10 Ene Featured lots of the latest Spanish auctions of 2017

As every month (although we admit it: this time we have been delayed a little… blame the Christmas holidays, forgive us!) we bring you a post-summary of the best sales of the month in the most important Spanish auction houses. This time we have Fernando Duran, Balclis, Durán, Alcalá, Goya, Ansorena, La Suite, …

We started, as always, through the auction houses of the center, and within these we have chosen Fernando Durán as the first protagonist. Its auction took place on December 28 and 29, was the latest in the entire Spanish scene and get great results. The first and most striking, both at the level of previous and its sale, was Oculto (O / L, 1979, 185 x 134 cm), a canvas by José Guerrero that was the lot 68. It was a large format, with an excellent quality and a suitable composition, it was not strange that it came out with previous offers that amounted to € 130,000, the price at which it was finally awarded as there were no greater offers in the room. He also drew attention Untitled (O / L, 2005, 150 x 150 cm), Mimmo Paladino (Paduli, Italy 1948), a work that had been exhibited in the Pelaires Gallery in Palma de Mallorca in 1950. It was settled at € 28,000, € 4,000 above what was initially requested by the auction house.

It is also worth mentioning that the bust sculpture of Charles V (Carrara marble, 90 x 24 x 60 cm) by Leone (1509, Arezzo – 1590, Milan) and Pompeo Leoni (around 1530, Milan – 1690, Madrid), was withdrawn from the auction a few days before the auction. Finally it seems that it will become part of the heritage of Extremadura, given that it was the Ministry of Culture of the Junta de Extremadura which finally achieved the agreement between the owners, the room and themselves to remove the spectacular work of the catalog. It would have gone to auction for € 400,000.

Ansorena, meanwhile, held an auction in his room on December 14 and 15, with successes in old and contemporary painting. Regarding the old painting, we see lots like Oración en el huerto (O / T, 66 x 46 cm), attributed by Isabel Mateo to Antonio Comontes (deceased around 1547), which was formed in the workshop of Juan de Borgoña. It should be noted its similarity with another typical of the church of San Andrés in Toledo. It was settled at € 16,500. Also striking was the table of Virgen con el Niño (O / T, 24 x 18 cm) by Hans Rottenhammer (Munich, 1564 – 1625), which rose from an exit of € 4,200 to the € 11,000 in which it was finished.

As for the bids for the contemporary, we see how the great success took it by Mujer de negro (pastel on paper and canvas, 101 x 73 cm), by María Blanchard (Santander, 1881 – Paris, 1932). It had already gone to auction in Ansorena previously, specifically in the Christmas auction of 2016, for almost double what was currently requested, and once again in May of this year, for € 65,000. Finally it was offered at € 43,000 and was awarded in this same amount. It is a work with history: it was auctioned in Dobiaschofky for € 65,600 in 2002, in Sotheby’s for $ 70,000-90,000 in 2003, in Vanderkindere for € 75,000 in 2004 and also in 2004 in Ansorena for € 100,000. Two other works also attracted attention: the first by Cristóbal Toral (Antequera, Málaga, 1940), Desnudo (O / L, 110 x 120 cm), which was settled at its starting price, € 30,000; and the second one by César Manrique (Lanzarote, 1920 – 1992), Burbuja roja (O / L, 116 x 89 cm, 1973), which was sold for € 19,000 when his output was € 5,000.

As for Goya, who presented his auction on December 11 and 12, we see how a pair of polychrome marble plates with mythological scenes depicting Psyche and Cupid, dated and dated in Paris, were finished off in their decorative art section. 1800, signed by Piat-Joseph Sauvage (Tournai, Belgium 1744 – 1818), the Antwerp Academy and Paris, where he was a real artist. It was settled at € 44,000, since its first price at € 6,000. In the furniture section we see a good sale with lot 311, a pair of French corner cabinets with Japanese lacquer panels, mounted in gilded bronze of Louis XV era. They were auctioned at € 65,000, more than twice their output.

Without a doubt, it has been the month for Goya. They made his August when they sold, for € 497,500 at all, the five portraits of Escuela Cuzqueña from the 18th century that initially went on sale for € 5,000-7,000. Specifically, Don Juan José Vázquez de Acuña (primer Conde de la Vega del Ren, Capitán de Infantería Española… y Virrey de estos Reinos) (O / L, 200 x 104 cm), € 8,500; Don Matías José Vázquez de Acuña (segundo Conde de la Vega del Ren, Alférez de Mar y Guerra en el Preciado del Callao, Corregidor y Justicia Mayor de la Provincia de Castrorreina) (O / L, 200 x 124 cm), € 65,000; Don José Gerónimo Vázquez de Acuña (tercer Conde de la Vega del Ren, Comisario General de la Caballería del reino del Perú y Corregidor y Justicia Mayor de la Provincia de Chayanta) (O / L, 200 x 122 cm), 170,000 €; Doña Francisca Bárbara Vázquez de Acuña, wife of Mr. José Gerónimo Vázquez de Acuña (O / L, 200 x 135 cm), 225,000 €; Don Matías Vázquez de Acuña Menacho (quinto Conde de la Vega del Ren, Teniente Coronel del Batallón Provincial Infantería Española y Alcalde ordinario) (O / L, 208 x 130 cm), € 29,000. Why? Because the Museum of Peru was especially interested in recovering those vestiges of its history. Our congratulations!

Do not believe that the auction remained in that. It is not that it is little, precisely, but the tables of the Crown of Aragon, of approximately 1500, of San Pedro, Pablo, Santiago and Antonio Abad (88 x 244 cm), predelas of an altarpiece, were sold for € 90,000. And finally, a Pie (36 x 56 x 30 cm, 1981) in marble by Igor Mitoraj rose to 70,000 €.

Durán had surprises in sales of ivories and models. The two precious German tankards that we highlighted in our article found buyers for € 3,250 each, while their model section of Iberia aircraft found considerable success, with its model of Iberia B 747 EC-DIA selling for € 4,500 from its 500 € exit in a lively bid, for humanitarian purposes.

As for the pictorial, Durán shows us how Fermín Aguayo (1926-1977), despite being a great unknown, attracts glances. Le compotier (O / L, 65 x 81 cm, 1966), went to auctions for € 1,200, and was settled at € 8,000 that were already a prior bid. The great success was also that of Campesino (O / L, 81 x 100 cm, 1974) by José Vela Zanetti (1913 – 1999), which was sold for the € 9,000 ordered.

Alcalá Subastas held their bidding on December 14 and 15, where the highlight was the sale of San Pedro de Alcántara, a sculpture by Pedro de Mena (1628 – 1688). No doubt it was a good sale, for € 150,000, the second highest auction for an artwork by Pedro de Mena (the first being the € 183,000 that Magdalena Penitente reached at Sotheby’s in 2013). The State, for its part, acquired the Mexican or Peruvian “enconchado” chest from the 18th century, which rose to € 22,500 from collectors, which led the State to exercise its right of first refusal.

As for the pictorial, we see how the oil Adoration of the Magi (O / L, 140 x 154.5 cm), by Pedro Atanasio Bocanegra, amounted to € 60,000 from € 30,000 out: has reached a new record for the artist at auction. It was also striking the sale of Santo Entierro (T / T, 92 x 61 cm) of the Master of Langa, XV century, which rose from € 15,000 to € 26,000. Then, we see the work of Ignacio Zuloaga, Portrait of the baritone Titta-Rufo (O / L, 130 x 97 cm, 1930), which was exhibited both in the National Museum of Modern Art in Madrid and in the Sala Argós in Barcelona. It was sold for the exit, € 40,000. He is accompanied by the work of Joaquín Sorolla, León Cathedral (O / C, 34 x 22.5 cm, 1902), sold for € 35,000.

Regarding the Catalan houses we find great results too. Balclis held their auction on December 19 at 4:30 p.m., with one main success: lot 564, a pout-pourri style Napoleon III (Egyptian porphyry with a gilt bronze mount, second half of the 19th century), which brought with it two Accessory bases in black and white marble. Initially it went to auction for € 5,000 and was finished at € 25,000.

As for his offer of paintings, the canvas of Eliseo Meifrén (Barcelona 1857 – 1940), Noche de luna (Palma de Mallorca) (O / L, 97.2 x 110.7 cm) stood out. It went to auction for € 24,000, almost half of the € 40,000 that was given by the work relatively recently, in 2015. Although finally settled almost the same, € 37,500. Next to this we see Eduardo Egozcue (Barcelona, ​​1886 – 1915), Portrait (O / L, 55 x 46 cm), an interesting work that was settled at € 25,000.

As for La Suite, we can see that in their auction on December 14 and 15 a table by Pedro García de Benabarre (Huesca, documented in 1455 and 1456) was sold, a San Antonio Abad, made in tempera, stucco and gold with gold leaf (66 x 58 cm). It was awarded for 45,000 €, weighing on it the decision of inexportabilidad of the State on the lot. The collection on which this La Suite auction was based was especially beautiful, a Catalan collection of 57 pieces from the medieval world to the Renaissance, which obtained the good results that it appeared to present. Next to this table was also sold a relief of Virgin in Majesty of alabaster (flamenco, early sixteenth century), for € 15,000, and a Virgin in Gothic Majesty, Catalan school of the thirteenth century, for € 18,000.