Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Knight, Death and the Devil, 1513. Sold for £252,500. © Christie's Images Ltd. 2007

LONDON.-The Genius of the German Renaissance: A Collection of Prints by Albrecht Dürer and Old Master Prints sale realised £3,052,900 and was 84% sold by value. The top lot was Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), Knight, Death and the Devil, 1513 which realised £252,500.

Comment: Richard Lloyd, Head of Prints, Christie’s London: “Today’s auction draws Christie’s International Print sales calendar to a close with a flourish, clearly marking 2007 as the most successful year for the department in the company’s history and positioning Christie’s London Prints department as market leaders, with 61% market share against our nearest competitors. This sale was overwhelmingly bought by private collectors which highlights the strong collector base across Europe for this long standing market. The Genius of the German Renaissance: A Collection of Prints by Albrecht Dürer attracted frenzied interest in the bustling saleroom, realizing a total of £2,075,600 and constituting 8 of the 10 top lots. The Old Masters section garnered particular interest online, with active participation on the telephones from Europe America and Asia. We now look forward to the exciting international print sales in 2008.”  (courtesy www.Artdaily.org)