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| Joaquín Sorolla (Spanish 1863-1923) Niños en la playa, Valencia 27.5 X 39.5 in. oil on canvas |
In the 19th century, Paris is where artists went to train, but it was in London where they went to sell. Today if you are a collector looking to buy or sell work created in 19th century Europe, London, however, is no longer the first choice; New York City is where much of the high-end 19th century art is now put at auction. But London art sales are not without their charms. Reserving their own country's artworks for sales dedicated to British artists, London's contemporary sales of 19th century art often feature a broader and more cosmopolitan selection of artists from the European mainland than would be seen in the United States. Usually, though, the biggest (non-British) names now seem reserved for the American market.
An exception to this appears to be the renowned Spanish impressionist, Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, one of whose paintings, Niños en la playa, Valencia, is currently listed in Sotheby's upcoming sale of 19th Century European Paintings. Though Sorolla's works have appeared in American auctions, his most beautiful and iconic paintings - like this one - are directed to a European audience (This does not mean that the auction houses do not try to entice American buyers; I have seen works by Sorolla flown to New York for viewing before being flown back to London for sale, which likely happened with this work too).
Niños en la playa, Valencia, is, without doubt, the most exciting lot in Sotheby's upcoming sale. It is from the collection of the artist's granddaughter, Blanca Pons-Sorolla, and is featured on page 173 of her recently-published book, Sorolla: The Masterworks (though the colors of the online image are much better than those which appear in the book). The painting, from a brilliant and highly-collectible period in Sorolla's career when he focussed on seaside, candid portraits of his own children, is expected to fetch between 1,800,000 and 2,500,000 British Pounds (between 2.7 and 3.8 million USD).
Sotheby's auction of 19th Century European Paintings will take place on May 23rd in London. Previews begin tomorrow, May 19th, and run through the 22nd. The catalog is also available online, and can be downloaded via the Sotheby's iPad app in the Apple iTunes store.
London Exhibition
Sunday May 19th | 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday May 20th | 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday May 21st | 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday May 22nd | 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
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| Joaquín Sorolla (Spanish 1863-1923) En la playa 12.5 X 16.25 in. oil on board |
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| Ignacio Zuloaga (Spanish, 1870-1945) Dama con mantilla y abanico 37.5 X 25.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Conrad Kiesel (German, 1846-1921) Daydreams 24.75 X 15.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Olga Wisinger-Florian (Austrian, 1844-1926) Herbstlaub 30.25 X 20.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Albert Edelfelt (Finnish, 1854-1905) The Boy's Workhouse, Helsinki 17.25 X 21.75 in. oil on canvas |
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| Vilhelm Hammershøi (Danish, 1864-1916) Ida in an Interior with Piano 23.5 X 21.75 in. oil on canvas |
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| Vilhelm Hammershøi (Danish, 1864-1916) Interior with Stove 26.5 X 22 in. oil on canvas |
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| Peder Mønsted (Danish, 1859-1941) Children by a Stream 28 X 39.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Victor Huguet (French, 1835-1902) Caravane dans le désert 25.5 X 36.25 in. oil on canvas |
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| Joaquín Agrasot (Spanish, 1837-1919) An Arab Man 33.25 X 17.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Adam Styka (Polish, 1890-1959) On the Banks of the Nile 17.5 X 21 in. oil on board |
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| Vittorio Reggianini (Italian, 1858-1938) The Recital 21.5 X 29.5 in. oil on canvas |
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| Michael Zeno Diemer (German, 1867-1939) View of the Bosphorus with Rumelihisari 32.5 X 43.5 in. oil on canvas |