Vilhelm Hammershøi, Sunshine in the Drawing Room (Solskin i dagligstuen), 1910. Oil on canvas, 58 x 67 cm. Purchased 2017. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Photo: NGC.

OTTAWA.- Sunshine in the Drawing Room, painted in 1910 by one of Denmark’s most celebrated artists, Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864–1916), is now part of the European Collection of the National Gallery of Canada. An important example of Hammershøi’s renowned contemplative interior scenes, it is the first work by the artist in the Gallery’s collection and the second to enter a public collection in Canada. Visitors to the Gallery will be able to view the painting starting today. 

“The Gallery’s acquisition of Sunshine in the Drawing Room fills a gap in our European collection for the period around 1900,” said the National Gallery’s Chief Curator, Paul Lang, “The work offers us the opportunity to introduce the public to an artist of considerable importance in the Scandinavian school of painting.” 

Sunshine in the Drawing Room depicts the living room that doubled as Hammershøi’s studio in the apartment where the artist and his wife lived for ten years in Copenhagen. Having been in private hands since its creation, the work is excellent condition. It is the last in a series of four depictions of the drawing room and the only one painted after 1903, thereby offering a revisionist view of the interior from a different perspective. 

The painting shows a room illuminated by a ray of sunlight beaming through a window that remains out of view. Above an elegant neo-classical sofa, set alongside a chair and a closed secretaire, hangs the portrait of a 19th century gentleman in full view. The window casts a distorted outline against the wall, contrasting with the architectural order of the furniture arrangement. A woman, occupied by some undiscernible task, sits at a table. As is often the case in Hammershøi’s paintings, her back is turned to the viewer without revealing her identity. 

“This painting is exciting on many levels,” said NGC Associate Curator for European and American Art, Anabelle Kienle-Poňka, “Hammershøi used his apartment as a stage set; while we are drawn into his world, the artist’s reserve keeps us at bay. It is this tension between intimacy and privacy that makes Sunshine in the Drawing Room so compelling.” 

At the turn of the last century, the Scandinavian artist’s work set him apart from his contemporaries. “Hammershøi has a distinct style: innovative, but rooted in tradition,” Kienle- Poňka noted. “While he was well aware of other Modernist movements, he charted his own, independent course.” 

Modest, reclusive and introspective, Hammershøi’s oeuvre encompasses some 370 paintings. Throughout his life he devoted himself to a limited range of subject matter: nudes, interior scenes and architectural landscapes. While a major figure in Scandinavia, he was little known in the rest of Europe and North America. Interest in Hammershøi’s art has greatly increased in recent years, owing to a number of major exhibitions in Europe, Japan and North America. 

Hammershøi was one of the painters featured at the legendary Exhibition of Contemporary Scandinavian Art held in New York in 1912, which was received with critical acclaim. At its second venue at the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo in 1913, the exhibition also had a lasting impact on members of the Group of Seven, whose work is represented in great depth in the National Gallery of Canada’s national collection.

Pierre Henri de Valenciennes, View of the Roman Campaign near Subiaco, c 1782, NM 7359. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

STOCKHOLM.- Nationalmuseum has acquired three landscape studies from Italy in oil by Pierre Henri de Valenciennes and Simon Denis. The works were hastily painted on paper on location, which was a novel approach in the late 18th century. This significant acquisition enables Nationalmuseum to better chart the beginnings of plein air painting in the 19th century. 

Views of Rome and the surrounding countryside have a distinguished pedigree. For a long time, they remained true to the 17th-century landscape ideal and were painted in the studio. Valenciennes and Denis broke new ground by making sketches in oil, often on paper, on location. The light and weather conditions were as important as the subject, so the works were produced quickly. Despite being preparatory studies, these oil sketches laid the foundations for much of the 19th century’s plein air painting. 

Pierre Henri de Valenciennes (1750–1819) is considered a pioneer who had a major influence on French art as both a theorist and a teacher. He was elected to the academy of fine arts in Paris in 1787, and served as professor of perspective theory from 1812 onward. Élémens de perspective pratique à l’usage des artistes (1800), his treatise on practical landscape painting with a focus on perspective, was particularly significant. Eventually his efforts led the academy to establish a dedicated prize for historical landscape painting. 

The recently acquired view of Subiaco near Rome shows Valenciennes’ skill in capturing the lighting conditions and cloud shadows through brushwork that is both sensitive and vivid. The painting depicts the movement of the wind and its effects rather more than the landscape itself. Oil sketches of this kind, painted on location, differ radically from the works Valenciennes created in his studio. The latter portray an idealised version of nature, with scenes from classical mythology, but thanks to the introduction of oil sketches to the process, the lighting and colouring are markedly different from those seen in 17th-century landscape painting. 

Simon Denis, Study of the Roman Campagna, c 1800, NM 7336. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

Simon Denis (1755–1813), a native of Antwerp, travelled via Paris to Italy, where he stayed for the rest of his life. Long overlooked, Denis was rediscovered in 1992 when a large number of his oil sketches were put up for sale. These had been passed down through generations of the artist’s descendants, so had stayed out of the public eye. His technique is reminiscent of Valenciennes, with similarly economical brushwork and a focus on the lighting and weather conditions. Unlike the idealised landscapes, the oil sketches portray nature as changeable, which the recently acquired pieces exemplify superbly. The view of the Roman Campagna in particular shows Denis’ skill in capturing atmospheric phenomena with great simplicity. The results are magnificent and the effect almost illusory. 

The smaller oil sketch depicts Neptune’s Grotto at Tivoli. With masterful simplicity, Denis captures the play of light in the waterfall and the foliage in the foreground contrasted with the dark cliff. The work appears to have been painted in haste, with thinly applied colours that dried rapidly, allowing the artist to move on to the next layer. A crouching figure at lower right serves to illustrate the scale of the subject. 

When Nationalmuseum reopens after renovations, these three new acquisitions will enable the museum to better chart the beginnings of plein air painting. This would not have been possible without the generous support of the Wiros Fund, the Sophia Giesecke Fund, and the Hedda and N D Qvist Memorial Fund. Nationalmuseum has no budget of its own for new acquisitions, but relies on gifting and financial support from private funds and foundations to enhance its collections of fine art and craft. 

Simon Denis, The Waterfall in Neptune’s Grotto at Tivoli, c 1790, NM 7358. Photo: Cecilia Heisser/Nationalmuseum.

Pottery Figure of a Male Dancer, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). H. 36 cm. TL Tested Oxford, UK. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Provenance: J. Wagenaar collection, the Netherlands

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. 

Fat lady, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). H. 32 cm. TL Tested Oxford, UK. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. 

Pair of Pottery Figures, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). H. 31 cm. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Provenance: Mr. and Mrs. Schmeidler Collection, France 
With Chait galleries New York

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. 

Lokapalas, China, Tang dynasty (618 - 907). Height: 68.8 cm & 69.4 cm. TL tested Oxford, UK. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

The tombs of Tang royalty, nobility and elite were often furnished with fierce figures. These guardians were placed near the entrance of the burial chamber to protect the deceased and his treasures from evil spirits. They derive from the Buddhist Lokapāla, and have typical Middle Eastern facial features such as a moustache and big round eyes. These scary foreign features would have made a huge impression on the Chinese people.

Provenance: Provenance: JMD Collection, The Netherlands, 2015
With Vanderven Oriental Art, 1999.

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Lokapala, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 63cm. TL-Tested by Oxford Authentification Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Provenance: Private Collection, The Netherlands

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Court Lady and Man, China, Tang dynasty, 8th century . Height: 77,5 & 78. TL-tested by Oxford, U.K. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Naturalistically rendered, the elegant lady wears a loose gown with long sleeves that hide her clasped hands; Her elaborate coiffure, with hair piled up toward the left side, presumably reflected the fashion of the time. The traces of the colourful pigments, still visible on the robe, may have depicted the typical, tie-dye, or brocade patterns, of Tang luxury silk garments. 

The man stands with his weight slightly forward, his head turned slightly to the right and hair forming two long whiskers, gathered into a bun and hidden under a turban on top of the head; he wears a long, soft wide sleeved, belted tunic and pointy shoes.

The plumpness of the figures, ubiquitous found in pottery figures and tomb frescoes dating from the 8th century, may have been the result of a great impact played by the full-figured concubines of Emperor Xuanzong (r. 713-756). It may be more probable, however, that the sedentary lifestyle and the greater availability and variety of food delicacies, imported from the neighboring countries, determined an increase in weight among members of the society. “There is nothing that cannot be eaten”, an eight century general declared, clearly suggesting a great interest in food devoted at the time. Golden peaches from Samarkand graced the tables of the emperors and his favourites; pistachios, imported from Persia, started to be also grown in the Southeast by the 9th century; the best pine seed and ginseng roots originated from Korea, mangoes were imported from Southeast Asia. The emperor hosted great feasts for the members of his household, involving several meal supervisors and cooks managing the delicacies sent to the court as tribute. A record mentions that in 644, 768 and 826 the throne feasted thousands of officers and women of the palace and members of the imperial family.

Comparable examples are found in the collection of leading museums around the world, such as the British Museum (London), the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford), the Metropolitan Museum (New York) and the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Dancing Horse, China, Tang dynasty (618-906). Height: 50 cm. Length: 58 cm. TL-tested by Oxford, U.K. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Of pale buff earthenware, shown with right foreleg raised, this naturalistically modelled horse has its head turned to the the left. The saddle is covered with a cloth gathered on the sides atop the mud guard and tassels decorate the steed’s chest and rump. 

It is possible that this horse may have been represent one of the foreign dancing horses that performed for Emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-756 AD) on the occasion of his birthday, to wish him long life. According to Zhang Yue (667-731AD) - a leading court official - these heavenly horses came from west of the sea and danced with bent knees and holding cups in their mouths “…nimbly prancing, they keep in step with the music…” This horse was probably originally interred in a Tang dynasty high ranking burial. It was believed to bestow immortality on the occupant, just as it may have done to Xuanzong.

In 1972, similarly postured horses were excavated from the Tang tombs of Zhang Shigui, an attendant of emperor Taizong (r.629-649AD). Comparable examples can also be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Acc. No: 67.62.2), the British Museum, London and Ashmolean Museum , Oxford (LI1301.409)

Provenance: Private Collection, Europe
Previously with Vanderven 2007

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Terracotta Horse with Saddle, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 78 cm. Length: 85 cm. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

In the days of the Tang dynasty, China was in competition with Tibet and Damascus for control of the Silk Road, especially in the Turkestan region. The Turkestans wanted to keep control over their own territory, and kept out foreign powers by offering important tributes such as horses. China placed great value on horses and set aside enormous tracts of pasture and large numbers of slaves to attend to them. 

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Terracotta Horse with Saddle, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 88 cm. Length: 83 cm. TL-tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

This terracotta horse was fired at a high temperature betwee 850 and 1000 degrees Celsius. The Tang Chinese used two different firing methods, oxidation and reduction, which affected the final colour. Oxidation firing allows oxygen to give a clean burn, resulting in a reddish 'terracotta' colour. Reduction firing has little oxygen, which produces smoke and results in a grey to black clay. 

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Terracotta Dancing Horses, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 57 cm. TL-tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

We regularly have terracotta objects tested with a thermo-luminescence test to ensure correct dating of the piece. A small amount of clay is taken from the object which is then heated. Clay contains minute traces of radioactive elements, which when firing are boosted to a higher energy level at which they remain trapped. A small sample of ancient pottery will emit a faint blue light when heated to a sufficiently high temperature. This faint blue light is known as thermo-luminescence, or TL. The intensity of the TL signal is proportional to the time which has elapsed since the clay was last heated, normally since the kiln firing, and can be used to date when the object was last fired. Oxford Authentication Ltd is the foremost laboratory in the world for thermo luminescence testing and the only facility in compliance with international quality assurance standards. 

Exhibition: NB Olympia 2009

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Rare Large Pottery Figure of a Lokapāla, China, Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Height: 180 cm / 5'11". TL tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Large Terracotta Saddled Horse, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 91 cm. Length: 85 cm. TL-tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Terracotta Bactrian Camel, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 97 cm. TL-tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

In addition to the enormous cargo - up to 250 kilograms while travelling 30 to 40 kilometers per day - each camel also carried food and drink for the accompanying travelers. The camel is also adept at locating water sources and avoiding sand storms in the desert. It is no wonder that these beasts of burden were held in the highest regard by their riders from Sogdia. To the Chinese, camels were regarded as symbols of humility, because it kneels to be loaded. 

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Terracotta Bactrian Camel, China, Tang Dynasty (618-907). Height: 98,5 cm. TL-tested by Oxford Authentication Ltd. Vanderven Oriental Art at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Not just merchant caravans and emissaries travelled the Silk Road. Also monks, pilgrims and even entertainers. Together, they effected a great cultural exchange between East and West. Trade, however, was still the main reason for the existence of the Silk Road. Due to their extraordinary endurance, the most favored means of transportation was the camel. 

Vanderven Oriental Art. Chinese early ceramics from the Han & Tang Periods, Ming & Qing porcelains & works of art including Jades, Bronzes, hardstones and wood. Japanese porcelains, 20th century lacquer & bronzes. Nachtegaalslaantje 1, 5211 LE s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.

Lot 75. Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (Fuendetodos 1746-1828 Bordeaux), A hunter with his dog in a landscape, numbered by the artist '96' and with number in pen and ink '42' (Madrazo album III), point of the brush and brown ink, scraping, fragmentary watermark crest surmounted by a cross, 8 x 5½ in. (20.2 x 14.1 cm.). Estimate $600,000-800,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s announced the sale of Old Master & British Drawings on January 24 followed by the return of a various owner sale of Old Master Prints on January 25, to take place in New York for the first time in over 15 years. Old Master Paintings will be offered in April 2017, during Classic Week at Christie’s New York. 

Christie’s Old Master & British Drawings sale on January 24 is comprised of 131 lots including works from distinguished private collections and institutions. Important works leading the sale are Francisco de Goya’s Hunter with his dog in a landscape and a lavish design by Peter Paul Rubens inspired by a composition by Renaissance artist Giulio Romano.  

Lot 85. Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577-1640 Antwerp), Scipio Africanus welcomed outside the gates of Rome, after Giulio Romano, black chalk, pen and ink, brown wash, grey, cream, white and touches of green bodycolor with heightening in oil. Estimate $500,000-700,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2017.  

(Cf. muy post: Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577-1640 Antwerp), Scipio Africanus welcomed outside the gates of Rome, after Giulio Romano)

The sale features a strong selection of Italian drawings including studies by Giacomo Cavedone, Parmigianino and Taddeo Zuccaro, together with several works inspired by Michelangelo by Battista Franco, Giulio Clovio and Cesare da Sesto’s early study after the Sistine ceiling. Works by Piazzetta, Giovanni Battista and Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Piranesi and Francesco Guardi constitute the highlights of an outstanding selection of Venetian drawings.  

Lot 9. Giacomo Cavedone (Sassuolo 1577-1660 Bologna), Profile of a bearded man, wearing a cap, with a study of another head in the lower left corner, oiled black chalk and white chalk on grey-blue paper, a triangular section below added by the artist, small section added later at the upper edge, 14 ¼ x 9 5/8 in. (36.2 x 24.4 cm.). Estimate $60,000-80,000. © Christie’s Images Limited 2017.

Lot 21. Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, il Parmigianino (Parma 1503-1540 Casalmaggiore), A group of figures standing by a column,pen and brown ink, brown wash heightened with white, made up along the edges
6 x 4 in. (15.1 x 10.2 cm.). Estimate $200,000-300,000© Christie's Image Ltd 2017

(Cf. my post Girolamo Francesco Mazzola, il Parmigianino (Parma 1503-1540 Casalmaggiore), A group of figures standing by a column)

Lot 35. Taddeo Zuccaro (Sant' Angelo in Vado 1529-1566 Rome), A scene from Roman history, probably Cloelia released by the Etruscan King Porsena, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, 7¼ in. (18.2 cm.) (circular). Estimate $50,000-70,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 25. Battista Franco (Venice circa 1510-1561), Two male nudes seen from the front and side, with a subsidiary study of the head of the complete figure (recto); A seated male nude leaning on a table (verso), black and red chalk, pen and brown ink, the upper left, upper and lower right corners clipped and made up, 17¼ x 11¼ in. (43.7 x 28.7 cm.). Estimate $40,000-60,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 28. Giulio Clovio (Grisone 1498-1578 Rome), The Madonna and Child, with inscription 'don Iulio Clovio di Donatia' (verso), black chalk, watermark SHI with a cross, 10 ½ x 6 ¾ in. (26.7 x 16.4 cm.). Estimate $6,000-8,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 24. Cesare da Sesto (Sesto Calende 1477-1523 Milan), A young, partly draped, woman with the head of a bull (recto); Eleazar, after Michelangelo (verso), red chalk, pen and brown ink, fragmentary watermark, 7 3/8 x 4 ¼ in. (18.7 x 10.9 cm.). Estimate $40,000-60,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 57. Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (Venice 1682-1754), A nude youth sprawled on his back, upon a bank, lying on a standard, with inscription 'Gio: Batta: Piazzetta.', black and white chalk, stumping, on blue (faded) paper, watermark kneeling figure holding a cross in a shield, 20 x 15 in. (50.7 x 38.2 cm.). Estimate $200,000-300,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 65. Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (Venice 1727-1804), Head of a young man, his right hand against his cheek, red and white chalk with stumping on blue paper, watermark three crescents, 11 ½ x 8 in. (29.2 x 20.2 cm.). Estimate $180,000-220,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 61. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Venice 1696-1770 Madrid), Time and Truth, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, the upper two corners made up, watermark indistinct animal, 8 ¾ x 8 ¼ in. (22.2 x 21.1 cm.). Estimate $60,000-80,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 54. Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Mogliano Veneto 1720-1778 Rome), Head of a young man, turned to the right (recto); Figure studies (verso), traces of black chalk, pen and brown ink (recto); red chalk (verso), irregular edges and the corners cut and made up, 9 ½ x 6 5/8 in. (24 x 17 cm.). Estimate $60,000-80,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 67. Francesco Guardi (Venice 1712-1793), A lagoon capriccio with a ruined tower, a tent and other buildings, black chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, watermark three crescents and proprietary watermark Mezana (Heawood 874), 9 x 12¼ in. (22.6 x 31.3 cm.). Estimate $80,000-120,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Highlights from the British section include A male nude by Henry Fuseli, and works by Gainsborough and Burne-Jones. Charles de la Fosse’s preparatory study for the painting The Virgin’s Coronation with a selection of nineteenth-century works round out the sale.  

Lot 90. Johann Heinrich Füssli, Henry Fuseli, R.A. (Zürich 1741-1825 Putney Hill), A male nude in a contemplative pose (recto); Study of a man (verso), numbered '3400' (verso), pencil, pen and brown ink, brown, ochre and rose wash, heightened with white, watermark of a cross within a crest surmounted by a crown, 11 x 8 in. (27.9 x 20.3 cm.). Estimate $80,000-120,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 108. Thomas Gainsborough, R.A. (Sudbury 1727-1788 London), Dancers in a wood, with inscription and date ‘1833 WE 20 x Dr Monro’s sale … Gainsborough’ (verso), and stamped 'WE' (lower right), pencil, black chalk and grey wash heightened with white, 10 5/8 x 13 5/8 in. (27 x 34.6 cm.). Estimate $80,000-120,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 95. Charles de la Fosse (Paris 1636-1716), Study of two angels and two feet, red, black and white chalk on light brown paper, 17 ¾ x 12 in. (45 x 30,5 cm.). Estimate $30,000-40,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

The sale of Old Master Prints encompasses 220 prints from five centuries, offering an in-depth survey of the printed image in Europe, from Martin Schongauer’s (1450-1491) engravings created in the 1470s to a View of San Francisco by the French Charles Meryon (1821-1868), printed around 1855.  

Lot 6. Martin Schongauer (circa 1445-1491), The Death of the Virgin, engraving, circa 1470-74, on laid paper, watermark Small Bull’s Head with Staff and Star (Stogdon BHX 11d), a fine impression of the very rare first state (of three), printing with great clarity and contrasts, a little dry in the upper left background, trimmed to or just inside the borderline, retaining a fillet of blank paper outside the borderline in places at left, a few tiny repairs at the sheet corners and edges, re-margined, generally in good condition. Sheet 258 x 172 mm. Estimate $100,000 -150,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 237. Charles Meryon (1821-1868), San Francisco, steel etching, 1855-56, on laid paper, without watermark, a very good impression of the third, final state, from the edition of one hundred impressions, printed by Delatre, Paris, 1856, trimmed inside the platemark but well outside the subject, the lower sheet edge folded over a backboard, light- and time staining, some foxmarks, framed. Sheet 220 x 983 mm. Estimate $3,000 -5,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Classic prints by the most celebrated and widely collected artist-printmakers, including Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Rembrandt (1606-1669), and Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), stand side by side with extreme rarities, such as an anonymous, hand-coloured woodcut of the Virgin nursing the Child, printed in Northern Italy around 1530; one of a few surviving devotional prints of the period.  

Lot 62. Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Knight, Death and the Devil, engraving, 1513, on laid paper, without watermark, a fine, rich and warm Meder a-b impression, printed in brownish-black ink with great clarity and strong contrasts, with a light plate tone in particular along the left side, with thread margins all around, in very good condition, framed. Plate 241 x 186 mm., Sheet 243 x 187 mm. Estimate $150,000 -250,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 181. Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (1606-1669), The Three Trees, etching with engraving and drypoint, 1643, on laid paper, countermark initials LJ (Hinterding LJ-a), a good impression of this important print, with thread margins or trimmed on the platemark, small touches of pen and ink in the trees and elsewhere, otherwise in very good condition, framed. Plate & Sheet 213 x 281 mm. Estimate $100,000 -150,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 232. Francisco de Goya (1746-1828), La Tauromaquia, the set of 33 etchings with burnished aquatint, drypoint and engraving, 1816, on laid paper, ten with watermarks MORATO, No 1o and No, the others without watermarks, very good impressions from the First Edition, published by the artist, Madrid, 1816, all but one plates with the full sheets, with deckle edges, plate 33 with narrow margins, some scattered foxing, some plates with a soft vertical crease, plate 32 with two tears, all hinged along the left sheet edge to album sheets, bound in an early 20th century luxury binding by George Cretté in black tooled and gilt morocco, with the artist's name and the title in gilt on the spine. Plates 251 x 352 mm., Sheets 323 x 443 mm. (and similar), 367 x 505 mm. (album overall). Estimate $80,000 -120,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

The estimates vary as much as the dimensions of the works: the exquisite little engravings by Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550) are the size of a postage stamp, while the monumental woodcut The Submersion of Pharaoh’s Army (estimate: $200,000-300,000) after a design by Titian leads the sale and fills an entire wall in its scale. 

Lot 99. Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550), The Fountain of Youth, the complete woodcut printed from four blocks, circa 1530-45, on four joined sheets of laid paper, all with a Small Augsburg Cup in a Shield with Pendant A watermark (similar to Briquet 2112, dated Augsburg 1548-55), a fine, early impression of the second, final state of this very rare print, after Glockendon's address and but before the long, broad vertical cracks through the fountain and elsewhere, with thread margins below, trimmed to the borderline at the sides and outside the subject above, in very good condition. Sheet 375 x 1100 mm. Estimate $50,000 -70,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Lot 77. After Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian, (circa 1488-1576), The Submersion of Pharaoh’s Army in the Red Sea, the complete woodcut printed from 12 blocks, circa 1514-15, on 12 joined sheets of sturdy laid paper, without watermarks, a very good, uniformly strong and even impression of this rare and important monumental woodcut, the sheets all joined at the edges, the whole print hinged at the top, trimmed to the outside borderline, backed with paper along the outer edges, the borderline strengthened with brush and ink, a few small repairs and backed tears, generally in good condition, framed. Block 1229 x 2219 mm., Sheet 1248 x 2254 mm. Estimate $200,000 -300,000 © Christie's Image Ltd 2017

Ring, France, begin of the XVIIIth century. Yellow gold, seven rubis and four diamonds. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Ring, France or Low-Countries, second half of the XVIIth century. Yellow gold, seven diamants. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Exhibition: Een eeuw van schittering, Anvers, Diamantmuseum, 1993, p. 178.

Ring, Spain or Portugal, last quarter of the XVIIth century. Yellow gold and nine table cut emeralds. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Ring, Spain or Low-Countries, late XVIIth century. Yellow gold and nine diamonds. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Philippe d´Arschot. Fine antique silver from the 16th to the 19th Centuries. Avenue Louise, 192, 1050 Brussels, Belgium

Baptismal pendant. Unmarked, Germany, 1639. Silver and silver gilt. Height 13 cm. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Womans belt, Germany, circa 1600. Parcel-gilt silver. Lenght 97 cm. Philippe d’Arschot at Brafa Art Fair, Brussels, 21-29 january 2017.

Philippe d´Arschot. Fine antique silver from the 16th to the 19th Centuries. Avenue Louise, 192, 1050 Brussels, Belgium