Rare Bach Portrait Sells for $122,500 at Freeman’s
(Philadelphia, Pa) October 12, 2012 - Auctions love a mystery … Controversy has long surrounded the portrait of composer Johann Sebastian Bach, attributed to the unsung painter Elias Gottlob Haussmann. The top lot in Freeman's October 'International Sales,' it hammered in, after a vigorous bidding war, at an astounding $122,500, many times what might be expected. Is this a contemporaneous portrait, painted of the composer from life, as abundant scholarship, scientific evidence, even a book suggest? … The market has spoken. The smart money is betting it is.
Freeman's 'Old Master Paintings' auction, only our second-ever, is a key component of our 'International Sale,' in alliance with Lyon & Turnbull, Scotland's oldest auction house. It succeeded, as the only Old Masters Painting sale in America outside of New York, in capturing the interest of collectors across the continents, resulting in a strong performance across the board that reflects our growing strength and commitment in this arena.
Presenting a complementary dimension, Freeman's 'International Sale: Fine Antiques & Decorative Arts' auction achieved equally dazzling results, compensating for the depreciating market in Georgian furniture with an expanded scope of diverse rare and unique pieces, such as the exquisite Japanese bronzes that shattered estimates, to pique the interest of top world collectors.
Overall, the prominence of the collections on offer in Freeman's International Sales -including the estate of philanthropist Marvin J. Lundy and the contents of Ditchley, an historic Virginia plantation, formerly the Virginia home of Alfred I. and Jessie Ball DuPont-generated a groundswell of local American interest and enthusiastic bidding.
Dominant however were collectors and dealers worldwide, who are increasingly turning their attention to the under-picked regions of America, where unique pieces of world-class quality and uniqueness can be still found that have eluded the market for generations.
Top 5 Lots:
The International Sale: Old Master Paintings, Lot 169
ATTRIBUTED TO ELIAS GOTTLOB HAUSSMANN, (GERMAN 1695-1774), PORTRAIT OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH. Sold for $122,500
The International Sale: Old Master Paintings, Lot 217
ATTRIBUTED TO DOMENICO FETI, (ITALIAN 1589-1624), DAVID WITH THE HEAD OF GOLIATH. Sold for $86,500
The International Sale: Fine Antiques & Decorative Arts, Lot 1301
Fine Japanese silvered bronze model of a hawk, on silver mounted lacquered stand, meiji period. Sold for $74,500
The International Sale: Fine Antiques & Decorative Arts, Lot 1298
Fine Japanese gilt and patinated mixed metal koro, meiji period, seal mark to base. Sold for $56,250
The International Sale: Old Master Paintings, Lot 216
ATTRIBUTED TO GASPARE LANDI, (ITALIAN 1756-1830), HECTOR SCOLDING PARIS. Sold for $50,00
All prices inclusive of buyer's premium.
