News Blurb: Goya Boosts Christie’s Old Masters Drawings Sale on Tuesday

July 10th, 2008

Bajan Riñendo, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) via BBC

Three drawings from Spanish artist, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes, sold at Christie’s Old Masters Auction on July 8th for $7.9 million, double the pre-sale estimate. The three drawings had been rediscovered after being ‘lost’ for the past 130 years. The trio was last recorded at an auction in Paris in 1877, and did not resurface until the Old Masters Auction at Christie’s last Tuesday.

Goya sketches “lost” for 130 years sold at auction [ReutersUK]
Goya Boosts Christie’s Drawings Sale [NYSun]
Francisco de Goya at Christie’s London [Coxsoft]
‘Lost’ Goya drawings sold for £4m [BBC]
Lost Watteau Fetches Record; Old Masters Languish at Christie’s [Bloomberg]
‘Lost’ Goya works sell for 4m pounds at Christie’s [Economic Times]
Christie’s Auction Results [Christie’s]

Constable Lampiños stitched into a dead horse, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) via Christie’s

The three drawings were provided by a private Swiss collection, when the collector contacted Christie’s on a suspicion that they drawings were genuine Goyas.

Bajan Riñendo, fetched the most at auction for $4,514,594. Repentance brought in $1,899,147, and Constable Lampiños stitched into a dead horse sold for $1,522,346.

Repentance, Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (1746-1828) via Christie’s

The drawings, which date back to the 19th century, were originally from Goya’s own private albums. They were never framed and rarely exposed to any kind of light, so they remain in outstanding condition.