Classical Art

Celebrate the classic, eternal appeal of works by Old Masters and 19th century artists in Europe. Glorious still life paintings full of fruits and flowers in bounty beguile the eye. Landscape paintings and botanical illustrations are a welcome respite from everyday life, and a whirlwind history of classical drawing will inspire your next doodle aesthetic.

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🔊Join Maja Markovic, Head of Evening Sale, as she presents two highlights from our Old Masters Part I auction this Classic Week 🔔Old Masters Part I | London, 3 December 6:30pm GMT

Unveiling the stories behind four masterpieces coming to auction this July as part of London Classic Week. Explore the enduring legacy of Old Masters.

With collections dating back to the late 18th century, the Rothschilds are famed for their curated trove of extraordinary works of fine maiolica produced during the Italian Renaissance. Highlighting the sale is the extraordinarily large Urbino Maiolica Documentary plate by Francesco Xanto Avell. This one-of-a-kind piece once belonged to the Duke of Ariano, Ferrante Gonzaga-Guastalla and depicts the storming of La Goletta. Rothchild Masterpieces | New York

Old Masters Paintings

Figs and Oranges

Figs and Oranges

Red Rose and Bud in a Tumbler on a Shiny Table

Botanical Illustrations

In 1924, the New York publisher Hearst had commissioned Dulac to produce an annual series of illustrations for the front cover of The American Weekly. Each year, Dulac would be required to produce between eight and twelve watercolours in response to theme of his choosing. The present lot was published on the cover page of The American Weekly, 25 April 1937, this was one of seven watercolours produced for the theme of Beauty and the Beast. 🔔British and European Art | London, 4 June

In the oil painting, an eagle hovers upper right, while the figure clutches two white doves (symbols of peace). The figure also wears a crown of laurel (a victor’s crown).🔔British and European Art: 13 July, London.

Miranda from The Tempest was Waterhouse’s first depiction of a heroine from Shakespeare's play. In 1875, he painted what is believed to be his first version of Miranda. In both style and composition, the present lot bears similarity to the 1875 painting. Both depictions present Miranda sitting on a rocky outcrop, in classical dress. 🔔British and European Art: 13 July, London.

Pre-Raphaelite Art

The 'Sheikh el Belled' referred to in the title of the present work by John Frederick Lewis, R.A., P.R.W.S. would have been the chief of the local village who would have acted as a guide to travelling artists, accompanying them to local places such as the temple at Kom Ombo. The temple lies approximately 100 miles upstream from Luxor, and Lewis would have visited this site with Sheikh el Belled when he was based in Cairo between 1841-1851. 🔔British and European Art | London, 4 June

📸Pictured here is 'A street scene, Copenhagen' (1902) by Paul Fischer. 🔔British and European Art | London, 4 June

📸Pictured here is 'Rio Della Guerra, Venice' (1921) by Joseph Edward Southall, R.W.S.🔔British and European Art | London, 4 June

Landscape Paintings

Published in the 1924 Christmas Edition of The London Illustrated News, the present watercolour portrays the Angel Gabriel greeting the Virgin Mary, at the moment the first rose bloomed. 📸Pictured here is 'The Birth of the Rose' by Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale, R.W.S. 🔔British and European Art | London, 4 June

Landscape, as a subject in its own right, forms only a small part of Rembrandt’s printed oeuvre, comprising 25 etchings and drypoints created over a period of twelve years, between 1640 and 1652. In these prints Rembrandt largely eschewed the dramatic chiaroscuro seen in his paintings of the previous decade in favour of a more fluid, spontaneous execution - an approach to landscape also very much in evidence in his drawings at the time. The exception is The Three Trees, which is the largest and most ambitious landscape composition and a tour-de-force of the effects of light and shade.

Christ crucified between the two Thieves: 'The Three Crosses'. 🔔Old Masters Part I | Live Auction: 7 December 2.30PM GMT

Classical Drawings

Lose yourself in art from antiquity to the 21st century in our London winter Classic Week season, in which we celebrate the transformative power of creativity and invention. 🔔 Classic Week: London | 1 -15 December

The present work is particularly notable in its appeal to a pre-existing legend. In Greek mythology, the snake-haired Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, whose gaze had the power to turn their onlookers to stone. Her likeness had been imagined time and again in art: from the sculptures of antiquity to Caravaggio and beyond. Hirst’s version, in this sense, was simply another chapter in her story, his sleight of hand adding a new dimension to the Medusa’s steely gaze.

Circa 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D. The first chapter of A Collecting Odyssey — an international sale series featuring the private collection of Christian Levett — opens on 7 December with Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I. 🔔Ancient to Modern Art from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part I | Live Auction: 7 December 4PM GMT

Sculptures

Made in England around 1757, this extraordinary cabinet would have been commissioned by a merchant of the East India Company for trade with China. Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) was renowned for having a keen interest in acquiring exotic luxury items, and pieces like the present lot were highly sought-after as tributes for him.

Finely executed in gold, ormolu and auspicious stones, such as lapis lazuli, the cabinets compartmentalised interior was designed to hold jewellery and other precious treasures.

📅The Exceptional Sale | Live Auction: 2 July 5pm BST.

The present necessaire is an exceptional example of the wondrous objects known as toys created by James Cox, the most famous toy maker of the eighteenth century, for export to China. Initially presented to Chinese officials to facilitate Britain’s trade with China, these became incredibly popular and were subsequently acquired by the Emperor and his court. The Exceptional Sale | Live Auction: 2 July 5pm BST.

Christie’s International Head of Silver, Harry Williams-Bulkeley showcases highlights from The Bayreuth Collection. A collector’s passion for over 40 years, behind this collection there is an innate understanding of the imagination and the creative skill of the craftsman, and an erudite appreciation of its ownership, whether by a celebrated collector, such as William Beckford, or from a great country house.🔔Bayreuth: A Connoisseur’s Collection of English Silver and Gold Boxes: 7 July, London.

Gems, Snuff Boxes and Fabergé

450 Classical Art ideas | classical art, still life painting, landscape paintings