Sotheby’s Old Master Paintings at Auction
Sotheby’s New York is prepared to organize an auction in May. It features paintings of Old Master curated throughout past years by Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III. The Old Master artists in Sotheby’s May sale is estimated between $80-120 million, which may surpass the record set by the past Old Masters auctions.
Rare Old Master Artworks for Sale 2025
The Old Master artists in Sotheby’s May sale comprises 60 paintings dating from the 16th to the early 19th century and includes works from various parts of Europe, encompassing German Renaissance items alongside Dutch, Flemish, Italian, Spanish, and French masterpieces. Notable pieces include still-life works by Jan Davidsz. De Heem and Luis Meléndez, portraits by Sir Thomas Lawrence and Frans Hals, and a landscape by Francesco Guardi.
Saunders Lifetime Collection
The Saunders began their journey of collecting Old Master art in the late 1990s, with guidance from George Wachter, Sotheby’s chairman and co-global head of Old Master paintings. According to Wachter in ARTnews, the couple approached their acquisitions with certainty, often travelling worldwide to secure a painting and frequently altering travel plans to capitalize on fleeting opportunities. Portions of the rare Old Master artworks for sale have been showcased in premier institutions such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Royal Academy in London, and the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Like many of the Old Masters works before, the paintings in the Saunders collection carry rich narratives. For example, the couple braved a snowstorm in Canada to review the renowned Hornstein collection. Within minutes of viewing the set of paintings, they decided to purchase six works, contingent on Hornstein selling them a stunning still life by Luis Egidio Meléndez that they had not even been shown at first. That work, Still Life with Cauliflower, Basket of Fish, Eggs, and Leeks, and Kitchen Utensils, will be featured in the auction with a projected value of $5-8 million, poised to set a record for the artist at auction.
In the Old Master artists in Sotheby’s May sale, another painting expected to establish a record is a still life by Davidsz. De Heem. During a last-minute trip to Rome to inspect the work, its owner entered the room carrying it wrapped in a garbage bag to prevent his wife from discovering the sale.
In addition to their collecting endeavours, the Saunders have engaged in significant philanthropy, supporting various arts, education, and cultural organizations. Their generosity was acknowledged with the National Humanities Medal, presented by President George W. Bush in 2008. Jordan Saunders is involved with several boards, including the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where their collection has been displayed since 2023.
Why is the Old Masters Show Relevant Now?
Investment value of Old Master paintings are a neglected segment of the art market. However, as reported by George Nelson of ARTnews in December, there has been a rising interest in this sector in recent years, with collectors typically focused on modern and contemporary works now diversifying their collections to benefit from lower price points. During an Old Master sale in London last December, Sotheby’s Contemporary department representatives, Ottilie Windsor and Alex Branczik, were actively overseeing phone bids on Botticelli, while Thomas Boyd-Bowman from the Modern department was handling bids for a Rubens and a Rosso.
Sotheby’s indicates that 63% of the unique bidders in their “Master Paintings: Part 1” sale in January have engaged in bidding, buying, or selling contemporary or modern artwork since 2020.
Image – Francesco Guardi, Venice, a View of the Punta della Dogana and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. Courtesy – FAD Magazine
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