum, Kraków.

WARSAW (AFP).- Poland's culture ministry is expected Thursday to buy a private art collection worth two billion euros that includes Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine". 

The 15th-century portrait of a young woman holding a white ermine, a kind of short-tailed weasel, is one of just four known paintings of women by the Renaissance master. Another is the Mona Lisa. 

After announcing it was in talks to buy the collection earlier this month, the ministry released a statement saying it would "sign an agreement regarding the final settlement of the status" of the works on Thursday. 

Currently owned by the Princes Czartoryski Foundation and housed at the National Museum in the southern city of Krakow, the collection numbers thousands of items. 

In addition to the da Vinci, which is insured for about 350 million euros ($365 million), its other big names include a Rembrandt and drawings by Renoir. 

Princess Izabela Czartoryska founded the collection in 1801 to preserve Polish and European works while her country was partitioned by neighbours Austria, Prussia and Russia. 

The culture ministry has said it wants to ensure the collection never leaves Poland, which is a possibility as long as it is owned by the foundation, whose 76-year-old president, Prince Adam Karol Czartoryski, lives abroad. 

The small oil painting on wood is believed to depict Cecilia Gallerani, the teenage mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and one of da Vinci's patrons. 

Bought by the Czartoryski family in Italy in 1798 and taken to Poland, the portrait was looted by the invading Nazi Germans in 1939 but restituted after the war. 

© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse 

A fine, outstanding and rare blue and white moonflask, bianhu, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1424). Sold 110,520,000 HKD (14,248,238 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 17. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A fine, outstanding and rare blue and white moonflask, bianhu, Ming dynasty, Yongle period

A fine, magnificent and extremely rare blue and white holy water vessel, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1424). Sold 99,320,000 HKD (12,804,334 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 15. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A fine, magnificent and extremely rare blue and white holy water vessel, Ming dynasty, Yongle period

An important and rare blue and white 'Palace Bowl', Mark and period of Chenghua (1464-1487). Sold 64,600,000 HKD (8,328,232 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 25. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An important and rare blue and white ‘Palace Bowl’, Mark and period of Chenghua

An extremely fine and rare large blue and white 'Eight immortals' vase, hu, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Sold 44,440,000 HKD (5,729,649 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3607. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An extremely fine and rare large blue and white 'eight immortals' vase, hu, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795)

An Extremely Rare Pair of Pink-Ground Famille-Rose ‘Trompe L’oeil’ jars and covers, Seal marks and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Sold 42,760,000 HKD (5,513,047 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3611. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An Extremely Rare Pair of Pink-Ground Famille-Rose ‘Trompe L’oeil’ Jars and Covers, Seal Marks and Period of Qianlong

A rare blue and white ‘pomegranate’ vase, mark and period of Xuande (1426-1435). Sold 44,440,000 HKD (5,729,649 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 19. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A rare blue and white ‘pomegranate’ vase, Mark and period of Xuande

A rare and important blue and white barbed 'Banana plant and Peony' charger, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). Sold 29,880,000 HKD (3,852,428 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3611. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A rare and important blue and white barbed 'banana plant and peony' charger, Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)

A Rare Turquoise-Ground Famille-Rose 'Hui Mountain Retreat' Teapot and Cover, Qianlong Seal Mark and Period (1736-1795). Sold 3,490,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, 13-14 sept. 2016, lot 261. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. Sotheby's New York announces Chinese Art, Asia Week, September 2016

 A rare blue and white tankard, Mark and period of Xuande (1426-1435). Sold 24,080,000 HKD (3,104,394 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 22. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A rare blue and white tankard, Mark and period of Xuande

A rare and important blue and white ‘winged dragon’ stemcup, Mark and period of Xuande (1426-1435). Sold 22,880,000 HKD (2,949,690 USD) at The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 24. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A rare and important blue and white ‘winged dragon’ stemcup, Mark and period of Xuande

An exceptional and rare incised ‘sweet-white’ vase, yuhuchunping, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1425). Sold 19,280,000 HKD (2,485,578 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 16. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An exceptional and rare incised ‘sweet-white’ vase, yuhuchunping, Ming dynasty, Yongle period (1403-1425)

An extremely fine and rare carved celadon-glazed double-gourd vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Sold 18,080,000 HKD (2,331,054 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3609. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An extremely fine and rare carved celadon-glazed double-gourd vase, seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795)

An extremely fine and rare Ming-style blue and white 'flowers and fruit' moonflask, seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735). Sold 18,080,000 HKD (2,331,054 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3612. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. An extremely fine and rare Ming-style blue and white 'flowers and fruit' moonflask, seal mark and period of Yongzheng (1723-1735

A fine and extremely rare blue and white ‘waves’ jar, Ming dynasty, Yongle-Xuande period. Sold 17,480,000 HKD (2,253,522 USD) at Sotheby's The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 18. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A fine and extremely rare blue and white ‘waves’ jar, Ming dynasty, Yongle-Xuande period

An extremely fine and rare silver and gold-decorated double-gourd teadust vase, Seal mark and period of Qianlong (1736-1795). Sold 14,480,000 HKD (1,866,762 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 06 april 2016, lot 3608. Photo Sotheby's

 A pink-ground famille-rose ‘Eight Immortals’ vase, Qianlong mark and period (1736-1795). Sold 12,080,000 HKD (1,557,354 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 06 april 2016, lot 3611. Photo Sotheby's

Cf. Sotheby's New York announces Chinese Art, Asia Week, September 2016

A fine pair of ruby-ground famille-rose vases, Seal marks and period of Jiaqing (1796-1820). Sold 11,480,000 HKD (1,480,116 USD) at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 05 oct. 2016, lot 3611. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A fine pair of ruby-ground famille-rose vases, seal marks and period of Jiaqing (1796-1820)

A fine and rare blue and white lobed ‘fruit and flower’ bowl, Mark and period of Xuande (1426-1435). Sold 11,480,000 HKD (1,480,002 USD) at The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 20. Photo Sotheby's.

 A fine and rare copper-red and underglaze-blue waterpot, pingguozun, mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722). Sold 10,400,000 HKD (1,340,768 EUR) at The Pilkington Collection of Chinese Art, Hong Kong, 06 avr. 2016, lot 20. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. A fine and rare copper-red and underglaze-blue waterpot, pingguozun, mark and period of Kangxi (1662-1722)

A Rare and Important Sancai-Glazed Pottery Figure Of A Court Lady, Tang Dynasty (618-906). Sold 1,270,000 USD at Sotheby's New York, 16 march 2016, lot 272. Photo Sotheby's.

Cf. 3,000 years of history, 1 week of sales: Sotheby's announces Asia Week New York sales

A superb 3.81 carats fancy intense blue diamond ring. Sold for £2,322,500 (€2,712,630) at Bonhams London, 20 Sep 2016, lot 126. Photo Bonhams.

A 14.13 carats Kashmir sapphire single-stone ring. Sold for £1,385,000 (€1,617,650) at Bonhams London, 4 December2016, lot 121. Photo Bonhams.

An important 17.97 carats Type IIa diamond solitaire ring. Sold for US$ 1,447,500 (€1,373,209) at Bonhams New York, 6 December 2016, lot 618. Photo Bonhams

A magnificent 15.52 carats Type IIa diamond single-stone ring, by Harry Winston, circa 1973. Sold for £1,094,500 (€1,278,352) at Bonhams London, 20 April 2016, lot 132. Photo Bonhams

A Rare Sapphire and Diamond Ring, by Mouawad. Sold for HK$ 7,500,000 (€917,419) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2016, lot 651. Photo Bonhams.

A 12.08 carats pear-shaped diamond single-stone ring. Sold for £773,000 (€902,847) at Bonhams London, 4 December 2016, lot 119. Photo Bonhams.

An Important 11.52 carats Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring, by Harry Winston, 1976. Sold for HK$ 7,240,000 (€885,616) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 618. Photo Bonhams.

A 6.90 carats Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring, Shreve & Co., circa 1900. Sold for US$ 931,500 (€883,692) at Bonhams New York, 6 December 2016, lot 618. Photo Bonhams

A pair of late 19th century 8.97 and 8.93 carats Kashmir sapphire and diamond cluster earrings. Sold for £866,500 (€1,012,053) at Bonhams London, 20 Sep 2016, lot 125. Photo Bonhams.

An Extremely Rare And Impressive Art Deco Diamond Necklace, by Bulgari, Circa 1935. Sold for HK$ 6,280,000 (€768,186) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 621. Photo Bonhams.

A 11.00 carats marquise-cut diamond single-stone ring. Sold for £614,500 (€717,722) at Bonhams London, 20 Sep 2016, lot 125. Photo Bonhams

An Exceptional Ruby and Diamond Ring. Sold for HK$ 5,580,000 (€682,560) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2016, lot 649. Photo Bonhams

An Important Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Necklace, by Van Cleef and Arpels, Circa 1960. Sold for HK$ 5,560,000 (€680,114) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 619. Photo Bonhams.

An 11.17 carats diamond single-stone ring. Sold for £557,000 (€650,564) at Bonhams London, 4 December 2016, lot 116. Photo Bonhams.

A 7.13 carats Kashmir 'Royal Blue' sapphire and diamond cluster ring. Sold for £506,500 (€643,640) at Bonhams London, 20 April 2016, lot 129. Photo Bonhams

A 5.03 carats Fancy Coloured  Diamond and Diamond Ring. Sold for HK$ 4,800,000 (€587,148) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 30 Nov 2016, lot 550. Photo Bonhams

An important diamond rivière necklace, William Goldberg. Sold for US$ 581,000 (€551,181) at Bonhams New York, 14 october 2016, lot 120. Photo Bonhams

A Ruby and Diamond Necklace and Bracelet Suite, by Boucheron. Sold for HK$ 3,540,000 (€433,022) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 591. Photo Bonhams. 

An Important Diamond Single-stone Ring. Sold for HK$ 3,350,200 (€409,805) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 1 June 2016, lot 588. Photo Bonhams. 

An exceptionally rare Imperial famille rose yellow-ground 'floral' bowl, Qianlong six-character mark and of the period. Sold for HK$ 4,260,000 (€521,094) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 Nov 2016, lot 25. Photo Bonhams.

An exceptionally rare Imperial doucai'Eight Buddhist Emblems' stem bowl, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period. Sold for HK$ 3,420,000 (€418,343) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 Nov 2016, lot 20. Photo Bonhams.

An extremely rare Imperial iron-red and gilt-decorated 'dragon' candlestick, Yongzheng seal mark and of the period. Sold for HK$ 3,040,000 (€371,860) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 Jun 2016, lot 6. Photo Bonhams.

A pair of magnificent and rare large Imperial yellow-glazed incised 'Auspicious Emblems' dishes, Yongzheng six-character marks and of the period. Sold for HK$ 1,980,000 (€242,198) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 29 Nov 2016, lot 175. Photo Bonhams.

A polychrome enameled plaque, Wang Qi, dated by inscription to 1928. Sold for US$ 187,500 (€177,876) at Bonhams San Francisco, 21 Dec 2016, lot 8191. Photo Bonhams.

A rare Imperial famille rose 'chilong' bottle vase, Qianlong seal mark and of the period. Sold for £110,500 (€129,061) at Bonhams London, 10 Nov 2016, lot 79. Photo Bonhams.

A rare copper-red glazed vase, meiping, Yongzheng six-character mark and of the period. Sold for HK$ 1,000,000 (€122,322) at Bonhams Hong Kong, 2 Jun 2016, lot 11. Photo Bonhams.

A very rare blue and white 'lotus' bowl, lianzi wan, Yongle period, from the Cunliffe Collection. Sold for £98,500 (€115,045) at Bonhams London, 10 Nov 2016, lot 38. Photo Bonhams.

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), Judith and her maid Abra, ca. 1613. Oil on canvas, 114x93,5 cm. Florence, Uffizi Gallery.

ROME.- A journey through the art of the first half of the 17th century in the footsteps of a great and true woman. A first-class painter with a lively effervescent mind, who did not limit herself to sublime painting techniques, but who could modulate it according to the demands of her different patrons, transform it after having absorbed the best from her contemporaries, as she did from the ancient masters, sculptors and painters. The personal and professional trajectory of Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) enthrals the public also because she is seen as the forerunner of the affirmation of female talent, equipped as she was with a unique combination of strength of character and willpower. Her talent allowed her at a very young age, when she arrived in Florence from Rome, to be the first of her gender to be admitted to the Florentine Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno. And so, already an adult, she learned to read and write, to play the lute and to frequent the world of culture in its broadest sense. This strength of character permitted her to overcome domestic violence and financial difficulties. The passionate letters she wrote to her lover Francesco Maria Maringhi, a sophisticated nobleman and loving and faithful life-long companion, reveal her free spirit. Her temperament was such that even under torture (which she was subjected to during the lawsuit her father brought against Agostino Tassi for raping her) she said: “This is the ring you give me, and these the promises”, so mocking with sarcasm the empty promise of a shotgun wedding. 

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), Judith Slaying Holofernes, ca. 1620-21. Oil on canvas, 199x162,5 cm. Florence, Uffizi Gallery.

The exhibition is on view at the Museo di Roma in Palazzo Braschi, under the auspices of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, promoted and produced by Roma Capitale, Department of Cultural Growth – Rome Superintendency of Cultural Heritage and Arthemisia Group and organized with Zètema Progetto Cultura. It covers the entire professional life-span of Artemisia Gentileschi, allowing visitors to follow the life and work of the artist parallel to that of her colleagues. 

There are approximately 100 works on show, brought here from all over the world, from prestigious private collections and from some of the most important museums, in a direct comparison between the artist and the painters she frequented in Rome, then Florence, then back to Rome before going to Naples, with the brief Venetian interlude that should be further investigated, as also the brief but intense period in London. The initial idea for the exhibition, which will run until 7 May 2017, came from Nicola Spinosa who has also curated the Neapolitan section, while Francesca Baldassari is responsible for the Florentine section, and Judith Mann has curated the Roman section. The catalogue accompanying the exhibition, published by Skira, gives an account of personal and professional events in Artemisia’s life and contains descriptions of the works on show, benefiting from the most up-to-date technical studies and the latest documents to have been found.

Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), Onofrio Palumbo (active 1650, Naples), Susanna and the Elders, 1652. Bologna, Collections of the National Art Gallery, Museums in Emilia Romagna.

In addition to the magnificent masterpieces by Artemisia such as Judith Beheading Holofernes from the Museo di Capodimonte, Esther and Ahasuerus from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Self-Portrait as a Lute Player from the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Connecticut, visitors will have an opportunity to see Cristofano Allori’s Judith from the Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence and Simon Vouet’s Lucretia from the Národní Galerie, Prague. The paintings executed in her early years in the studio of her father Orazio are followed by those produced during her time in Florence, influenced by the work of painters she met at the court of Cosimo de’ Medici such as Cristofano Allori and Francesco Furini, but also Giovanni Martinelli; others seem to stand testimony to her friendship with Galileo and time spent in his company, as well as to her interest in the emerging world of opera. 

Following a chronological itinerary, works by Artemisia are shown alongside those of artists working in Rome in the same period such as Guido Cagnacci, Simon Vouet, and Giovanni Baglione, providing sources of inspiration that led Gentileschi to update her versatile style from time to time. The exhibition concludes with the paintings from the Neapolitan period, in which comparison gives us an understanding of her professional rapport with her Neapolitan colleagues, from Jusepe de Ribera and Francesco Guarino to Massimo Stanzione, Onofrio Palumbo and Bernardo Cavallino. Canvases such as the splendid Annunciation (1630) – also on show in the exhibition – illustrate this fertile cross-pollination, exchange and comparison. Sponsor of the exhibition Generali Italia, technical sponsor Trenitalia. The event is recommended by Sky Arte HD.

Antiveduto Gramatica (1571 – April 1626), Santa Cecilia, after 1611. Oil on canvas, 128x100 cm. Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado.

Artemisia Gentileschi and his time, Museo di Roma Palazzo Braschi.

Inside the ateliers of the House of Dior, 2012© Pol Baril.

MELBOURNE.- In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the House of Dior, one of the most prestigious couture houses in the world, the National Gallery of Victoria will present the never-before-seen exhibition The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture at NGV International from 27 August to 7 November, 2017.  

Exclusive to Melbourne, the exhibition is a collaboration between the NGV and the House of Dior and will feature a sumptuous display of over 140 garments from Christian Dior Couture designed 1947 to 2017.  

Highlights include examples from Christian Dior’s iconic Spring 1947 ‘New Look’ collection, magnificent displays of Dior’s signature ballgowns and evening dresses, as well as current contemporary designs from the House’s first female head designer, Maria Grazia Chiuri. 

Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house), John Galliano (designer), Red silk and wool dress, spring−summer 2009 haute couture collection. Photo © Laziz Hamani

Drawing primarily on material from the House of Dior archive in Paris and the NGV Collection, the exhibition will also feature accessories, sketches, photographs, haute couture toiles, multimedia and archival material. 

The exhibition will narrate the rich history of the fashion house, including Christian Dior’s early influences, the design codes synonymous with Dior, as well as the milestones of its six successive designers following Christian Dior’s sudden death in 1957, including the esteemed designers Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria-Grazia Chiuri.  

The exhibition will also explore Dior’s unique affinity with Australia, including the historic Spring 1948 fashion parade at David Jones, Sydney, where House models wore fifty original creations by Christian Dior. This is considered the first complete Dior collection to be shown outside of Paris.  

Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house), Raf Simons (designer), autumn−winter 2012 haute couture collection. Photo © Patrick Demarchelier/Licensed by Art+Commerce

‘The exhibition will invite Australian and international audiences to discover some of the most significant couture designs of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The exhibition will be a celebration of Dior’s most landmark moments and designs, including their iconic‘New Look’ silhouette, which revolutionised women’s fashion in the 1950s, through to the present-day contemporary aesthetic. We are also delighted that 68 years after the historic Dior fashion parade at its Sydney Store, David Jones is once again helping Australia celebrate the House of Dior, as the exhibition’s Princiapal Partner,’ said Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV.  

‘It is a great pleasure and honour for the House of Dior to be celebrating its anniversary in 2017 in Melbourne. This exhibition will be the biggest Dior retrospective ever held in Australia. It will cover seventy years of creation, presenting the emblematic work of Christian Dior and his successors, including Maria Grazia Chiuri, who arrived last July and is the first woman at the head of the couture house,’ said Sidney Toledano, Chief Executive, Christian Dior Couture.  

Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house), Yves Saint Laurent (designer), Climène dress, autumn−winter 1959 haute couture collection. Photo © Laziz Hamani

‘2017 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for the NGV and for art, design and fashion lovers. The House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture will be a stylish addition to our unparalleled creative calendar. This exciting collaboration with one of the world’s great fashion houses is a testament to the NGV’s global standing, the strength of its fashion collection and expertise and its role in our creative state,’ said Martin Foley, Minister for Creative Industries. 

The exhibition opening will be celebrated with the inaugural NGV Gala, a ticketed, black-tie ball on Saturday 26 August 2017. The proceeds from this event will go toward supporting the NGV Fashion and Textiles Collection.

Christian Dior, Paris (fashion house), John Galliano (designer), autumn−winter 2010 haute couture collection. Photo © Guy Marineau

Boy in a Red Waistcoat, 1888-90 by Paul Cézanne © National Gallery of Art, Washington. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1995.47.5

LONDON.- The National Portrait Gallery is to stage the first exhibition devoted entirely to portraits by Paul Cézanne, it was announced today, Thursday 8 December 2016. This major new exhibition, Cézanne Portraits, will bring together for the first time over 50 of Cézanne's portraits from collections across the world, including works never before on public display in the UK.  

Carlsberg Glyptotek gallery in Copenhagen. Also on UK display for the first time since the 1930s will be Boy in a Red Waistcoat (1888-90), one of a series of paintings of a young man in Italian clothes identified as Michelangelo de Rosa, from the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, and Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair (1888-90) on loan from The Art Institute of Chicago, last exhibited in London in 1936 and 1939 respectively. 

Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) painted almost 200 portraits during his career, including 26 of himself and 29 of his wife, Hortense Fiquet. Cézanne Portraits will explore the special pictorial and thematic characteristics of Cézanne's portraiture, including his creation of complementary pairs and multiple versions of the same subject. The chronological development of Cézanne's portraiture will be considered, with an examination of the changes that occurred with respect to his style and method, and his understanding of resemblance and identity. The exhibition will also discuss the extent to which particular sitters inflected the characteristics and development of his practise.  

Madame Cézanne in a Yellow Chair, 1888-90 by Paul Cézanne © Wilson L. Mead Fund, 1948.54, The Art Institute of Chicago.

Works included in the exhibition will range from Cezanne's remarkable portraits of his Uncle Dominique, dating from the 1860s, through to his final portraits of Vallier, who helped Cézanne in his garden and studio at Les Lauves, Aix-en-Provence, made shortly before the artist's death in 1906. The paintings are drawn from museums and private collections in Brazil, Denmark, France, Japan, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Cézanne is widely understood to be one of the most influential artists of the nineteenth century. Generally categorised as a Post-Impressionist, his unique method of building form with colour, and his analytical approach to nature influenced the art of Cubists, Fauvists, and successive generations of avant-garde artists. Both Matisse and Picasso called Cézanne 'the father of us all.' 

Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director, National Portrait Gallery, London, says: 'We are delighted to be staging this once in a lifetime exhibition in collaboration with the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. Up until now, Cezanne's portraiture has received surprisingly little attention, so we are thrilled to be able to bring together so many of his portraits for the first time to reveal arguably the most personal, and therefore most human, aspect of Cézanne's art.'

Self Portrait in a Bowler Hat, 1885-86 by Paul Cézanne © Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Photo: Ole Haupt

Cézanne Portraits is curated by John Elderfield, Chief Curator Emeritus of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, where he has organised numerous exhibitions, including major retrospectives devoted to Willem de Kooning, Henri Matisse, and Kurt Schwitters; with Mary Morton, Curator and Head of Department, French Paintings, National Gallery of Art and Xavier Rey, Director of Collections, Musée d'Orsay. 

The exhibition is collaboration between the National Portrait Gallery, London; the Musée d'Orsay, Paris and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. It will be staged at all three venues, opening at the Musée d'Orsay from 13 June 2017 - 24 September 2017, the National Portrait Gallery from 26 October 2017 - 11 February 2018, and the National Gallery of Art from 25 March - 1 July 2018.

The Oppenheimer Blue. A 14.62 ct fancy vivid blue rectangular-cut diamond. Price realised CHF 56,837,000 (USD 58,002,681) at Christie's Geneva, 18 May 2016, lot 242. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR ANY JEWEL. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

The Cullinan Dream. A magnificent 24.18 carats cut-cornered rectangular mixed-cut fancy intense blue, natural color, VS2 clarity  diamond ring. Price realised USD 25,365,000 at Christie's New York, 9 June 2016, lot 261. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 

A rare 9.14 carats, VS2 clarity fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond. Price realised CHF 18,127,500 (USD 18,259,176) at Christie's Geneva, 15 November 2016, lot 216. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Miroir de l'Amour, a sensational pair of 52.55 and 50.47 carats, D colour, Flawless clarity Type IIA diamond earrings, by Boehmer et Bassenge. Price realised CHF 17,567,500 (USD 17,695,109) at Christie's Geneva, 15 November 2016, lot 188. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The Jubilee Ruby. An oval-shaped ruby, weighing approximately 15.99 carats, signed Verdura. Price realised USD 14,165,000 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 255. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

A superb 4.29 carats marquise-cut fancy vivid blue diamond and diamond ring, by Moussaieff. Price realised HKD 91,260,000 (USD 11,818,873) at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 2079. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

The Oriental Sunrise. A unique and rare pair of diamond and 12.20 and 11.96 carats fancy vivid orange-yellow oval-cut diamond earrings. Price realised CHF 11,365,000 (USD 11,598,087) at Christie's Geneva, 18 May 2016, lot 224. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

A superb 10.05 carats Burma “Pigeon Blood” oval-shaped ruby and diamond ring, by Faidee. Price realised HKD 78,940,000 (USD 10,223,338) at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 2087. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

A rare 10.07 carats Type IIa cushion modified brilliant-cut fancy intense purple-pink diamond and diamond ring. Price realised USD 8,845,000 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 244. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

An impressive fringe diamond necklace, by Harry Winston. Price realised CHF 8,327,500 (USD 8,387,990) at Christie's Geneva, 15 November 2016, lot 223. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Le Jardin d'Isabelle, an exquisite D colour, Flawless clarity Type IIA diamond and coloured diamond necklace, by Boehmer et Bassenge. Price realised CHF 8,047,500 (USD 8,105,956) at Christie's Geneva, 15 November 2016, lot 187. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016 

A superb 40.43 carats Type IIa round brilliant-cut diamond. Price realised USD 7,221,000 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 234. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

An important 54.62 carats round-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond ring. Price realised USD 7,221,000 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 126. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016.

A pair of intense blue and pink diamond ear pendants. Price Realised CHF 5,877,000 (USD 5,997,533) at Christie's Geneva, 18 May 2016, lot 234. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

A magnificent Type IIa diamond ring of 51.35 carats, D color, VVS1 clarity, potentially Internally Flawless. Price realised USD 5,567,500 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 318. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

A rare pair of diamond and 3.02 and 2.50 carats fancy intense blue rectangular-cut diamond earrings. Price realised CHF 4,757,000 (USD 4,854,562) at Christie's Geneva, 18 May 2016, lot 196. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

Property of H.S.H. Gabriela Princess Zu Leiningen. The Pohl Diamond. An exceptional diamond ring, by Cartier. A rectangular-cut D, VVS1, potentially Internally Flawless diamond or approximately 36.09 carats, mounted by Cartier. Price realised CHF 4,309,000 (USD 4,397,374) at Christie's Geneva, 18 May 2016, lot 346. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

An elegant 32.33 carats, D colour, VVS1 clarity Type IIa rectangular cut-cornered diamond ring, by Bulgari. Price realised CHF 4,351,500 (USD 4,383,109) at Christie's Geneva, 15 November 2016, lot 115. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

A sensational 75.41 carats cushion-cut Burma "royal blue" sapphire ring. Price realised USD 3,831,500 at Christie's New York, 20 April 2016, lot 294. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016. 

An important two-strand jadeite necklace. Price realised HKD 26,300,000 (USD 3,406,053) at Christie's Hong Kong, 29 November 2016, lot 2011. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2016

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Sea View, mid-1820s. Watercolour and gouache on blue paper, 13.5 x 19 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

EDINBURGH.- The Scottish National Gallery will again welcome in the New Year with the opening of Turner in January: The Vaughan Bequest, the long-standing annual tradition which sees an outstanding collection of works by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) displayed for the duration of the month.  

For over a century the Gallery has followed the stipulations set out by the art collector Henry Vaughan; that 38 fantastic works encapsulating the entire career of one of the great masters of British painting were to be exhibited to the public “all at one time, free of charge, during the month of January”.  

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Venice from the Laguna, about 1835. Watercolour, pen and ink and scraping on paper, 22.10 x 32.00 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

The watercolours range from Turner’s early topographical wash drawings right through to his atmospheric sketches of continental Europe’s expansive vistas from the 1830s and ’40s. Thanks to their limited exposure to daylight, they have retained their luminous colours and pristine condition. 

Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome in the New Year along with the National Galleries of Scotland with Turner in January at the Scottish National Gallery. This is the fifth year that players of People’s Postcode Lottery have supported the tradition of showing Turner each January and it really is wonderful to see players’ support helping to provide thousands of visitors with the opportunity to play a part in this wonderful legacy”. 

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), The Falls of Clyde, 1801. Watercolour over pencil with some scraping on two sheets of paper joined and laid down, 41.30 x 52.10 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

Born in London in 1775, Turner’s talent was evident from a remarkably young age – the gifted draughtsman was exhibiting works at the Royal Academy by the age of 15. He was a prolific, innovative and peripatetic artist who went on to exploit every possibility of the watercolour medium, travelling widely to capture creating stunning land- and seascapes. At first, Turner began his travels with sketching tours in England, Wales and Scotland, then later across Europe, where he gathered material for masterful watercolours and oil paintings. 

The son of a wealthy industrialist, Henry Vaughan devoted a lifetime to collecting art and developed a connoisseur’s eye for quality. The distinguished collector probably first met Turner in the 1840s, at the peak of the artist’s career, and continued to amass his drawings and paintings after the artist died in 1851. The Scottish National Gallery would receive Vaughan’s bequest almost half a century later in 1900. 

J. M. W. Turner, (1775-1851), Venice from the Laguna, about 1835. Watercolour, pen and ink and scraping on paper, 22.10 x 32.00 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve. 

n addition to the Vaughan Turners, the highly atmospheric exhibition watercolour Mount Snowdon, Afterglow, painted around 1800, has been drawn from the Gallery’s permanent collection and will also be on display. 

Mountains were a distinctive and especially dramatic strand in Turner’s work and he painted them throughout his career, from early watercolours of the mountains of north Wales, to the Highlands and islands of Scotland to the Swiss Alps. He regarded them as sources of awe and wonderment, but his interest extended beyond the visual and emotional; working at a time geologists were beginning to reveal new truths about the earth, Turner was aware that mountains potentially offered news ways of understanding the world around him.  

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Monte Rosa (or the Mythen, near Schwytz), about 1836. Watercolour on paper, 24.30 x 33.90 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve..

Always an indefatigable traveller, Turner loved walking and hiking in search of spectacular and hard-to-access viewpoints. To paint the dramatic Brenva Glacier from the slopes of Le Chetif above Courmayeur, Val D’ Aosta (1836), shown under rosy early morning light, Turner would have had to climb a considerable distance from his lodgings at Courmayeur. 

Turner toured Wales four times in the 1790s, visiting Snowdonia in 1798 and 1799, and his experiences there inspired a lifelong passion for mountain scenery. He made numerous sketches, which he worked up into exhibition watercolours such as Mount Snowdon, Afterglow and also used as the basis for engravings, such as Llanberis Lake and Snowdon, Caernarvon, Wales (about 1832) which he painted more than 30 years later as part of his most ambitious print series Picturesque Views in England and Wales.  

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Chatel Argent, in the Val d'Aosta, near Villeneuve, after 1836. Watercolour, bodycolour and scraping on paper, 24.00 x 30.20 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

The mountains of Scotland were also an extremely rich source of inspiration; Turner first visited the Highlands in 1801 and was to return several times, travelling to Skye and the Cuillins in 1831 to make sketches that he might work up as illustrations to Sir Walter Scott’s Poetical Works. The extraordinarily powerful Loch Coruisk, Skye (about 1831-4) was made to be engraved as the frontispiece to Scott’s The Lord of the Isles. Both Scott and Turner knew the Scottish geologist John MacCulloch (1773-1835), whose description of Loch Coruisk in his book Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland (1824) may have inspired Turner’s treatment of the scenery in this watercolour, “I felt like an insect amidst the gigantic scenery, and the whole magnitude of the place became at once sensible”. 

Turner’s first encounter with the Swiss Alps came in 1802 and he was to return repeatedly, visiting Switzerland five times between 1836 and 1844. With majestic mountain peaks and rough, massive forms, the Swiss Alps encapsulated the concept of sublime landscape for Turner, whereby the onlooker experiences a profound emotional response – both of fear and astonishment – when confronted with the overwhelming power and grandeur of nature.  

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen, Side View, about 1841. Watercolour, bodycolour, pen and ink detail and scraping on paper, 23.00 x 28.60 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve. 

The Vaughan Bequest includes 11 superb views of Swiss mountain scenery and towns, of which a number probably date from his 1836 tour of the Alps with the Scottish landowner and collector Hugh Munro of Novar (1707-1864). Works such as From Chambave looking down the Valley D’Aosta towards Ussel (about 1836) superbly evoke the drama of changing light and weather set in the natural theatre of the mountain valley. 

The Vaughan bequest also includes three watercolours of the spectacular Rhine waterfalls at Schaffhausen, Europe’s largest waterfall, taken from different viewpoints and at different times of day in 1841. In these Turner adopted a radical technique to evoke the blurring effect of flying spray – he would prepare his paper with grey wash, over which he depicted the subject, before rubbing and scraping the surface to suggest mist and spray. 

Turner in January will run throughout the month, providing a welcome injection of light and colour during the darkest month of the year.

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Schwyz, about 1843. Watercolour over traces of black chalk with touches of pen and brown ink on paper, 22.60 x 28.80 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), The St Gothard Pass at the Devil's Bridge, about 1830 - 1835. Pencil and watercolour and scraping on paper, 23.20 x 28.90 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851), Llanberis Lake and Snowdon - Caernarvon, Wales, about 1836. Watercolour on paper, 24.3 x 33.9 cm. Collection: Scottish National Gallery, Henry Vaughan Bequest 1900. Photo: © National Galleries of Scotland | Antonia Reeve.

The Kuroda Family Yuteki Tenmoku. A highly important and very rare ‘oil spot’ Jian tea bowl, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Price realised USD 11,701,000 at Christie's New York, The Linyushanren Collection, lot 707. 

Long-necked jar with horse decoration, Korea, Three Kingdoms period, Silla kingdom (57 B.C.–A.D. 676), 5th century. Stoneware with incised design and incidental ash glaze, 16 1/4 in. (41.2 cm); Diam. of rim: 7 7/16 in. (18.9 cm), 16 1/4 in. (41.2 cm); Diam. of rim: 7 7/16 in. (18.9 cm). Image courtesy the National Museum of Korea.