Old Master Paintings

Offering works dating from the Renaissance to the early 19th Century, Bonhams Old Master Paintings department holds four dedicated sales a year in London, along with two Classics auctions in Paris. We also contribute to themed auctions and house sales throughout the year such as The Grand Tour Sale.

We are particularly proud of our role in identifying lost works, most significantly Velázquez's Portrait of a Gentleman (£2,953,250), an early altarpiece of the Renaissance master Lorenzo Veneziano (£1,688,750), Lucas Cranach's Venus with Cupid stealing honey (£2,210,000) and the recently discovered Adam and Eve by The Master of the Embroidered Foliage (£806,000).
Our world auction records, include William Dobson's self-portrait (£1,106,500), which has since been on loan to both the National Portrait Gallery in London and Tate Britain and Jean Honoré Fragonard's Portrait of the duc d'Harcourt, sold to benefit UNICEF for £17,106,500.

Bonhams Old Masters also has a healthy track record with Works on Paper such as John Sell Cotman's The Refectory of Walsingham Abbey (£338,500) and Vincenzo Leonardi's group of studies for Cassiano dal Pozzo Museo Cartaceo (the Juvenile Crane, £98,500).

Buying and selling Old Masters paintings at Bonhams
Bonhams Old Masters Paintings department has specialists in the United Kingdom, United States and Paris. Our team offers enthusiasm, expertise and global reach that we believe will bring you the very best result, and are on hand to help research, source or sell on your behalf.
With offices and representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams gives buyers and sellers access to a global network of collectors and unparalleled marketing resources to achieve the highest price and level of client satisfaction possible. Contact a specialist directly for more information or submit your item online for a free auction estimate.