Separate from The Female Triumphant offering, Friday’s auction saw strong prices achieved for quintessential 19th-century pictures – many of which had not been seen in public for generations. “We are thrilled to have achieved such a spectacular result during this important auction week in New York, said Mark Buck, Co-Head of Sotheby’s 19th Century European Paintings department in New York. “In addition to strong institutional interest, seasoned Old Master and Impressionist collectors found value in fresh, diverse paintings of the highest quality. With more than 50% of the sold lots selling above their high estimate, our sales results reflect that buyers are willing to compete at the very top of the market.”

7 works by William Bouguereau were sold, demonstrating the demand for works by the master of French Academic painting as well as the commitment from collectors to acquire the best works. His 1901 canvas Le livre de prix – which led the sale – achieved $1.3 million (estimate $1/1.5 million). Formerly in the collection of Henry May, Vice President and General Manager of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Company, the work has remained in the same family’s collection for over 100 years and until recently, was known only through a black and white photograph from Bouguereau’s studio.

All four of the works by Jules Breton offered in Friday’s sale were sold, totaling $2.2 million – far surpassing the group’s high estimate of $1.3 million.  The assemblage was led by Le Matin from 1883, which achieved $1.2 million (estimate $400/600,000).

Highlights from British and Victorian artists included John William Godward, Sir Frank Dicksee, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, and John Atkinson Grimshaw, led by the $1.2 million result for Dicksee’s Yseult (estimate $1/2 million) and Godward’s A Dilettante, which brought $423,000 (400/600,000).

A new record was set for German artist Wilhelm Kuhnert when his Grollende Löwen (Growling Lions) sold for $645,000 – more than doubling its pre-sale high estimate of $300,000. Dated to 1912, the work depicts Kuhnert’s favorite of his wildlife subjects, which earned earned him the nickname "Lion-Kuhnert.  By the early twentieth century, Kuhnert’s wildlife paintings were reproduced in natural history books, advertisements, school publications, and scientific texts, ultimately shaping a popular understanding of the wildlife.

Seth Armitage, Co-Head of Sotheby’s 19th Century European Paintings department in New York, commented: “Overall, the sale continued to show strength across a wide range of categories, including French Academic, Realist, and Victorian art– with new records set for diverse artists from Wilhelm Kuhnert, to female artists Elizabeth Jane Gardner Bouguereau and Virginie Demont-Breton, whose groundbreaking efforts continue to benefit artists and audiences today.”

The Gilded Age: Property from a Distinguished American Collection
Auction Total: $5.2 Million

Our Masters Week auctions concluded on Saturday afternoon with a dedicated sale of property from an important American collector who assembled over decades a fine group of paintings and decorative arts, ranging from Old Masters to the Impressionists, exceptional pieces of 18th and 19th Century continental furniture, decorative art and Asian art. The sale was led by William Bouguereau’s 1984 Pâquerettes, which brought $1.2 million – nearly 2x over its pre-sale high estimate of $600,000. An exceptional example of the Bouguereau’s Academic style, it’s highly life-like composition celebrates the endearing qualities and idyllic nature of a child’s life in the countryside.

Master Week Feb. 2019