Sotheby's London Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction on 6 December features a modest selection of 26 lots. However, the emphasis lies on quality over quantity, as reflected in the offer, which includes works by Gustave Courbet, John Singer Sargent, William Hogarth, and Willem Claesz. Heda.
The latter is represented by a still life, and it isn't the only one in an Old Masters auction. The final lot to be presented is Still life with roses, carnations, tulips, daffodils, irises, misty love, delphiniums and other flowers in a wicker basket, with a butterfly and a cricket. Executed on a 32 x 42 cm copper plate, it carries an estimated value of £500,000-700,000. As indicated by the signature 'Clara P,' this masterpiece is attributed to the significant still life artist Clara Peeters, who was active in Antwerp around 1607-1621 or later.
See also: On Rocky Paths: Female Artists from the Renaissance and Enlightenment
Only around 40 works by Peeters are known, and she used copper rarely. This work spent nearly a century in a private collection in Belgium, which is why it was never documented in specialist literature.
Another noteworthy discovery or re-attribution involves Rembrandt's oil painting, The Adoration of the Magi, with an estimated value of £10-15 million. This remarkable work on an oak panel is believed to have been created around 1628, during the early stages of Rembrandt's career. It was last offered at a Sotheby's auction in London in 1963, listed as a Rembrandt original. However, shortly thereafter, an art historian raised doubts about its authorship, suggesting it was more likely a work from Rembrandt's circle. Subsequently, the painting was removed from the catalogue raisonné.
See also: Rembrandt: Painter of the Soul
Over the following decades, The Adoration of the Magi was auctioned twice at Christie's in Amsterdam, catalogued as a work from Rembrandt's circle. Most recently, it was presented in an online auction with an estimated value of €10,000-15,000. The buyer at that time, who is also the current consignor, seemingly had a suspicion about its true origin and acquired it for €890,000. A thorough investigation ensued, leading to the conclusion that it is indeed an authentic Rembrandt. Consequently, the small painting is now featured at Sotheby's with a significantly higher estimate.
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While not a rediscovery, it's worth mentioning the exciting Portrait of a Mughal lady, seated in an interior, painted by Francesco Renaldi in 1787. Renaldi, an Englishman with Italian roots, studied at the Royal Academy Schools before traveling to Italy. In 1786, he was drawn even further afield, and joined the British East India Company to work in India as a painter. Between 1786 and 1789, Renaldi was active in Calcutta (now Kolkata). In the following years he traveled around and worked in in various places, including Lucknow and Dacca (now Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh).
Upon his return to England in 1791, Renaldi had established an excellent reputation as a painter in India. While the identity of the young lady in the present portrait remains unknown, the work stands out for Renaldi's skilful use of fine lines and tones. Interestingly, an almost identical piece is housed in a private collection.
