Dutch and Flemish painting
More than 1000 lots comprise the Madrid firm's first sale of the year, with nearly 400 lots of painting and graphic works
'More and more' seems to be the motto of the auction house Ansorena, which once more summons collectors for its 26 and 27th of January sale. A revolutionary approach to the economic depression in spain, because while the rest of bidding rooms in the country reduce their dates with the public, Ansorena increases them, and always with an extensive catalogue filled with lots of all classes.
On this ocassion painting and jewellery take the stand and overshadow decorative arts. Flemish old masters occupy an important part of the sale, starting with the posible portrait of Dominico P. Buzarra attributed by the house to Peter paul Rubens that starts at 100.000 euros. It is closely followed by the Cats and dog fight by the genius David de Coninck with a starting price of 31.000 euros. As is a custom in Spain, two works by Frans Francken II. The first of which is an oil on panel Crucifixion attributed to the Flemish master and his workshop and starts at 18.000 euros. The second, Solom visits Creso, king of Lidia is accompanied by a certificate by José Manuel Arnáiz, and has a starting price of 30.000 euros.
Highlights from the Dutch school include artists such as Daniel de Blieck and Pieter Simonsz Potter. The first of which is present with a Church interior which starts at 40.000 euros, the latter is a typical genre painting entitled Village scene with a starting price of 35.000 euros.
Interestingly enough, Spanish Old masters seem to be the least attributed and studied by the Madrid sales room. Specially the Saint Augustine attributed to the seventeenth century Spanish school, which starts at only 1.2000 euros. Also interesting is the baroque composition of the Appearance of Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas attributed to the Madrid school and with a starting price of 2.400 euros.
On the other hand, leaving aside artistic merit for a moment, historically significant are the paintings of the portrait of Diego Luis de Losada and the sketch for Hunger in Madrid by José Aparicio, a lot which comes from the famous Adanero collection in Madrid.
Ansorena's catalogue is also filled with attractive paintings from the turn of the century. Such as the Portrait of a lady by Rafael Ochoa Madrazo which starts off at 4.000 euros or the Children bathers by Eliseo Meifren y Roig that starts at 29.000 euros.
Lastly one must not forget decorative arts. In this field an extraordinary example is The Naitivity and The Original Sin, a pair of relief porcelain plaquettes by Doccia factory from the beginning of the XIXth century. The pair has a starting price of 2.000 euros.Alfonso Carbajo Agrasar
