Surprising Records Set At New York’s Old Master Sales

Deaccessioned by the Met and listed in the auction catalogue as by a “Follower of Peter Paul Rubens”, Portrait of a Young Girl, Possibly Clara Serena Rubens (1611-1623), the Artist's Daughter, sold for $626,500 (est $20,000-$30,000) (click photo for larger image)

“Christie’s dominated the January Old Master week in New York with a fistful of record-setting paintings and drawings.”

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Works by both Fra Bartolommeo and Botticelli brought in millions, among other works. It’s good to see these guys doing well (meaning the Old Masters)!

Fantasy and Invention: Rosso Fiorentino and Sixteenth-Century Florentine Drawing

Rosso Fiorentino - Holy Family with the Young Saint John the Baptist” - c. 1521 - Oil on Panel “This devotional panel depicts the Virgin and Child with St. Joseph and the young John the Baptist, patron saint of Florence. Rosso did not finish the painting, and the underdrawing shows through. Rosso's original and eccentric style is marked by a strange beauty that calls attention to the painter's ingenuity. His figures have large, liquid eyes, "chiseled" shapes, and elongated limbs and fingers. The expressive faces and dynamic brushwork give the painting a high degree of liveliness.” (click photo for larger image)Rosso Fiorentino's captivating Holy Family is the centerpiece of new exhibition at The Morgan Library and Museum, located at 225 Madison Ave, New York, NY.

“The emergence of Mannerism in Florentine Renaissance art as exemplified by the brilliant painter Rosso Fiorentino (1494-1540) is the subject of a new exhibition at The Morgan Library & Museum, opened on November 16, 2012. The show includes the artist’s extraordinary painting, Holy Family with the Young Saint John the Baptist, as well a selection of drawings, printed books, letters, and manuscripts by other Florentine masters.”

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