Enfilade

Charlotte Burns reports in The Art Newspaper (28 January 2011) on Sotheby’s sale of Important Old Master Paintings & Sculpture (No8712), which took in a total of over $90million. . .

Claude-Joseph Vernet, "A Grand View of the Sea Shore Enriched with Buildings, Shipping and Figures," 1776

Sotheby’s strode ahead of rival Christie’s after a bullish 98-lot sale of old master paintings  . . . “It was outstanding. I haven’t seen an auction like this for many years,” said Colnaghi director Konrad Bernheimer. The energetic sale set new records for several artists . . . The packed salesroom started to swivel in its seats when a bidding war broke out for Claude-Joseph Vernet’s A Grand View of the Sea Shore . . . , 1776, which tripled its $2m high-estimate to hammer at a record $6.2m (est $1.5m-$2m. Total $7m, with premium). The painting once belonged to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, Canada and was consigned by the UK-based Beaverbrook Foundation, which gained title to the work in September along with over 40 others in an out-of-court settlement after a lengthy legal battle. It went to New York based art advisor Carol Strone, who said she was buying on behalf of a private US collector. . . .

The full article is available here» Additional coverage is available at ArtInfo.