As we usher in a new year, international auction house Sotheby’s has previewed 20 sales to look for in the first quarter of 2020.
1. RM Sotheby’s: Arizona, Phoenix, 16th–17th January
Kicking off the collector car auction season, RM Sotheby’s returns to the stunning grounds of the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, 16th–17th January, for its 21st annual Arizona sale. The auction will feature sub-$100,000 collectible cars, as well as sports and GT cars such as Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin.
2. Royal and Noble, London, 21 January
The 2020 installment of Royal & Noble, now in its seventh year, will provide another exciting opportunity to acquire works from important aristocratic collections sourced throughout Europe. Highlights include property from two notable Irish houses – Killadoon and Luggala – and property from the Estate of Jhr. Ir. G.C. (Gijs) Six van Wimmenum (1892-1975), a descendant of Rembrandt’s great patron Jan Six.
3. Porcelain of Royal and Noble Distinction, London, 13th–22nd January
2020’s inaugural online auction, Porcelain of Royal and Noble Distinction, brings together ceramics from factories such as Sevres and Meissen made for and admired by royalty. From plates, to cups, to vases and biscuit busts, the online auction will showcase these historic objects to a broader range of collectors worldwide through our online platform.
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4. Mario Buatta: Prince of Interiors, New York, 21st–24th January
Sotheby’s will present furniture, fine art and decorative objects from the personal collection of legendary interior designer Mario Buatta in a dedicated two-day auction that will take place during one of the busiest weeks on the New York art market calendar, alongside with both The Winter Show and the Americana Week sales series in New York in January 2020.
See also: Sotheby’s Celebrates The Art of Collecting in “Inspired by Chatsworth” Exhibition
5. Triumphant Grace: Important Americana from the Collection of Barbara and Arun Singh, New York 25th January
Sotheby’s presents Triumphant Grace: Important Americana from the Collection of Barbara and Arun Singh on 25th January. The preview exhibition will be on view from 16th–24th January.
6. A New Dimension of Tradition: Important American Folk Art
Proceeds of the Sale to Benefit a New Folk Art Initiative at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, New York, 25th January
Sotheby’s presents A New Dimension of Tradition: Important American Folk Art, Proceeds of the Sale to Benefit a New Folk Art Initiative at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on 25th January. The preview exhibition will be on view from 16th–24th January.
See also: Coronavirus – An Update From Sotheby’s
7. Important Americana, New York, 26th January
Sotheby’s Important Americana sale takes place on 26th January. The preview exhibition will be on view from 16th–25th January.
8. Old Master Drawings, New York, 29th January
As always, the January Old Master Drawings sale will include a wide range of works on paper from all the European schools, dating from the 15th to the mid-19th century, but this year the emphasis is very much on the Italian Renaissance. The indisputable star of the sale is the recently rediscovered and immensely important full compositional study by Andrea Mantegna for his painting of The Triumph of Alexandria, the second canvas in the great series of nine paintings representing The Triumph of Caesar, now in the British Royal Collection at Hampton Court Palace. These paintings, on which Mantegna worked from the 1480s until his death in 1506, are his greatest artistic achievement, and one of the marvels of the entire renaissance, and this drawing – one of only two by Mantegna that remain in private hands – is the only known preparatory drawing by the artist for the project that defines his legacy.
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The sale also includes another remarkable Italian Renaissance discovery, the moving and beautifully preserved drawing of The Madonna and Child by Mantegna’s slightly younger contemporary from Perugia, Bernardo Pinturicchio (1454-1513). From a century or so later, there is also a superb and moving oil-on-paper study of a young girl by Annibale Carracci, and a fine red chalk head study of a type so typical of the Carracci. There are also fine northern school drawings, most notably a volume of studies of knights on horseback executed around 1550 in the workshop of Hans Burgkmair, and a ravishingly beautiful and well preserved drawing by the late 16th-century Flemish master, Hans Bol.
9. Master Paintings Evening Sale, New York, 29th January
This January’s Evening Sale of Master Paintings will present an exciting array of European works spanning the 14th through to the 19th centuries. The sale is led by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s eight foot tall depiction of the Madonna of the Rosary with Angels, the last major altarpiece by this Venetian master remaining in private hands. Other highlights include a newly rediscovered masterwork by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, his earliest known version of The Virgin and Christ Child with Saints Elizabeth and John the Baptist dating to circa 1612, an early Madonna and Child by the Master of the Bruges Legend of Saint Ursula, a family portrait of impressive scale by Thomas Gainsborough, R.A., an intricate trompe l’oeil of an illuminated manuscript by a highly skilled Netherlandish painter, and a charming pair of landscapes by French artist Hubert Robert.
10. Master Paintings & Sculpture Day Sale, New York, 30 January
This January’s Master Paintings and Sculpture Day sale will offer a wide range of European paintings and sculpture from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Highlights of the paintings section include a beautiful penschilderij landscape by Adriaen van Salm, a stunning portrayal of a sea nymph by Ginevra Cantofoli, and an endearing portrait by François Hubert Drouais. The sculpture selection of the sale will feature works of art from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods including an early 16th century German sculpture of St. George and the dragon carved in polychrome oak.
11. The Blazing World, London, 4th December 2019 – 30th January 2020
From 4th December 2019–30th January 2020, S|2 London presents The Blazing World, a diverse group exhibition of artworks which draw upon themes of science-fiction, utopia, ritual and the fragility of human hope and existence. The Blazing World is the third in a trilogy of group exhibitions at the gallery where a work of literature forms a conceptual framework for an exhibition and is accompanied by a new edition and reprinting of a story. The last group show in this series, The Blazing World, takes its title from a forward-thinking seventeenth century fictional text of the same name, written by Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle. A part of the original text will be reprinted in S|2’s accompanying exhibition catalogue. The artists featured in the exhibition are Stano Filko, Peter Hujar, Marguerite Humeau, Charlotte Johannesson, Clementine Keith-Roach, Arik Levy, Charlotte Prodger, Paul Thek, Tishan Hsu, Nanda Vigo and Anna Zemánková.
12. Old Masters Online, New York, 24th January – 4th February
Sotheby’s will be hosting an Old Masters Online sale during Masters Week in 2019. This sale includes an intriguing array of paintings and drawings at attractive price points that span through the centuries and the majority of Europe. With prices ranging from less than $1,000 – $30,000, this is the perfect opportunity for both new and established buyers to discover the virtues of collecting Old Masters. Bidding for this sale will be open from January 24th – February 4th, while an exhibition in the New York galleries will be open from January 24th – 31st.
13. Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art Evening Sale, London, 4th February
Sotheby’s London Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art sales will take place at the beginning of February 2020. A traveling exhibitions of works included in the sale will be held in Tokyo on 10th & 11th January, Taipei on 16th & 17th January and New York on 23th & 24th January.
14. RM Sotheby’s: Paris, Paris, 5 February
RM Sotheby’s begins its 2020 European calendar in spectacular fashion with a return to Paris on 5 February, for its seventh annual sale during the world-famous Rétromobile show week. On offer are will be the finest sports, racing and touring cars from both pre- and post-war periods. RM Sotheby’s auction is held at the historic Place Vauban. Located in the very hub of Paris in the shadow of the Dôme des Invalides. A short walk to the Eiffel Tower, with nearby cafes in the city’s relaxed atmosphere.
15. Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale, London, 5th February
Sotheby’s London Impressionist, Modern & Surrealist Art sales will take place at the beginning of February 2020. A traveling exhibitions of works included in the sale will be held in Tokyo on 10th & 11th January, Taipei on 16th & 17th January and New York on 23th & 24th January.
16. Contemporary Art Evening Auction, London, 11th February
Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction will take place in London this coming February. The auction will bring together a superb selection of works by some of the most engaging and cutting-edge artists of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries to present a triumph of Contemporary Art.
17. Contemporary Art Day Auction, London, 12th February
Sotheby’s presents a Contemporary Art Day Auction on 12th February, which brings together an exciting group of works by some of the most sought-after artists of the moment. This season’s sale combines exceptional post war works including those by Alighiero Boetti and Jannis Kounellis with a stand out selection of contemporary works.
18. Erotic Online, London, 11th–20th February
Building on the success of the last three years, this February’s Erotic auction will be offered exclusively online and features a superb breadth of paintings, photographs, drawings and more, representing the finest in eroticism from across the globe.
19. RM Sotheby’s: Amelia Island, Amelia Island, 6th–7th March
Celebrating its 22nd year, RM Sotheby’s 2020 Amelia Island sale, the official auction of the world-renowned Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, returns to the oceanfront grounds of the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, 6th-7th March. The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is one of the world’s most prestigious Concours events, a must-attend event showcasing some of the world’s finest cars and host to a number of famous people from the car world. RM Sotheby’s, the only official auction house of the Concours d’Elegance, has been a proud supporter for 22 years. RM Sotheby’s auction is held on the lush oceanfront grounds of The Ritz-Carlton of Amelia Island, which features miles of pristine beachfront, a full-service spa, and a retail haven for high-end connoisseurs. Considered one of the very best automotive weekends in the United States, each year thousands of enthusiasts flock to the island to enjoy the event experiences and camaraderie.
20. Made in Britain, London, 17th March
Celebrating the very best in Modern British Art across the disciplines of paintings, works on paper, prints, photography, contemporary and studio ceramics and design, Made in Britain offers the perfect opportunity to acquire works by some of the century’s most celebrated and sought-after artists and makers. With estimates starting from only £300, the sale offers something for every collector, at every price level.
