BY BLAIR LEAKE
January’s Old Master paintings sales in New York were dominated by Sotheby’s.  During the Thursday morning sale, rare and spectacular paintings on offer included the infamous Portrait of a Woman Called “La Belle Ferronnière” (Lot 181), a dramatic ‘The Contnience of Scipio” by Il Baciccio(Lot 177), and a highly anticipated restituted work,  “Jupiter [...]

OMNP takes a look at some of the highlights of Old Master paintings up for auction this week at Christie’s and Sotheby’s in New York.
A fantastic selection of works on both sides, however Sotheby’s is offering a veritable cornucopia from all ages and periods; headed up by a Mannerist masterpiece by Hendrick Goltzius, (lot [...]

BY BLAIR LEAKE
January is the month of short days, little light and grim weather. While most people spend this month hibernating, in eager anticipation of Spring. There is, nevertheless, one event in January which promises to shake weather-intrepid art connoisseurs from their Winter blues. The fourth annual Master Drawings Week (January 23rd-30th) is a showcase [...]

Speculation has it that Mr Wynn’s arms were last seen not akimbo, but rather digging into his deep pockets.

Steve Wynn, last seen by OMNP perusing the bargain bin aisles (to him) at Art Miami during Art Basel Miami Beach, was apparently whetting his appetite for a much bigger purchasing splash last week.
The New York Times [...]

Following the debut of its star lot in December, Christie’s keeps the heavy hitters rolling in..
From ArtDaily:
On 8 December 2009 in London, Christie’s will offer one of the most important Baroque paintings to be presented at auction in a generation, and one of the most significant Old Masters to be offered in recent years. Saint [...]

Top flight works available on the Old Masters market can be counted on a set of fingers at times Nevertheless, “once in a lifetime” opportunities,  always seem to punctuate Christie’s and Sotheby’s bi-annual auctions in New York and London, creating a limelight for featured lots that is sometimes undeserving.  Christie’s London sale this December, however, [...]

As we enter the dog days of Summer, OMNP looks back at some of the highlights of the year, in a three-post series. In this entry, a look at the market’s movement.

Market News
Following the encouraging results of last December’s auctions in London Old Masters continued to assert themselves as a small isle of [...]

Reports from the inaugural “Master Paintings Week” collaboration between London’s Old Master dealers and auction houses have been smashing. For many of the private dealers, business was bountiful. The Antiques Trade Gazette described bustling commerce amidst the distraction of an epic men’s final at Wimbledon, and fortified interest from many of the top [...]

Christie’s sale on Tuesday ends with a bang with an essential work by Michele Marieschi.

Was Christie’s saving all of their best consignments for the Summer? Following a slumping Spring midseason sale in New York, the auction house makes a triumphant return to the market this Tuesday, boasting one of the finest selections of paintings that [...]

A preview of the inaugural Master Paintings week, being held by London’s leading Old Master galleries this July.

OMNP previews Christie’s Sale 2175 of Old Masters and 19th Century Art, on Thursday, June 4, with commentary from Christie’s specialists James Hastie, and Georgina Wilsenach

OMNP reflects on an expert’s discussion of the Old Masters market, sponsored this past weekend at the Morgan Library in New York City by the ADAA (Art Dealer’s Association of America)

OMNP previews lower priced lots from Christie’s upcoming Old Master Paintings Sale in London, on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

A look back at some of the atmosphere surrounding the bidding room floor during Old Masters week, this past January

OMNP details the recent year that was Old Masters news, sales, and exhibitions.
News Highlights
Christie’s and Sotheby’s Old Master auctions are successes in spite of the art market’s recent struggles
England attempts to save its own “Mona Lisa,” Titian’s “Diana and Acteon,” from being sold on the open market, by raising the funds to meet [...]

After the encouraging results of Christie’s sale on Tuesday night, Sotheby’s follow up on Wednesday was an uneven one (20 of the 54 lots did not sell,) yet overall, produced some spectacular surprises. The market’s connoisseurship once again demonstrated that value is not necessarily found in a big name-two of top selling lots were [...]

So where exactly are you parking your millions of dollars during the recession? Apparently, buying an Old Master painting is a good bet- Christie’s first major Old Masters sale since the September financial collapse, sold 80% of its lots last night.
The small rediscovered portrait of “Flora” by Venetian master Giambattista Tiepolo more than tripled [...]

OMNP previews select lots from Christie’s London sale of Old Master paintings on Tuesday, December 2rd.
An excellent Breughel work, comparable to Sotheby’s showcase lot on Wednesday, is being estimated by Christie’s at under $1m USD
Rediscovered Masterpiece by Tiepolo Goes on Public View at Christie’s [Art Knowledge]

Previous reading:
Upcoming Old Masters Auctions [Old Masters, New Perspectives]
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For [...]

A few articles leading up to this weeks Old Master sales at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Will the market’s softening extend itself to the market, or will history repeat itself? From Margaret Studer’s article below:
“In the last major art-market slowdown, in the early 1990s, old masters were “affected, but less,” says Alex Bell, world-wide head [...]

OMNP previews today’s auction affordable Old Master paintings at Christie’s Milan. The drawbacks of the Italian Old Master market also reveal its strengths-while export restrictions keep this market rather tame-the sheer richness of available material within its borders still allows for many quality works by lesser known painters to come to the block. Click MORE [...]