Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerp), Portrait of a gentleman, half-length, wearing black. Photo Sotheby's

oil on canvas, transferred to canvas; 58.4 by 45.4 cm.; 23 by 18 in. Estimation 400,000 — 600,000 GBP

Provenance: Monsieur Nieuwenhuys;
Acquired from the above on 10 June 1846 by Jules-Paul-Benjamin Delessert (1773-1847);
Thence by inheritance to his brother François-Marie Delessert (1780-1868);
His deceased sale, Paris, Hôtel Delessert, 15 March 1869, lot 78, for FF4,100 (as Pierre Paul Rubens);
At which point presumably passing into the Hottinguer family, probably through being acquired at the above sale by Caroline Hottinguer, née Delessert, widow (m. 1858) of the late Baron Henri Hottinguer (1803-66), daughter of François Dellessert and last in line of the Delessert dynasty;
Thence by descent in the collection of the Barons Hottinguer until sold ('Ancienne Collection du Baron Hottinguer'), Paris, Christie's, 2 December 2003, lot 140 (as Circle of Rubens);
Acquired shortly after the sale by the present owner. 

Litterature: F. Delessert, Notice sur la collection de tableaux de M. Delessert, Paris 1846, p. 58, cat. no. 152 (as Rubens);
F. Delessert, Catalogue des Tableaux de M. François Delessert, Paris n.d., p. 62, cat. no. 156 (as Rubens);
C. Blanc, 'La Galerie Delessert,' in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Paris, February-March 1969, pp.105-201.

This remarkable portrait can be dated with some certainty to Rubens’ second visit to Spain in 1628/9 and is the only surviving work that provides a clear link between Rubens and the great Spanish master Diego Velazquez, as attested by the results of recent technical analysis.  

Rubens' first trip to the Court of Madrid took place in 1603 when as a young man and emerging artist he was charged with delivering a group of paintings as gifts to Philip III by his employer and patron Vincenzo Gonzaga I, Duke of Mantua. By the time of his second trip in 1628 however Rubens enjoyed considerable reputation and fame and was invited at the behest of Philip IV to assist in the negotiation of peace between Spain and England, as well as to paint a number of royal portraits for his patron the Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, aunt of Philip IV's oldest brother the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand. 

The proposed dating of the present work to Rubens' second trip to Spain is supported by the recent discovery of another image beneath the existing paint layers representing either Philip IV (1605 - 1665) or his youngest brother Don Carlos (1607 - 1632), which  appears to be of high quality and is clearly in the style of Velazquez, who since 1623 had been working in the employ of the Spanish King (see fig. 1). Intriguingly, no protoype of the hidden portrait by Velazquez is known today.  

The physiognomy of the sitter visible in the x-radiograph image can be compared closely to Velazquez's bust length depiction of Philip IV in armour and a full-length portrait of the Infante Don Carlos, both today at the Prado, which are dated to around the same year that Rubens was in Madrid, when the Royal sitters were aged 23 and 21 respectively.1That the age of the sitter in the hidden portrait corroborates closely with that in Velazquez's two aforementioned portraits clearly supports a likely date of execution for the underlying portrait to around 1628, precisely when Rubens was in Madrid and had access to Velazquez's studio in the Royal Palace, where he could have reused an existing canvas to produce the present portrait. 

With regard to the execution of the painting, Rubens has adhered closely to the outlines of the figure in the underlying image, whilst altering the features of the sitter and adapting and developing the image through his own idiom and style, so that with the exception of the soft handling of the sitter’s ear - highly reminiscent of the style of Velazquez - there remains little trace of the Spanish prototype. Rubens has also moved the position of the collar (today visible as apentimento as well as in the x-radiograph) and covered over what appears to be the outline of a hand in the lower left corner of the underlying image.

Recent technical analysis also reveals that the painting has been transposed to a later canvas, probably during the last quarter of the 19th century, a technique that was widely employed in France where the work is known to have been during that period. An analysis of the ground layers also provides an interesting insight into the likely development of the image as two layers of preparation exist: an original base layer of red, or roja de tierras, typical for works prepared in Madrid during the 17th century, covered by a clear grey preparation more in keeping with Flemish practice. Both paint layers however are both painted on top of the grey preparation, indicating the first artist preferred the use of a cooler ground for the image, yet notably there are no clear signs of separation between the two paint layers, further suggesting that Rubens merely adapted the original design and seemingly soon after the underlying image had been painted. 

Just how close relations were between Rubens and Velazquez during the former’s second visit to Spain remains unknown. In a letter to his friend Peiresc, Rubens records that he was lodged in the Royal Alcázar during his stay in Madrid, where Velazquez is known to have worked, and furthermore it is recorded that the two artists journeyed to the Escorial together to see the celebrated works by Titian. The emergence of this portrait and the discovery of the underlying image would seem to provide further evidence of a close link between Rubens and Velazquez, even directly within the latter's own atelier. As to the possible identity of the sitter, most plausibly the portrait represents an important member of the court of Madrid, although it is tempting to surmise that Rubens may have been painting a portrait of Velazquez himself - a notion that is lent some considerable support by the likeness of the sitter to both the putative self-portrait by Velázquez in the Surrender at Breda, painted some six to seven years later in 1634-5, and the recently upgraded portrait in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2

PROVENANCE: Nieuwenhuys was one of the most successful dealerships on the continent in the 19th century. Chrétien Jean Nieuwenhuys was the main advisor and buyer for King Willem II of the Netherlands. His father Lambert had set up the business in 1805 in Brussels, and when Chrétien Jean died it was taken over by Charles Sedelmeyer (1837-1925), operating from Paris. 

1. See F. Checa, Velazquez, The Complete Paintings, Antwerp 2008, p. 93, no. 24, reproduced and pp. 94-95, no. 25, reproduced respectively.
2. See J. López Rey, Velázquez, Cologne 1996, vol. II, pp. 180-3, no. 73, reproduced p. 181 and opposite ‘Contents’ (detail of the putative self-portrait). 

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale including Three Victorian Masterpieces from the Leverhulme Collection. London | 04 déc. 2013 -www.sothebys.com

Isaac Soreau (active Hanau 1620-1638), A still life of grapes in a basket, mulberries in a wanli kraak porcelain bowl and flowers in a glass vase on a stone ledge. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

oil on panel; 49.2 x 65.7cm (19 3/8 x 25 7/8in). Estimate£400,000 - 600,000 (€480,000 - 730,000)

PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Bordeaux, France, by 1840
Private Collection, England 1974-1984
With Speelman, London, 1987, from whom purchased by the present owner

EXHIBITED: London, John Mitchell & Sons, The Inspiration of Nature, 27 October - 13 November 1976, pp. 50-51, ill. The exhibition travelled to Draper's Hall (London, 17 November - 1 December 1976)

LITERATURE: G. Bott, 'Stillebenmaler des 17 Jahrhunderts; Isaak Soreau, Peter Binoit, in Kunst in Hessen und am Mittelrhein, Darmstadt, 1962
G. Bott, Die Stillebenmaler Soreau, Binoit, Codino un Marrell in Hanau und Frankfurt 1600-1650, Hanau, 2001, cat. no. WV.IS.17, p. 177, ill.
E. Greindl, Les peintres flamands de nature morte au XVIIe siècle, Sterrebeek, 1983, p. 383, Soreau no. 15, ill. p. 69, fig. 43

The porcelain bowl in the present work is identical to that in the artist's only known signed painting that is in the State Museum, Schwerin (inv. no. 967, signed and dated 1638). Both paintings also depict similar baskets of grapes. Two further versions showing the almost identical composition to the present still life by Soreau are in the Galleria Sabauda, Turin (on panel, 54 x 72 cm, inv. no. 291) and the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland (on panel, 48.9 x 60 cm., inv. no. 37, 1902). Another very similar composition by Soreau, showing the grapes on a pewter plate but with another identical bowl, was sold, Christie's, London, 16 December 1998, lot 8 (£570,000). It is interesting to note that the latter was painted on an Antwerp panel, which is not surprising, since Isaac's father was born there and the Flemish influence of still life painters such as Osias Beert and Jacob van Hulsdonck is noticeable in Soreau's works.

Bonhams. OLD MASTER PAINTINGS. London, New Bond Street. 4 Dec 2013 14:00 GMT - www.bonhams.com

Pieter Claesz. (Berchem 1597/8 - 1660/1 Haarlem), Vanitas still life with a book, a glass roemer, a skull, a lute, a pack of cards and piece of parchment on a table. Photo Sotheby's.

signed with monogram lower centre on the seal: PC; oil on canvas; 49.7 by 65 cm.; 19 1/2 by 25 5/8 in. Estimation 50,000 — 70,000 GBP

Provenance: With B. Rapp, Stockholm, 1949;
Private collection, Sweden;
With Charles Roelofs, Amsterdam, 1985;
Sale, Stockholm, Bukowski, 25 April 1990, lot 364.

Litterature: N.R.A. Vroom, A Modest Message, Schiedam 1980, vol. II, p. 21, cat. no. 68, reproduced vol. I, p. 27, plate 22;
A. Veca in Vanitas. Il simbolismo del tempo, exhibition catalogue, Bergamo 1981, pp. 90, 92, 193, reproduced plate 107;
M. Brunner-Bulst, Pieter Claesz., Lingen 2004, p. 349, cat. no. 242, reproduced.

Brunner Bulst dates this picture to 1659/60 making it the artist’s last known Vanitas still life. Although Claesz. started painting Vanitas still lifes in the 1620s the majority of his works in this genre were executed in the 1650s.1 As a late work this painting perfectly exhibits what Ingvar Bergström described as "the mellow treatment of colour and freedom of brushwork" characteristic of the last decade of his career.2 Many of these later compositions are painted on canvas and are larger in size than his works on panel. During the last decade of his life he favoured grander, more detailed compositions in contrast to his earlier sober style. Here the entire picture plane is filled with a multitude of objects, a pack of cards, a pewter plate, a pocket watch, a glass roemer, a candle, books, a piece of parchment, a skull, a lute and a walnut.

1. See for example M. Brunner-Bulst, Pieter Claesz., Lingen 2004, nos. 205, 220 and 234.
2. I. Bergström, Dutch Still-life painting in the Seventeenth century, New York 1956, p. 116.

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Attributed to Jean Valette-Falgores, called Penot (Montauban 1710-1777),Vanitas still life with globe, violin, hourglass and military medal. Photo Sotheby's.

oil on canvas; 37.8 by 42.5 cm.; 15 by 16 3/4 in. Estimation 6,000 — 8,000 GBP

Provenance: Private collection, Rhineland.

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Attributed to Franz Godin, called Francesco Codino (Active Hanau and Frankfurt circa 1621 – 1629), Still life with shellfish, fruit and sweets on a table. Photo Sotheby's.

oil on canvas; 42 by 53 cm.; 16 1/2 by 20 7/8 in. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 GBP

Litterature: P.T. Grandi in G. & U. Bocchi (eds.), Naturaliter: Nuovi contributi alla natura morta in Italia settentrionale e Toscana tra XVII e XVIII secolo, Florence 1998, p. 23, cat. no. 21, reproduced p. 35, fig. 21 (as Codino);
G. Bott, Die Stillebenmaler Soreau, Binoit, Codino und Marrell in Hanau und Frankfurt 1600-1650, Hannau 2001, p. 215, cat. no. WV.C.8 (as Codino).

The picture is a variant of Peter Binoit’s signed prototype in the Galleria Sabauda in Turin (inv. no. 294).1 Four further versions have been attributed to Binoit's pupil Codino, including a signed picture sold in these Rooms, 27 March 1963, lot 80.2 It should be noted that Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie believes that the four unsigned variants ascribed to Codino, including the present work, are likely to be copies. We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie  for his assistance in cataloguing this lot on the basis of photographs.

Joris Van Son (Antwerp 1623 – 1667), Still life with crabs, peaches, apricots, grapes and a partly peeled lemon, with glasses behind, on a partly-draped table. Photo Sotheby's.

signed lower left on the table edge: J. V. SON; oil on oak panel; 45.3 by 60.2 cm.; 17 3/4 by 23 3/4 in. Estimation 12,000 — 18,000 GBP

Provenance: Private collection, by whom donated to the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, in 1912;
Alte Pinakothek, Munich;
From whom restituted by the Ministry of Culture to the heirs of the previous owner in 1921;
Hans Meitner, Vienna, by September 1925. 

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie for endorsing the attribution on the basis of photographs and for proposing a date of execution in the second half of the 1640s.

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Simon Luttichuys (London 1610 - 1661 Amsterdam), Still life with mackerel, bread, a pewter plate and a glass of beer on a table. Photo Sotheby's.

signed with monogram lower right: SL; oil on oak panel; 39 by 32.5 cm.; 15 3/8  by 12 3/4  in. Estimation 15,000 — 20,000 GBP

Provenance: Anonymous sale, Brussels, Servarts, 15-18 June 1993, lot 410.

Litterature: B. Ebert, Simon und Isaack Luttichuys, Berlin 2009, p. 377, cat. no. Sim.A32, reproduced p. 331.

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Michel Bouillon (Active Doornik 1638 – 1673), Still life with peaches, redcurrants, whitecurrants, hazelnuts and a glass, arranged on a stone ledge. Photo Sotheby's.

indistinctly signed and dated upper right: M.D.Bou... / 165...; oil on copper; 37.5 by 28.1 cm.; 14 3/4 by 11 in. Estimation 8,000 — 12,000 GBP 

A similar work of identical dimensions, dated 1653, depicting the same arrangment of fruit, but with the addition of extra peaches as well as an extra glass, was sold in these Rooms, 6 July 2006, lot 253, for £10,000. We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs.

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Studio of Jan Van Kessel the Elder (Antwerp 1626 – 1679), Four still lifes with fruits and flowers in baskets and glass vases, game and vegetables, with guinea pigs. Photo Sotheby's.

Quantité: 4; a set of four, all oil on copper; each: 16.3 by 21.7 cm.; 6 3/8  by 8 1/2  in. Estimation  40,000 — 60,000 GBP

Typical of the studio of Jan van Kessel the Elder, these pictures show several motifs used in other works that have been previously given to the master. Most notably the deer recurs in a work that was with the Galerie d'Art Saint Honoré, Paris, in 2000.1 The cabbage is also found in a still life that was with the same gallery in 2004.2 Although Klaus Ertz attributes these types of works to Jan Kessel the Younger (1654-1708), Fred G. Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie tends to favour an attribution to an unknown hand working in the studio of Jan van Kessel the Elder, possibly to be identified as Ferdinand van Kessel (1648-after 1696). A pair of coppers, catalogued as Studio of Jan van Kessel the Elder, similar in size and conception to the present works, made £70,000 when they were sold London, Christie's, 3 December 2008, lot 142. 

1. See K. Ertz & C. Nite-Ertz, Die Maler, Jan van Kessel, Lingen 2012, p. 426, cat. no. 103, reproduced.
2. Ibid, p. 424, cat no. 96, reproduced. 

Sotheby's. Old Master & British Paintings Day Sale. London | 05 déc. 2013 - www.sothebys.com

Maximilian Pfeiler (active Rome, circa 1694-circa 1721 Budapest), A still life of an elaborate gilt ewer beside two glasses of wine and a carafe on a gilt dish with white roses, biscuits and a silver dish of fruit on a table draped with a blue cloth. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

oil on canvas; 74 x 61.9cm (29 1/8 x 24 3/8in). Estimation£15,000 - 20,000 (€18,000 - 24,000)

Although an identical gilt ewer was employed in a still life sold at Christie's as Christian Berentz, a very similar composition to the present work which also features the ewer in the Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome is signed with the monogram 'MP' and is clearly by Maximilian Pfeiler (see: La natura morta in Italia, Milan 1989, vol. II, no. 933, ill. p. 835.)

Bonhams. OLD MASTER PAINTINGS. London, New Bond Street. 4 Dec 2013 14:00 GMT - www.bonhams.com

Maximilian Pfeiler (active Rome, circa 1694-circa 1721 Budapest), A still life of a glass bowl of grapes, a pomegranate, a silver dish of biscuits and fruit, with flowers on a table draped with a blue cloth. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

oil on canvas; 8.3 x 61.6cm (30 13/16 x 24 1/4in). Estimation£8,000 - 12,000 (€9,700 - 15,000)

A similar composition by Maximilian Pfeiler with a glass bowl of fruit, which is signed with initials 'MP' was on the art market in Rome in 1989 (see: La natura morta in Italia, Milan 1989, vol. II, no. 994, ill. p. 835.

Bonhams. OLD MASTER PAINTINGS. London, New Bond Street. 4 Dec 2013 14:00 GMT - www.bonhams.com

A pair of art deco sapphire and diamond pendent earrings, circa 1930. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

Each brilliant-cut diamond demi-lune-shaped surmount suspending a cushion-shaped sapphire drop, weighing 6.84 and 6.31 carats, connected by baguette and brilliant-cut diamond connectors, terminating in a baguette-cut diamond tassel, diamonds approximately 3.20 carats total. Estimate£25,000 - 35,000 (€30,000 - 42,000)

Accompanied by a report from Gübelin stating that the sapphire weighing 6.84 carats is of Madagascan origin, with no evidence of heat treatment. Report number 13100227, dated 22 October 2013. 

Accompanied by a report from Gübelin stating that the sapphire weighing 6.31 carats is of Burmese origin, with no evidence of heat treatment. Report number 13100226, dated 22 October 2013/

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY INCLUDING SELECTED JEWELS FROM THE COLLECTION OF BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD. London, New Bond Street. 5 Dec 2013 - www.bonhams.com

Xie Zhiguang (1899-1976). Appreciating the Plum Blossom. China, 20th century. Photo courtesy China 2000 Fine Art.

Ink and color on paper, hanging scroll. 53.5 x 11.75 inches (136 × 30 cm).

China 2000 Fine Art. 177 East 87th Street, Suite 601, New York 10128. T (212) 472 9800 - M (917) 685 6088 - c2000fa@aol.com - www.china2000fineart.com

Asia Week New York. MARCH 15–21 2014

Silver gilt vase (detail). Tibet, 8th century AD. Photo courtesy Carlo Cristi

Silver, gilding. Height: 8.5 inches (21.5 cm). 

Carlo Cristi. 1016 Madison Avenue, New York 10075. T (212) 628 7625 - M (646) 309 7970 - carlocristi@tin.it - www.asianart.com/carlocristi

Asia Week New York. MARCH 15–21 2014

An ebony, pink and purple sapphire and diamond "Moretto" brooch, by Codognato. Photo courtesy Bonhams. 

The carved ebony bust of a Moor wearing a turban pavé-set with circular-cut purple and pink sapphires and brilliant-cut diamonds, wearing a similarly set waistcoat and a pair of brilliant-cut diamond earrings, the turban and waistcoat with additional engraved decoration, diamonds approximately 18.60 carats total, signed A Codognato, length 7.7cm. Estimate£10,000 - 15,000 (€12,000 - 18,000)

"We were in Venice with friends, and they wanted to meet Attilio Codognato, who runs his family's centuries-old jewellery and antiques shop. When we arrived I immediately zeroed in on a pair of rock-crystal and lapis table lamps which had been made by a Codognato for King Farouk's yacht. After the king was deposed, Codognato's bought them back and sold them to me that day. Meanwhile, Bob had asked to see some of the famous blackamoor brooches, made by the Codognato family for years. His eyes lighted on this beauty made in 1940. The carved ebony torso is encased in a hand-carved and embellished gold waistcoat, and the huge turban is made of diamonds and pink sapphires set in gold. The blackamoor even has earrings! I was happily surprised when Bob insisted on buying it for me. As my husband pinned it on my white jacket to see how it looked, I immediately thought of Shakespeare's Othello, and that's what I called him ever after. The blackamoor graced my coats, dresses and jackets for years. My unique Othello was always much admired, never failed to fascinate everyone. It's time for another person to show him off, and enjoy wearing him as much as I did."

Gift from Robert Bradford in 1995 to celebrate publication of "Dangerous to Know". 

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY INCLUDING SELECTED JEWELS FROM THE COLLECTION OF BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD. London, New Bond Street. 5 Dec 2013 - www.bonhams.com

A lava, coral and diamond brooch, by Hedy Martinelli. Photo courtesy Bonhams. 

Modelled as a Chinese man, his clean-shaven, laughing face carved in lava, wearing a branch coral (corallium rubrum) headdress and robe with brilliant-cut diamond decoration, diamonds approximately 0.95 carat total, length 7.8cm, maker's suede pouch. Estimate£1,400 - 1,800 (€1,700 - 2,200)

"Bob and I discovered the amusing and whimsical jewellery designs of Hedy Martinelli in the 1990s. This Roman designer crafts many of her pieces from unusual materials, including lava. When Bob saw this unique brooch by her, he realised it would match a pair of orange enamelled earrings studded with peridots, which he had purchased earlier. It was the coral turban which linked them. Hedy Martinelli's "heads" are a modern take on the blackamoor brooches of Venice, and whenever I wore one everyone was fascinated and asked where I had bought it. In fact, most of her jewellery designs are talking points."

Gift from Robert Bradford in 1999 to celebrate Barbara's birthday.

Bonhams. FINE JEWELLERY INCLUDING SELECTED JEWELS FROM THE COLLECTION OF BARBARA TAYLOR BRADFORD. London, New Bond Street. 5 Dec 2013 - www.bonhams.com