Sotheby's sale of European Paintings fetches 8,286,900 pounds

KOLKATA: Sotheby's sale of 19th Century European Paintings in London brought a strong total of 8,286,900 pounds/$13,183,629/10,298,986 euros, within the pre-sale estimate of 6.7-9.8 million pounds/$10.6-15.6 million/8.3-12.2 million euros.

The auction was 59.2 per cent sold by lot and 74.4 per cent sold by value. The sale was led by Joaquin Sorolla's Pescadores valencianos (Valencian Fishermen), which sold to a European Foundation for 3,737,250 pounds ($5,945,591/4,644,666 euros), establishing a record for the artist at auction in sterling.

Commenting on the sale, Adrian Biddell, senior director and head of the 19th Century European Paintings Department, said in an email statement: "It was as ever a privilege to offer a major work by Sorolla. He is the artist that dominates the 19th Century paintings market. And one that we have had the honour of selling over many years, confirming our market leadership position for the artist - we hold the top ten prices achieved for Sorolla at auction. Pescadores valencianos is an exceptional work, a landmark painting in Sorolla's oeuvre. We always believed that it would sell well, but it was especially satisfying to find that our belief in the picture was shared by the international collectors who bid on it."

Aside from the Sorolla, a number of other key works in the sale achieved prices well above their estimates. Danish artist Peder Severin Kroyer's Marie Kroyer and Anna Ancher on the Beach at Skagen sold for 493,250 pounds ($784,711/613,013 euros), eclipsing its pre-sale estimate of 150/250,000 pounds and establishing the second highest price for the artist at auction.

In addition, a painting by Gustave Courbet never before offered on the market - Le Ruisseau de Plaisir-Fontaine, dans la vallee du Puits Noir, painted in 1864 - sold for 481,250 pounds ($765,621/598,099 euros), above the high estimate (200/300,000 pounds).