Dorotheum auctions portrait of Empress-to-be Elisabeth of Austria for 1.5 million
Lot 1138. Carl Theodor von Piloty and Franz Adam (Munich 1826–1886 Ambach on Lake Starnberg) and (Milan 1815–1886 Munich), Empress Elisabeth of Austria as bride on horseback in Possenhofen 1853, signed, dated and inscribed n. d. N. v. Carl Piloty. Pferd v. Franz Adam 1853 [painted from nature by Carl Piloty, horse by Franz Adam 1853], oil on canvas, 128 x 108 cm, original frame, (Rei). Estimate EUR 300,000 to 400,000 (USD 328,000 to 437,500). Realized price EUR 1,540,000 (USD 1,683,500). Photo courtesy Dorotheum
VIENNA.- You could have heard a pin drop in Dorotheum’s auction hall. After a prolonged sparring of bidders, a caller pledged €1,540,000 for an historic portrait of Sisi–and was met with a standing ovation.
The painting by Carl Theodor von Piloty and Franz Adam of the newly engaged Elisabeth of Austria seated on horseback in front of Possenhofen Castle at Lake Starnberg was the top lot of the 27 April 2017 19th century paintings auction despite being restricted from export.
Sisi, who would become Empress Elisabeth of Austria, gave the portrait to Francis Joseph of Austria for Christmas after the two were engaged to be married. The work had faded from the public eye after belonging to the Habsburg estate for over 150 years. It was one of Francis Joseph of Austria’s most prized possessions, having hung on the wall above the emperor’s bed in the Hofburg Imperial Palace for 60 years, until his death.
The auction was the best auction of 19th century paintings in Dorotheum's history.
Tremendous international interest, soaring prices for old master paintings on April 25.
Dorotheum's auction week kicked off amidst high demand and soaring bids. A masterpiece of the Florentine early Renaissance, Apollonio di Giovanni's "The Battle of Pharsalos," achieved an outstanding €674,000. Originally the front piece of a wedding trunk , or cassone, the work was one of the auctions standouts.
Lot 59. Apollonio di Giovanni (Florence circa 1415/17–1465), The Battle of Pharsalus, tempera with gold on panel, a cassone panel, 40.5 x 157.2 cm, framed. Estimate EUR 400,000 to 600,000 (USD 437,500 to 656,000). Realized price EUR 674,000 (USD 737,000). Photo courtesy Dorotheum
Applause filled the auction room after the winning bid, a handsome sum of €466,600, was placed for a pair of portraits - one of a man and one of a woman - by the Antwerp School.
Lot 48. Antwerp School, circa 1620, Portrait of a gentleman, three quarter length, in a white ruff holding a hat; and Portrait of a lady, three quarter length, in a black dress, holding a fan, oil on canvas, each 130 x 97 cm, framed, a pair (2). Estimate EUR 30,000 to 50,000 (USD 33,000 to 55,000). Realized price EUR 466,600 (USD 510,000). Photo courtesy Dorotheum
The illustrious Brueghel family name - in this case, Brueghel the II.- inspired a bidder to pay €417,800 for a version of the famous "Bird Trap" allegory. A still-life painting by Jean Michel Picart, one of the best-known representatives of Parisian Grand Siècle painting, sold for €393,400.
Lot 43. Pieter Brueghel II (Brussels 1564–1637 Antwerp), The Bird Trap, oil on panel, 22 x 34.5 cm, framed. Estimate EUR 200,000 to 300,000 (USD 219,000 to 328,000). Realized price EUR 417,800 (USD 457,000). Photo courtesy Dorotheum
Lot 93. Jean Michel Picart (Antwerp 1600–1682 Paris), A still life of a basket of flowers and a mound of fruit on a sculpted stone table, partly covered with a blue velvet, gold-and-silver fringed cloth with drapery and a stone column in the background, oil on canvas, 115.5 x 159.5 cm, framed. Estimate EUR 120,000 to 160,000 (USD 131,000 to 175,000). Realized price EUR 393,400 (USD 430,000). Photo courtesy Dorotheum
The auction, one of Dorotheum's best to date, attracted enormous international interest, with many works selling for far more than expected.