June 2013 - Page 4 of 17 - Auction Central News

Il mercato dell’arte in Italia: arte africana

Contenitore Nkisi per sostanze magiche e medicinali VILI-YOMBE (Rep. Democratica del Congo), fibre vegetali intrecciate che racchiudono un cranio di scimmia, materiale e vegetale minerale di riempimento, altezza cm 31. Courtesy Cambi Genova

GENOVA, Italia – La casa d’aste genovese Cambi tiene il 25 di giugno un’asta solo online dedicata all’arte africana. Auction Central News ha intervistato lo specialista, Paolo Novaresio.

Quali sono i caratteri del mercato dell’arte africana in Italia?

Il mercato dell’arte africana in Italia è iniziato tardi, solo negli ultimi venti anni, mentre in Francia, Belgio, Stati Uniti, Germania, Olanda è iniziato già agli inizi del Novecento ed ora è molto più sviluppato. In Italia il collezionismo di arte africana è diffuso soprattutto al nord, Torino è un centro importante con collezionisti e studiosi. Alcune mostre come quella di Firenze nel 1989 al Forte di Belvedere intitolata “La grande scultura dell’Africa Nera,” a Torino nel 2003 (“Africa. capolavori da un continente” alla GAM) e ad Asti nel 2008 (“Africa in Forme” al Battistero di San Pietro) hanno contribuito allo sviluppo del collezionismo, ma rimane comunque un mercato di nicchia. Gli oggetti all’asta provengono quindi da alcune collezioni italiane, specialmente dal Piemonte e dalla Lombardia, che con gli anni si affinano, ma anche da collezioni internazionali. La vendita è rivolta ad un pubblico internazionale.

Dove sono stati prodotti gli oggetti all’asta?

I pezzi provengono prevalentemente dall’Africa occidentale e centrale, in particolare dal bacino del fiume Niger e Congo.

Quanti lotti ci sono e quali sono i più importanti?

In totale i pezzi all’asta sono 160, prevalentemente sculture lignee, ma ci sono anche monete tradizionali molto interessanti che hanno forme di oggetti quotidiani ma non hanno valore d’uso, bensì simbolico. Erano diffusi in epoca pre-coloniale e poi sono scomparsi. Per esempio il lotto 94 è una moneta Yoruba a forma di collare proveniente dalla Nigeria di ben 6,5 kg (stima €2.500-3.000).

Altri lotti interessanti sono il lotto 112, una statua pestello della Costa d’Avorio usata per segnare il ritmo delle danze (stima €6.000-6.500) e il lotto 104, una rara statua reliquario con uno sportello sul retro per le sostanze magiche (stima €5.000-6.000). Il lotto 108 è una maternità Fang del Gabon (stima €4.500-5.000); il lotto 33 è importante per la grande potenza estetica (stima €3.000-4.000); mentre il lotto 19 è un cosiddetto “contenitore di forza vitale” (stima €2.800-3.200). Si tratta di un cranio di scimmia inserito in un paniere rotondo che contiene le reliquie. È un pezzo raro e curioso, difficile da trovare anche nella letteratura. Ne esisteranno non più di due o tre esemplari.

Perché sono opere importanti?

Per la qualità e la rarità, che è data dal fatto che alcuni sono oggetti di uso più comune, mentre altri hanno una vita rituale più lunga e sono meno deperibili.

Quali sono i criteri per stabilire la qualità?

La qualità è data da un concorso di fattori: innanzitutto c’è l’aderenza ai canoni tradizionali, perché esistono canoni ben precisi per ogni stile; poi la patina e i segni dell’utilizzazione: devono esserci le tracce d’uso, ma non sempre è facile capire quale fosse la destinazione dell’oggetto; e soprattutto l’opera deve comunicare un sentimento estetico, un’emozione.

Certamente è bene farsi consigliare da un esperto, anche se c’è sempre un margine d’errore.

C’è il rischio di incorrere in falsi?

Certamente, ci sono i falsi che sono stati prodotti per il mercato, ma a volte sono stati fatti dalle stesse mani che producono l’oggetto per uso tribale. E poi bisogna distinguere i falsi dalle copie, che sono riproduzioni autentiche, storiche di oggetti di prestigio.

Quali sono i prezzi dell’arte africana?

I prezzi sono molto sottovalutati. Si va da a poche centinaia di euro a 6.000-6.500 euro per pezzi importanti. Quindi se si ha naso e sensibilità artistica è possibile assicurarsi opere uniche e i prezzi sono certamente in salita, così come sono già aumentati negli ultimi venti anni.

Di che epoca sono questi oggetti?

Il problema della datazione è molto spinoso perché non ci sono strumenti per datare con certezza le opere. C’è il test al radiocarbonio che è molto costoso e si fa solo se si pensa che l’opera sia del Cinquecento ma le opere antiche sono pochissime, forse una cinquantina al mondo.

Queste opere all’asta sono della prima metà del Novecento e ciò si evince dalla qualità estetica, forse anche un po’ più indietro, cioè della fine Ottocento. Se gli oggetti sono più antichi, ciò deve essere avvalorato dalle carte, per esempio dalle bolle di dogana.

E oggi vengono prodotte opere di questo tipo?

Sempre meno. Stanno scomparendo così come sta scomparendo la società tradizionale davanti al progresso. In qualche zona remota ci sono ancora manufatti di questo genere ma la qualità è in calo. I piatti tradizionali, per esempio, vengono sostituiti con i piatti provenienti dalla Cina, che sono più pratici. Gli oggetti di culto delle religioni tradizionali animiste diminuiscono davanti all’avanzare di Cristianesimo e Islam.

Gli oggetti sul mercato oggi non provengono più dall’Africa, lì si trova pochissimo e ai prezzi che si trovano anche a Parigi. Gli oggetti in circolazione provengono dall’Occidente, da collezioni costituite venti o trenta anni fa che ora vanno affinandosi e quindi alienano dei pezzi, oppure per un mutamento del gusto.

Quali sono gli oggetti più ricercati?

Dipende dalla moda. C’è stato un periodo in cui i pezzi Dogon del Mali erano ricercatissimi. Oggi si cercano i pezzi Yoruba dalla Nigeria e Luba dal Congo Nord Orientale. Si tratta di diversi gruppi con lo stesso sistema di valori ma con differenze al proprio interno.

Che importanza ha la collezione di provenienza?

In alcuni casi può far schizzare i prezzi alle stelle, pensiamo alle maschere appartenute ai cubisti. Se una maschera è appartenuta a Picasso, Man Ray, o Apollinaire è un documento importantissimo di un’intera epoca, anche se la qualità può non essere eccelsa perché all’epoca non c’erano così tante maschere in circolazione.

Qual è stato il ruolo delle Avanguardie artistiche del primo Novecento nella riscoperta dell’arte africana?

Il ruolo di Picasso e in generale degli artisti cubisti, Dada, Surrealisti è stato fondamentale. Sono stati gli artisti che hanno riconosciuto le qualità artistiche universali di quest’arte. Personalità come Picasso, Man Ray, Apollinaire e Paul Klee possedevano arte africana e si ispiravano ad essa. Una mostra molto interessante al MoMA di New York nel 1984, intitolata “Primitivism”, ha accostato le opere delle avanguardie e le maschere africane, in un confronto diretto mai più ripetuto.

Dove sono le collezioni più importanti oggi?

Al Musée du Quay Branly e al Musée Dapper di Parigi, al Metropolitan di New York, al British Museum di Londra e al Museum für Volkerkunde di Berlino. In Svizzera c’è il Museum Rietberg di Zurigo e il Musée Barbier-Mueller di Ginevra. Ci sono anche musei decentrati come il Royal Museum of Central Africa di Tervyren, in Belgio.

Cambi d’Aste: http://www.cambiaste.com/uk/cambi-aste.asp

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Collare-moneta YORUBA (Nigeria), bronzo, diametro cm 34, peso kg 6,5. Courtesy Cambi Genova

Statua-pestello deblè SENUFO (Costa d'Avorio), legno, altezza cm 125. Courtesy Cambi Genova — Statua-pestello deblè SENUFO (Costa d’Avorio), legno, altezza cm 125. Courtesy Cambi Genova

Statua-reliquiario AMBETE (Gabon), legno, caolino, altezza cm 68. Courtesy Cambi Genova

US blocks sale of $11.5 million Picasso painting

Pablo Picasso's 'Compotier et Tasse.' US Immigration & Customs Enforcement photo.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – US authorities blocked the sale of a Pablo Picasso painting following a request from Italy after the $11.5 million work of art’s owners were charged with embezzlement and fraud, the US government said Tuesday.

The US Justice Department said it had “restrained” the 1909 masterpiece “Compotier et tasse,” which had been offered for private sale in New York, amid a probe into its owners, Gabriella Amati and her late husband Angelo Maj.

The couple have been charged by Italian prosecutors with a tax swindle which netted them some $44 million. US authorities have said the Picasso painting was acquired with money obtained through criminal activity.

US and Italian authorities are now working to repatriate the painting to Italy as swiftly as possible, a statement said.

“We are pleased to have played a role in securing this valuable work of art by the celebrated artist, Pablo Picasso, on behalf of the Italian government,” US Attorney Preet Bharara said. “Our commitment to ‘taking the profit out of crime’ transcends national boundaries and is the operating principle of our asset forfeiture program.”

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers tracked down the painting in New York in May before a federal court signed a restraining order after a formal request from Italy.

“Restraining this valuable artwork is an effort to help recover some of the estimated $44 million that this couple stole from the tax-paying citizens of Naples,” ICE Director John Morton said. “We are very pleased that our investigation has led to the recovery of this painting that is so significant to the Italian people.”

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Art Market Italy: African Art

Nkisi container for magical substances and medicines VILI-Yombe (Democratic Republic of Congo), woven plant fibers enclosing a monkey skull, height 31 cm. Courtesy Cambi Genoa

GENOA, Italy – On June 25th, Genoa-based auction house Cambi will hold an only-online auction dedicated to African art. Auction Central News interviewed the specialist, Paul Novaresio.

What is the status of African art in the Italian market?

The market of African art in Italy has started late, only in the last 20 years, while in France, Belgium, United States, Germany, and Holland it began at the beginning of the 20th century and therefore is much more developed, now. In Italy the collecting of African art is widespread especially in the north, Turin is a major center with collectors and scholars. Some exhibitions like the one in Florence in 1989 at the Forte di Belvedere titled “The large sculpture of Black Africa,” the one in Turin in 2003 (“Africa. Masterpieces from one continent” at the GAM), and the one in Asti in 2008 (“Africa in Forms” at the Baptistery of San Pietro) contributed to the development of collecting, but it is still a niche market. Auction items come from Italian collections, especially from Piedmont and Lombardy, which have refined over the years, but also from international collections. The sale is addressed to an international audience.

Where were produced these objects?

The pieces mainly come from Western and Central Africa, notably from the basin of River Niger and River Congo.

How many lots are there and what are the most important?

In total the auction offers 160 pieces, mostly wooden sculptures, but there are also very interesting traditional coins that have forms of everyday objects. They do not have a practical value, but rather a symbolic ibw. They were common in pre-colonial times; then they disappeared. For example, lot 94 is a coin-shaped collar Yoruba from Nigeria of 6.5 kg (est. € 2,500-3,000).

Other interesting lots are lot 112, a pestle-statue from the Ivory Coast used to mark the rhythm of the dances (est. € 6000-6500); and lot 104, a rare reliquary statue with a flap on the back for magical substances (est. € 5,000-6,000). Lot 108 is a maternity Fang of Gabon (est. € 4,500-5,000); lot 33 is important for the great aesthetic power (est. € 3,000-4,000), while lot 19 is a so-called “container of vital force” (est. € 2,800-3,200). It is a monkey skull inserted in a round basket that contains the relics. It is a rare and curious, hard to find even in the literature. Probably there are no more than two or three such examples.

Why are they important works?

For the quality and rarity, which is given by the fact that some objects are of most common use, while others have a longer ritual life and are less perishable.

What are the criteria for assessing the quality?

The quality is given by a combination of factors: first, there is adherence to traditional standards, because there are very specific criterion for each style. Then the patina and the signs of usage: there must be traces of use, but it isn’t always easy to understand what an object’s purpose was. And, last but not least, the work must communicate an aesthetic feeling, an emotion.

It certainly is good to get advice from an expert, although there is always a margin of error.

Are there fakes in circulation?

Of course, there are fakes that were produced for the market, but sometimes they were made by the same hands that produced the object for tribal use. And then we have to distinguish fakes from copies, which are authentic, historical reproductions of objects of prestige.

What are the prices of African art?

The prices are very underrated. They range from a few hundred euro to €6,000-6,500 for major pieces. Thus, if one has nose and artistic sensibility, one can buy unique works and the prices are definitely rising, as they have already increased in the last 20 years.

What era are these objects?

The problem of dating is very tricky because there are no tools to date the works with certainty. There is a radiocarbon test that is very expensive, and you only do it if you think that the work dates back to the 16th century, but ancient works are very few, perhaps fifty in the world.

These works at auction date back to the first half of the twentieth century, and this can be seen from the aesthetic quality. Maybe even a little bit back, for example from the late nineteenth century. If the objects are older, this must be supported by papers, for example by customs seals.

And today are works of this kind produced?

Less and less. They are disappearing like the traditional society is disappearing in front of progress. In some remote areas there are still artifacts of this kind, but the quality is declining. The traditional dishes, for example, are replaced with the dishes from China, which are more practical. Cult objects of traditional animist religions are diminishing on front of the advance of Christianity and Islam.

Objects on the market today do not come from Africa. There is very little left there, and the prices are like the ones one finds in Paris. The objects in circulation come from the West, from collections made 20 or 30 years ago that are now more refined, or are alienate pieces because if changes in taste.

What are the most sought-after items?

It depends on the trends. There was a period in which Dogon pieces from Mali were very sought-after. Today collectors look for Yoruba pieces from Nigeria and Luba pieces from North-East Congo. These include various groups with the same system of values but differences among each other.

How important is provenance?

In some cases it may let prices increase a lot. Let us think of the masks that belonged to the Cubists. If a mask belonged to Picasso, Man Ray, or Apollinaire is a very important document of an entire era, although the quality may not be excellent because at that time there were not so many masks available.

What was the role of the artistic avant-garde of the early 20th century in the rediscovery of African art?

The role of Picasso and, in general, Cubist, Dada, and Surrealists artists was crucial. The artists were the first ones who recognized the universal artistic qualities of this art. Personalities such as Picasso, Man Ray, Apollinaire and Paul Klee owned African art and were inspired by it. A very interesting exhibition at MoMA in New York in 1984 titled “Primitivism” has put together the works by the Avant-garde and the African masks, in a direct comparison that was never repeated.

Where are the most important collections today?

At the Musée du Quai Branly and the Musée Dapper in Paris, at the Metropolitan in New York, at the British Museum in London and at the Museum für Volkerkunde in Berlin. In Switzerland there is the Rietberg Museum in Zurich and the Musée Barbier-Mueller in Geneva. There are also off the beaten track museums such as the Royal Museum of Central Africa in Tervyren, Belgium.

Visit the Cambi d’Aste website and view their online auction catalog at http://www.cambiaste.com/uk/cambi-aste.asp.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Reliquary statue AMBETE (Gabon), wood, kaolin, height 68 cm. Courtesy Cambi Genoa

Pestle statue Déblé Senufo (Ivory Coast), wood, height 125 cm. Courtesy Cambi Genoa

Collar currency YORUBA (Nigeria), bronze, diameter 34 cm, weight 6.5 kg. Courtesy Cambi Genoa

All’asta la Collezione Angelini di Chieti

GIORGIO DE CHIRICO (1888-1978), Cavalli presso un golfo dell’Egeo, 1930 ca., Olio su tela, 68x116 cm. Stima: €150.000-200.000, Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

VICENZE, Italia – Un’importante collezione che spazia dalla pittura napoletana del Seicento a Morandi e Fontana, dalle incisioni di Rembrandt e Dürer agli arredi Ancien Régime e Impero, fino ad un raro sarcofago romano. Perfino Federico Zeri – come attestato oggi dalla fototeca dell’omonima Fondazione – teneva traccia di alcuni dipinti della Collezione Angelini di Chieti, attualmente in asta presso Gioielli di Carta per incarico della Autorità Giudiziaria. L’importanza di questo patrimonio – che non ha eguali per dimensione e prestigio nelle vendite fallimentari d’arte degli ultimi 30 anni, dai tempi della prima dismissione delle raccolte di Achille Lauro – ha persuaso la Curatela Fallimentare a realizzare, nonostante notevoli difficoltà logistiche, diverse perizie, una vasta ricognizione fotografica ed una schedatura tecnica presentata attraverso due poderosi cataloghi. Un lavoro che vuole offrirsi anche come modello rispetto ai criteri di trasparenza, così importanti nel diritto fallimentare. Quest’asta sta scatenando l’interesse dei mercanti italiani e internazionali e a maggior ragione quindi si ritiene importante renderla disponibile al pubblico dei privati.

Gli oggetti sono molto diversi per natura e per valore, ma possono essere suddivisi nelle seguenti categorie: dipinti e disegni, incisioni et alia, sculture, mobili, altri arredi e, infine, marmi. A tale elenco vanno aggiunti lotti individuati al termine della procedura di catalogazione ed indicati con la dizione “lotti non catalogati.”

Gli oggetti sono stati sequestrati in più momenti e inventariati dalla Guardia di Finanza. Su questi inventari sono state svolte una prima stima da parte del consulente tecnico del tribunale; una seconda da parte della casa d’aste internazionale Dorotheum; ed infine una revisione delle precedenti stime a cura di Gioielli di Carta, seguita ad una ampia campagna fotografica e alla ricognizione dei beni. La vendita si svolge sulla base delle valutazioni revisionate. È comunque possibile visionare le stime precedenti. L’attuale schedatura si è svolta in tre fasi: campagna fotografica, assunzione dei dati tecnici (materiali, dimensioni) e, infine, studio dei materiali. Le pubblicazioni realizzate per l’occasione contano, nel loro complesso, quasi 2.000 pagine con circa 1.800 illustrazioni.

Nonostante in data 22 aprile i curatori abbiano scoperto un furto di parte dei lotti dalla collezione, in particolare argenti, tappeti e orologi, tali lotti restano attualmente ancora catalogati sul sito www.gioiellidicarta.it allo scopo di facilitarne l’identificazione in caso di circolazione illecita.

Fra i lotti in asta segnaliamo alcuni highlights: per la sezione “Dipinti e disegni”, un San Pietro attribuito a Jusepe De Ribera (1588-1652), olio su tela, 125,5×95,5 cm, stimato €40.000-50.000; un ritratto di gentiluomo della bottega di Tiziano Vecellio (1480/1485-1576), olio su tela, 93,5×73,4 cm, con una stima di €80.000-120.000; il dipinto di Franco Gentilini (1909-1981) “Ragazze nello studio”, 1937, olio su tela, 140,3×100 cm, stimato €50.000-70.000; e poi di Marc Chagall (1887-1985) “Deux personnages”, 1960, olio e gouache su carta intelata, 60×50 cm, stima €400.000-600.000; di Giorgio De Chirico (1888-1978) “Cavalli presso un golfo dell’Egeo”, circa 1930, olio su tela, 68×116 cm, stima € 150.000-200.000 e il disegno “Manichino”, 1917-1918 circa. Di Mario Sironi (1885-1961), una matita grassa su carta vergellata, 20,7×27,4 cm, con stima pari a €1.500-2.500; di Gino Severini (1883 1966) una “Natura morta in bleu”, olio su tavola multistrato, 50,4×61,2 cm. stima €20.000-40.000; di Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) un “Concetto Spaziale Teatrino”, 1965, olio su tela forata e legno laccato, 72,6×56 cm, con stima €100.000-150.000.

Nella sezione “Incisioni” troviamo “La battaglia degli dei marini (parte destra)”, 1485-1488, di Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), bulino su carta, 26,2×39,4 cm, stima €3.000-5.000; di Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) Adamo ed Eva, 1504, bulino su carta, 24,4×18,8 cm, stima €30.000-50.000; di Rembrandt Harmenszoon Van Rijn (1606-1669), “Paesaggio con casa contadina e grande albero”, 1641, acquaforte su carta, 12,4×31,6 cm, stima €10.000-20.000.

Per la sezione “Mobili” spicca un tavolo placcato “boulle” in stile Luigi XV di Produzione francese, XIX secolo, legno ebanizzato, placcato in bronzo e tartaruga alla maniera di André Charles Boulle (1642–1732), 70x69x52 cm. Stima €3.000-5.000; un letto barocco a due piazze con importante apparato decorativo, proveniente dall’Italia centrale (Bologna?), XVII secolo, legno di noce, 164x158x229 cm, stima €5.000-8.000.

Infine nella sezione “Marmi” è presente un sarcofago romano di ipotizzabile produzione siciliana, III-IV secolo, marmo, piombo, 80x210x60 cm circa, con stima di €30.000-40.000.

Calendario d’asta
Dal 4 maggio 2013 è aperta la procedura di Vendita al doppio della stima minima
13 settembre 2013 inizio ricezione delle offerte per l’asta ordinaria
18 ottobre 2013 Asta di dipinti e disegni, incisioni et alia, sculture
25 ottobre 2013 Asta mobili, tappeti, altri arredi, marmi, beni non catalogati

Esposizione
dal 29 giugno 2013 a Vicenza, Centro Orafo Voice of Gold
Via Vecchia Ferriera, 70. Accesso su appuntamento

www.gioiellidicarta.it

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985), Deux personnages, 1960, Olio e gouache su carta intelata, 60x50 cm. Stima: €400.000-600.000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985), Deux personnages, 1960, Olio e gouache su carta intelata, 60×50 cm. Stima: €400.000-600.000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

LUCIO FONTANA (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale Teatrino, 1965, Olio su tela forata e legno laccato, 72,6x56 cm. Stima: €100.000-150.000, Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — LUCIO FONTANA (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale Teatrino, 1965, Olio su tela forata e legno laccato, 72,6×56 cm. Stima: €100.000-150.000, Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

JUSEPE DE RIBERA (1588-1652) ATTRIBUITO A, San Pietro, Olio su tela, 125,5x95,5 cm. Stima: €40.000-50.000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — JUSEPE DE RIBERA (1588-1652) ATTRIBUITO A, San Pietro, Olio su tela, 125,5×95,5 cm. Stima: €40.000-50.000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

Angelini from Chieti pre-auction exhibition opens June 29 in Italy

GIORGIO DE CHIRICO (1888-1978), Cavalli presso un golfo dell’Egeo, circa 1930, Oil on canvas, 68x116 cm. Estimate: €150,000-200,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — GIORGIO DE CHIRICO (1888-1978), Cavalli presso un golfo dell’Egeo, circa 1930, Oil on canvas, 68×116 cm. Estimate: €150,000-200,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

VICENZE, Italy – On June 29 in Vicenze, Italy, an important collection will go on view that includes 17th-century Neapolitan paintings, contemporary art by Morandi and Fontana, etchings by Rembrandt and Dürer; Ancien Régime and Empire furniture, and even a rare Roman sarcophagus. The art is to be auctioned by Gioielli di Carta on Oct. 18 and 25 as part of a high-profile bankruptcy, but an extended preview will run throughout the summer months and into October due to the international attention it is expected to attract. LiveAuctioneers will provide the Internet live bidding for the sale

Famous art historian Federico Zeri documented some of the paintings in the collection Angelini from Chieti, which will be sold on behalf of the Judicial Authority. The importance of the collection’s provenance is immense. In the last 30 years, there has not been a collection to rival it at any bankruptcy sale. The last to come to mind were the collections of the Achille Lauro. Because of the Angelini from Chieti’s significance, bankruptcy trustees were persuaded to invest the time, expense and effort required to create two beautiful auction catalogs.

The objects are very different in nature and value, but they can be divided into the following categories: paintings and drawings, engravings et al., sculptures, furniture, other decoratives, and marbles. To this list one must add other lots listed as “non-cataloged lots.”

The objects were seized on subsequent occasions and inventoried by the Guardia di Finanza. A preliminary appraisal has been carried out by the technical adviser of the court, a second by the international auction house Dorotheum, and a final revision of the previous estimates which was carried out by Gioielli di Carta.

The sale is based on the reviewed evaluations, but bidders can still view the previous estimates. The publications produced on this occasion comprise almost 2,000 pages with 1,800 illustrations.

On April 22, curators discovered the theft of lots from the collection, in particular silver, rugs and clocks. These lots remain on the site www.gioiellidicarta so that anyone with information regarding their whereabouts can identify them.

Among the lots at auction there are a few highlights: in the section “Paintings and Drawings” there is a San Pietro attributed to Jusepe de Ribera (1588-1652), oil on canvas, 125.5 x95.5 cm, estimated €40,000-50,000; a portrait of a gentleman from the atelier of Titian (1480/1485-1576), oil on canvas, 93.5 x73.4 cm, with an estimated of €80,000-120,000; the painting by Franco Gentilini (1909-1981) “Girl in the study,” 1937, oil on canvas, 140.3 x 100 cm, estimated € 50,000-70,000; and then by Marc Chagall (1887-1985) “Deux personnages,” 1960, oil and gouache on paper mounted on canvas, 60×50 cm, estimated €400,000 to 600,000; by Giorgio De Chirico (1888-1978) “Horses at a gulf of the Aegean,” circa 1930, oil on canvas, 68×116 cm, with an estimate of €150,000-200,000; and the drawing “Mannequin,” circa 1917-1918. By Mario Sironi (1885-1961) there is a work with pencil on paper, 20.7 x27.4 cm, with an estimate of €1,500-2,500; by Gino Severini (1883, 1966) “Still Life in blue,” an oil on panel, 50.4 x61.2 cm, estimated €20,000-40,000; by Lucio Fontana (1899-1968) “Spatial Concept Teatrino,” 1965, oil on canvas on perforated and lacquered wood, 72.6 x56 cm, estimate of €100,000-150,000.

In the “Engravings” section we find “The Battle of the Sea (right),” 1485-1488, by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506), engraving on paper, 26.2×39.4 cm, estimated €3,000-5,000; by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) “Adam and Eve,” from 1504, engraving on paper, 24.4 x18.8 cm, estimate of €30,000-50,000; by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), “Landscape with farm house and large tree,” 1641, etching on paper, 12.4×31.6 cm, estimated €10,000-20,000.

In the section “Furniture,” the most important lots include a 19th-century Louis XV-style boulle table of bronze-plated ebonized wood and tortoise shell in the manner of André Charles Boulle (1642-1732), 70x69x52 cm, estimated €3.000-5.000. Also, there is a 17th-century central Italian (possibly Bologna) baroque walnut bed with exquisite decorations from central Italy (maybe from Bologna), 164x158x229 cm, with an estimate of €5,000-8,000.

Finally, in the section “Marbles,” there is a Roman sarcophagus, probably of Sicilian production, from the 3rd/4th century, in marble and lead, 80x210x60 cm, with an estimate of €30,000-40,000.

Auction Calendar for 2013:

September 13, 2013: bidding opens for the general auction

October 18, 2013: Auction of paintings and drawings, engravings et al,, sculptures

October 25, 2013: Auction of furniture, carpets, other decoratives, marble, uncataloged lots

Exhibition:

Starting June 29, 2013 in Vicenza, Centro Orafo Voice of Gold, Via Vecchia Ferriera, 70. By appointment only.

For additional information, log on to http://www.gioiellidicarta.it.

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985), Deux personnages, 1960, Oil and gouache on paper, 60x50 cm. Estimate: €400,000-600,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985), Deux personnages, 1960, Oil and gouache on paper, 60×50 cm. Estimate: €400,000-600,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

LUCIO FONTANA (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale Teatrino, 1965, Oil on perforated canvas and lacquer wood, 72.6x56 cm. Estimate: €100,000-150,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — LUCIO FONTANA (1899-1968), Concetto Spaziale Teatrino, 1965, Oil on perforated canvas and lacquer wood, 72.6×56 cm. Estimate: €100,000-150,000. Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

Attributed to JUSEPE DE RIBERA (1588-1652), San Pietro, Oil on canvas, 125.5x95.5 cm. Estimate: €40,000-50,000, Courtesy Gioielli di Carta — Attributed to JUSEPE DE RIBERA (1588-1652), San Pietro, Oil on canvas, 125.5×95.5 cm. Estimate: €40,000-50,000, Courtesy Gioielli di Carta

$1.4M paid for George Washington letter in NYC auction

Gilbert Stuart portrait of 'George Washington the first good president 1846,' painted March 20, 1797. This portrait was based on the uncompleted Athenaeum portrait by Stuart; the uncompleted portions were filled in by Rembrandt Peale. Painting is in the collection of the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Mass.

NEW YORK (AP) – A letter in which George Washington offers his positive views on the newly drafted Constitution has sold for $1.4 million in New York.

It was written during the contentious debate over the document’s ratification. A private collector offered it for sale at Christie’s on Friday.

Christie’s says the seven-page letter was purchased by an anonymous phone bidder for $1,443,750. Bidding was between the phone bidder and a woman in the room.

Dated April 25, 1788, it is addressed to Revolutionary War Officer John Armstrong.

Washington writes that he doubts “whether the opposition of the Constitution will not ultimately be productive of more good than evil.”

He also says the framers of the Constitution “have given the rights of man a full and fair discussion.”

Chris Coover, Senior Specialist of Books and Manuscripts, Christie’s New York, said after the auction: “Today’s sale featured a highly important letter of George Washington, strongly endorsing the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Letters of this significance are very rarely offered for sale. This spectacular result reaffirms the deep and abiding respect and appreciation Americans feel for Washington and his compelling influence which has powerfully shaped our nation. The sale of this superb letter comes on the heels of our June 2012 sale of Washington’s annotated copy of the Acts of Congress, which brought $9,826,500.”

Thomas Lecky, Head of the Books and Manuscripts Department, Christie’s New York, added, “A diverse group of books and manuscripts also found strong results in today’s sale. A selection of maps and atlases was highlighted by a superb copy of Blaeu’s Grand Atlas, and botanical books from the Holden Arboretum were well received. Edgar Allan Poe’s remarkable, previously undiscovered, letter about his seminal story the ‘Tell-Tale Heart,’ more than tripled its low estimate.”

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Signed, holographic George Washington letter written at Mount Vernon, April 25, 1788, and sent to John Armstrong (1717-1795). Auctioned at Christie's New York gallery on June 21, 2013 for $1,443,750. Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd. 2013. — Signed, holographic George Washington letter written at Mount Vernon, April 25, 1788, and sent to John Armstrong (1717-1795). Auctioned at Christie’s New York gallery on June 21, 2013 for $1,443,750. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd. 2013.

Ky. museum gets historical papers linked to ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’

Amos Riley Archive with manuscript pass used by Josiah Henson, Harriet Beecher Stowe's model for 'Uncle Tom' in the novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin.' Sold for $6,500 + buyer's premium on June 21, 2013 at Cowan's Auctions in Cincinnati. Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and Cowan's Auctions.

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) – A western Kentucky museum has placed the winning bid on the personal papers of two community pioneers linked to a famous novel.

The main interest in the papers of Amos Riley and his son, Camden Riley, was their connection to Josiah Henson, who was a slave on the Riley plantation in Daviess County from 1825 to 1830. Henson went on to become an abolitionist in Canada, and the title character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was modeled after him.

Owensboro Museum of Science and History Director Kathy Olson told the Messenger-Inquirer the museum paid $6,500 for 75 items including a “slave pass” for Henson.

The items went up for auction Friday at Cowan’s Auctions Inc. in Cincinnati.

View the catalog lot online at https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/17996108_amos-riley-archive-w-pass-used-by-josiah-henson.

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Information from: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, http://www.messenger-inquirer.com.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ unveiled in Atlanta

Johannes Vermeer (Dutch, 1632-1675), 'Girl with a Pearl Earring,' 1665, a faithful photographic reproduction of the original artwork from the collection of the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague, Netherlands. The artwork is sometimes referred to as 'the Dutch Mona Lisa.'

ATLANTA (AP) – Atlanta’s High Museum of Art is giving visitors a chance to experience the engaging over-the-shoulder glance of Johannes Vermeer’s famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”

Along with 34 other works from the Dutch Golden Age, including four by Rembrandt van Rijn, the 17th century masterpiece is part of the exhibition “Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis,” which opened yesterday in Atlanta and runs through Sept. 29.

“What you get from this exhibition is an overview of Dutch paintings at the hand of the very best examples you can imagine,” said Emilie Gordenker, director of the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague, which owns the paintings.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” is one of only about three dozen paintings that can definitively be attributed to Vermeer. It’s also the most famous example of a category of Dutch portrait known as a “tronie,” from a Dutch word for face. These bust-length portraits aren’t meant to capture the likeness of a specific person.

The mystery surrounding the identity of the girl with the soft, translucent skin and enigmatic gaze has contributed to the painting’s fame, which has been boosted by author Tracy Chevalier’s 1999 book of the same name. The novel, later adapted to a film starring Scarlett Johannson as the girl and Colin Firth as Vermeer, is a fictional story about the painter and his model.

The girl’s blue and yellow turban is not something a 17th-century woman would have worn, and could indicate she is a figure from history or the Bible, Gordenker said. The uncertainty allows the “freedom for us to really think about who she might be,” she said.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” last visited the U.S. during a Vermeer retrospective at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 1996. Like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” to which it is often compared, it is a relatively small painting, only about 18 by 15 inches, and occupies its own gallery at the end of the High exhibition.

Leading up to that highly anticipated finale are more extraordinary examples of 17th-century Dutch painting. They’re grouped into four categories, opening with landscapes and winding through still lifes, scenes of everyday life, and portraits.

“There are 35 paintings in the exhibition. Any one of them would be a highlight in our collection,” High director of collections and exhibitions David Brenneman said.

Among the highlights is a 1665 painting by Jan Steen, “As the Old Sing, So Twitter the Young,” a scene of debauchery with adults eating, drinking, playing music and even teaching a young child to smoke a pipe. As is characteristic of depictions of everyday life at the time, Steen is trying to convey a moralizing message _ a parrot symbolically looking on from the corner drives home the point that children will mimic their elders’ bad behavior.

The four Rembrandts in the exhibition trace the Dutch master’s career. “‘Tronie’ of a Man with a Feathered Beret” from 1635 and “Portrait of an Elderly Man” from 1667 showcase Rembrandt’s exquisite attention to detail and masterful use of light.

The exhibition had its U.S. premiere at the de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco earlier this year, and a condensed version will be on view at The Frick Collection in New York from Oct. 22 through Jan. 19.

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If You Go…

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING: DUTCH PAINTING FROM THE MAURITSHUIS: Through Sept. 29 at the High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; http://www.high.org, 404-733-5000. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Thursdays until 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Adults, $19.50; students with ID and seniors 65 and over, $16.50; children 6-17, $12; children 5 and under, free.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Not guilty plea to new charges in NY art scam

Jasper Johns Jr. (American, b. 1930), 'Flag,' encaustic, oil and collage on fabric mounted on plywood; 42 x 61in., Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1954-55.Fair use of low-resolution copyrighted image depicting a historically significant work that cannot be conveyed in words alone. The image is shown for informative and educational purposes and to provide a means of comparing the authentic artwork, shown here, with any alleged copies. Copyright Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

NEW YORK (AP) – A New York foundry owner already accused of trying to sell a fake Jasper Johns sculpture for $11 million has pleaded not guilty to additional charges.

Prosecutors say Brian Ramnarine continued to sell unauthorized works by other artists after his arrest last year. He pleaded not guilty to the new charges on Friday.

Federals prosecutors have alleged that in 1990 Johns provided Ramnarine with a mold for Johns’ famous 1960 sculpture called “Flag” to make a wax cast. They say 20 years later Ramnarine tried to sell a bronze flag made from the original mold without the artist’s permission.

Prosecutors asked a judge on Friday to revoke Ramnarine’s bail. But the judge instead ordered the probation office to keep a closer eye on him.

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Once-golden Diana statue to be regilded in Philly

The Roman goddess Diana, gilded-copper statue by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American/born Ireland, 1848-1907), made in Salem, Ohio and Cornish, N.H., 1892-93, originally created for the tower of the first Madison Square Garden in New York City. Property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gift of the New York Life Insurance Co., 1932. Image courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A once-golden statue of the deity Diana that formerly stood as the tallest point in New York will be refurbished by its current owners at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The 13-foot-tall sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens depicts the hunting goddess poised to shoot an arrow. Conservationists are using a $200,000 private grant to regild the now faded artwork with 180 square feet of gold leaf.

“Diana is widely recognized as one of the great icons of our collection, but most people do not realize that the sculpture’s gray-green surfaces once gleamed in gold,” museum director and CEO Timothy Rub said in a statement.

The statue was first installed in 1893 as a weather vane atop the original Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. Standing on a 300-foot-high tower and fitted with “billowing drapery” to catch the wind, Diana became the highest point in the city, according to museum records. It was also the area’s first statue to be lit at night by electricity.

After the entertainment complex was torn down in 1925, Diana was placed into storage. The Philadelphia museum acquired the statue seven years later; since then, she has stood at the top of a staircase in the museum’s grand entrance hall.

The restoration project is expected to take about four months.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

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