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.

458 Pins

7 Sections

Christie's

🔊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

200 Pins

Red Rose and Bud in a Tumbler on a Shiny Table

Botanical Illustrations

20 Pins

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

15 Pins

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

34 Pins

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

42 Pins

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

70 Pins

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

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Botanical Illustration

Black Aesthetic

Assembling the Jurassic Icons

Found in close proximity to each other in the Meilyn quarry in Wyoming, these skeletons are preserved in a remarkable state with an aesthetic black colour to their fossil bones. 🗓️ Jurassic Icons: Allosaurus & Stegosaurus | London, 12 December

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The Allosaurus and Stegosaurus

‘Jurassic Icons’ featuring the instantly recognisable Stegosaurus, with its tail spikes and rows of armoured plates, alongside a pair of the fearsome carnivorous Allosaurus. 🗓️ Jurassic Icons: Allosaurus & Stegosaurus | London, 12 December

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‘The Sam Josefowitz Collection - Part II’ Gallery Walkthrough

🔊Gallery Walkthrough: Join Tim Schmelcher as he presents highlights from the upcoming sale of The Sam Josefowitz Collection - Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt von Rijn - Part II 🔔The Sam Josefowitz Collection: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn - Part II | Live Auction: 5 December 5pm GMT | London

This may contain: a woman standing in front of a painting with the words, hello and welcome to christ's king street in london

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‘Old Masters Part I’ Gallery Walkthrough

🔊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

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House Museum

Etching

Printmaking

The Sam Josefowitz Collection

Join Tim Schmelcher, Prints and Multiples Specialist, and the Rembrandt House Museum’s Anguelito Kertokarijo, as they demonstrate the working process behind Rembrandt van Rijn’s extraordinary etchings. This extraordinary collection, features 90 fine and rare prints offering a compelling insight into Rembrandt’s masterful and experimental approach to printmaking. 🗓️ The Sam Josefowitz Collection: Graphic Masterpieces by Rembrandt van Rijn - Part II | Live Auction: 5 December 5pm GMT | London

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An Andalusian horse Sir Anthony Van Dyck

This striking depiction of a stallion provides a thrilling demonstration of the young van Dyck’s virtuoso handling of paint. 📍 View this masterpiece in person at Christie’s London from 29 November – 3 December.🗓️ Old Masters Part I | London, 3 December

East Greek Gold Sheet Pyxis

Beautifully crafted, this precious container is built in two parts, each sheet gold section decorated in repoussé with an encircling frieze of Orientalizing animals including a bull, lion, goat and antelope, rosettes in the field. Estimate: £15,000 - £25,000. 🗓️Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art: Live Auction: 4 December | London

an ancient bust of a man wearing a scarf

Roman Marble Portrait Bust of Emperor Caracalla

Breaking away from the representations of earlier emperors, who were conveyed as god like beings, this unique bust of Emperor Caracalla, shows a ‘rough soldier’ image, emphasizing his power and ruthlessness. Estimate: £70,000 - £100,000🗓️Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art: Live Auction: 4 December | London

Roman Agate Cameo with a Dog

Once belonging to the 4th Duke of Marlborough, this oval stone carved from agate, with two distinctive layers of cream above translucent brown depicts a dog sleeping. Although the symbolic meaning behind the depiction of the dog is unknown, it could refer to the loyalty of the animals as well as their courage and reliability. Estimate: £30,000 - £50,000. 🗓️Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art: Live Auction: 4 December | London

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Roman Limestone Figure of Antinous

📸Pictured here is a limestone figure of Antinous, the young favourite of the Emperor Hadrian. Often Antinous was depicted in the guise of a pre-existing Greco-Roman or Egyptian god. In this example, he is identified in the traditional guise of a hunter, wearing a chlamys over his shoulders pinned in place by a circular fibula. Estimate: £100,000 - £150,000. 🗓️Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art: Live Auction: 4 December | London

Classical Art

458 Pins

7 Sections

Christie's

Old Masters Paintings

200 Pins

Botanical Illustrations

20 Pins

Pre-Raphaelite Art

15 Pins

Landscape Paintings

34 Pins

Classical Drawings

42 Pins

Sculptures

70 Pins

Gems, Snuff Boxes and Fabergé

0:37

Botanical Illustration

Black Aesthetic

Assembling the Jurassic Icons

1:07

The Allosaurus and Stegosaurus

1:00

‘The Sam Josefowitz Collection - Part II’ Gallery Walkthrough

1:00

‘Old Masters Part I’ Gallery Walkthrough

🔊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