«GOOD BUSINESS IS THE BEST ART»

Evidence of the buyers’ keenness came forth even in the January New York sales of Old Masters, at a time when the gloom was at its darkest. A dip in the success rate reflected the paucity of desirable goods, but where there was cause to compete, bidders were enthusiastic. At Sotheby’s an admirable portrait of a bagpipe player by Hendrick Ter Brugghen realized a record $10,162,500. Another enormous price in its own right was the $1,314,500 paid for François Boucher’s The Muse Erato, done in the most conventional Louis XV style, long out of favor. The performance of the Boucher, which sold for nearly two and a half times the estimate, underlined the eagerness to acquire typical works by well-known artists.

Art Info
Oct 1 2009