Global participation with bidders from 22 countries across 4 continents
Giovanni di Paolo, Saint Clare rescuing the shipwrecked, leads the Old Masters Evening Sale, realising £5,313,750 / $6,881,306 / €6,201,146, setting a new auction record for the artist

Sculpture - 100% sold, led by new artist record for Gasparo Mola, goldsmith to the Medici family

Drawings – 100% sold, with Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo’s Punchinello series setting new records for a drawing by the artist

5 new artist records and 2 new records for the medium at auction.

Day one of Classic Week sales also sees strong result for the ‘David Little Collection of Early English Silver’ which was 81% sold by lot and 87% by value

Clementine Sinclair, Head of Old Master Paintings Evening Sale: “The Evening sale achieved the highest ever percentage sold by lot for a London Old Masters sale at 86% and was 94% sold by value, making it one of the most successful auctions in recent years. This is a testament to the strength and depth in the market for material that is fresh and well-priced. The sale was led by the two exceptional predella panels by Giovanni di Paolo, recently restituted to the heirs of Harry Fuld, which set a new auction record for the artist and made a combined total of £8.9 million. The sale also included an important group of still lifes, with examples by Ambrosius Bosschaert, Jan Breughel the Elder, Daniel Seghers and Abraham Mignon, which was 100% sold and set a new artist record for a work by Seghers. There was cross category interest and buying, underlining the success of combining Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture.”

Milo Dickinson, Head of Old Master Sculpture, London: “The sculpture offered was 100% sold, setting records for Gasparo Mola, goldsmith to the Medici family, and for a Limoges cross. This builds on the success of the Sculpture offered in Old Master sales in New York and Paris, highlighting the natural synergy of these fine art forms.”

Stijn Alsteens, International Head of Old Master Drawings: “Among the finest and best preserved sheets from Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo’s celebrated Punchinello series, the six drawings offered in this sale captivated the market, selling 100% and breaking the record for a drawing by the artist twice within the saleroom.”

5 Artist Records:

Lot 8 Giovanni di Paolo sold for £5,313,750 (estimate: £1.5-2 million). Previous record Sotheby’s 2001 $885,750

Lot 10 Bartolomeo Caporali sold for £100,000 (estimate: £40,000-60,000). Previous record Christie’s 1998 £41,100

Lot 13 Macrino d'Alba sold for £563,250  (estimate: £100,000-200,000). Previous record Sotheby's 1988 $253,000

Lot 21 Daniel Seghers sold for £587,250 (estimate: £250,000-350,000). Previous record Drouot 2018 €650,000

Lot 33 Gasparo Mola sold for £671,250 (estimate: £200,000-300,000). No previous comparable record

2 Records for the Medium:

Lot 45 Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo sold for £995,250 (estimate: £300,00-500,000). Previous record Sotheby’s 2016 £677,739

Lot 6 Limoges Cross sold for £162,500 (estimate: £80,000-120,000). Previous record Sotheby’s 2016 £87,500

View our online report here.

Tracing the story of human creativity from antiquity to the 20^th century, Christie’s London Classic Week sales continue until 13 December.

For all Classic Week sales, features and content please visit https://www.christies.com/auctions/classic-week