Titian’s Early Masterpiece Rest during the Flight to Egypt (c. 1508) sold last night at Christie’s in London for £17.56 million ($22.17 million). The sale set a new auction record for the Renaissance artist, surpassing the previous record of $16.9 million. Sacred Conversation (c. 1560) sold at Sotheby’s in 2011.
The work sold below its pre-sale estimate of £15 million to £25 million ($18.75 million to $31.25 million), making it the top lot in Christie’s “Old Masters I” sale, which totaled £43.59 million ($55.1 million). Last night, Christie’s also held an “Extraordinary Sale” as part of its Classics Week series, which totaled £7.2 million ($9.1 million). All prices include fees.
“The result is a tribute to the perfect provenance and quiet beauty of Titian’s sublime early masterpiece, one of the most poetic works of the artist’s youth,” said Orlando Rock, chairman of Christie’s UK, of the work. “The painting has captured the imagination of audiences for more than half a century and will no doubt continue to do so.”
Resting on the way to Egypt, The 18-by-25-inch panel painting depicts Mary cradling the infant Jesus as Joseph looks on. The painting has distinguished provenance, having been owned by dukes, archdukes and Holy Roman emperors. The painting was stolen by Napoleon in 1809 and again in 1995 from Longleat House in Wilshire. It was recovered in 2002 in a plastic bag in London without a frame. The Longleat Trustees and Lord Bath, who inherited Longleat from his father, are auctioning the painting as part of their long-term investment strategy, according to Christie’s.
In addition to Titian’s works, other notable exhibits that night included Quentin Messis’ Our Lady of Cherrysold for £10.66 million ($13.46 million), breaking the artist’s previous auction record of $1.9 million. Mary praying (c. 1500) is on display at the Lempertz Museum in Cologne in 2020. Another important lot includes Frans Hals’s PPortrait of a Gentleman of the DeWolff Family, Possibly Jost DeWolff (1582/3–1666), with revenues of £5.71 million ($7.21 million).
