London – Featuring as part of Bonhams' London Summer Classics series, a rare painting by the Dutch artist, Samuel van Hoogstraten (1627-1678), one of Rembrandt's most innovative pupils and the master of trompe l'oeil paintings, will star in Bonhams' Old Master Paintings sale on Wednesday, 3 July on New Bond Street. Perspective of an Open Gallery ('The Tuscan Gallery') is offered with an estimate of £300,000-500,000. Featuring a selection of highly sought-after pieces from Old Master Paintings, European and British Ceramics, to Fine Glass, Decorative Arts, and Clocks, as well as Antiquities, Bonhams' London Summer Classics Series will take over both the Knightsbridge and New Bond Street salerooms, running between 18 June – 5 July.

Nette Megens, Group Head of Classics and Director of Decorative Arts in the UK and Europe, commented: "This years' Summer Classics sales presents an exciting selection of exceptionally rare works, from a painting by the master of illusion, Samuel van Hoogstraten, a timepiece that heralded the transformation of English clock design, a pair of Beilby enamelled goblets without any known parallel, and an outstanding 19th-century tapestry designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, to one of the only known portraits of the Egyptian King Amenhotep II. The series will also feature great single owner collections, including an homage to the extraordinary collector Richard Baron Cohen, who brought together the world's most important collection of early 19th century porcelain."

Old Master Paintings

Born in Dordrecht in 1627, Samuel van Hoogstraten entered the workshop of Rembrandt around the age of 13. Quickly becoming a master and painter of portraits at the epoch of the Dutch Golden Age, Hoogstraten emerged as a trailblazer in the art of illusion. Among Hoogstraten's most sought-after works today are his remarkable perspective paintings which are testament to his imagination and artistic originality, reflecting his profound fascination with perspective and optical illusion. He was so skilled that the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III (1637-1657) exclaimed that Hoogstraten 'is the first painter who has cheated me!' upon viewing one of the artist's still-life paintings in 1651. During Hoogstraten's visit to England in the late 1650s and early 1660s, his perspective pieces proved especially popular with at least five works being produced during this time including Perspective of an Open Gallery ('The Tuscan Gallery') as well his celebrated Peepshow, now held at The National Gallery in London. Estimated at £300,000-500,000, this painting presents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a work by the master of deception.

A Unique pair of Beilby enamelled goblets

An exceptional pair of Beilby enamelled opaque twist goblets and covers, circa 1765 will lead Bonhams' Fine Glass and British Ceramics two-day live sale on 18 and 19 June. No other covered goblets or glasses enamelled by the Beilby family in Newcastle upon Tyne appear to be recorded. These goblets are thought to have been made for the Dutch export market as Continental drinking glasses at this time were more frequently fitted with covers than their English counterparts. Finely painted in opaque white with a fruiting vine tree, and the reverses presenting a butterfly in flight, this remarkable pair of Beilby goblets have an estimate of £20,000-30,000.

Timepiece Heralds the Transformation of English Clock Design

Representing a radical departure from previous English clock design, a very rare ormolu-mounted white marble and derby biscuit porcelain mantel time piece is a highlight of the Fine Clocks sale on 3 July, carrying an estimate of £15,000-25,000. After the death of his partner and father-in-law Benjamin Gray (1676-1764), the Swiss émigré Justin Vulliamy (1712-1797) introduced clocks influenced by French designs. Following the lead of his father, Benjamin Vulliamy (1747-1811) produced what is considered the most remarkable of these: a series incorporating biscuit figures from William Duesbury's Derby Porcelain Factory. The collaboration began around 1782 when Benjamin commissioned porcelain figures modelled by the sculptor John Deare (1759-1798) and continued into the opening decades of the 19th century. This remarkable model is thought to be among the earliest designs produced by Vulliamy and Duesbury, heralding a new era of English clock design.

Rare Royal Portraits from the Ancient World

Created at the pinnacle of artistic production in ancient Egypt, a black granite head of Amenhotep II will star in the Antiquities sale on 4 July, carrying an estimate of £40,000-50,000. Amenhotep II, the sixth king of the 18th Dynasty, is considered one of the most successful military leaders of ancient Egypt and ruled for roughly 30 years. Despite his relatively short reign, Amenhotep conducted numerous military campaigns in the Levant and Nubia, quelling uprisings to cement Egypt's rule over both and embarked upon several ambitious building projects along the Nile. Although fragmentary, this portrait can be identified as the pharaoh, due to the distinctive curving cosmetic lines, full cheeks, and squarish chin. Curiously, the face seems to smile, a unique feature in Egyptian portraiture. Portraits of Amenhotep rarely come to the market, with other examples currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, presenting collectors with an exceptional opportunity to acquire a work from the golden age of Egyptian art. Another highlight of the sale is a Roman portrait head likely of Emperor Titus, who oversaw two of the largest natural disasters of the Roman Empire: the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the fire of Rome – A.D. 79 and 80 respectively. Carved in Imperial porphyry, this extraordinary head has an estimate of £50,000-70,000.

The World's Largest and Most Important Collection of Early 19th Century Porcelain

The 500 Years of European Ceramics sale on 4 July will feature the first half of The Twinight Collection - the world's largest and most important collection of early 19th century porcelain and enamel miniatures. Assembled over 25 years, the collection belongs to New York businessman, Richard Baron Cohen, a passionate collector who travelled the world to find the best, world class museum-quality pieces. Bonhams will offer the collection which includes superb examples of the finest and highest quality early 19th century European ceramics from the royal manufactories in Berlin, Vienna, and Sèvres. Leading the collection is a magnificent documentary Nymphenburg portrait vase depicting Crown Princess Elisabeth of Prussia, by court painter Christian Adler, circa 1824 (estimate: £30,000-50,000).

The collection also features an exceptional selection of enamel portrait miniatures by Henry Bone (1755-1834), one of the most celebrated English miniature painters. Already world-famous during his lifetime, Bone toured some of the grandest homes in the United Kingdom, attracting the royal patronage of George III, George IV and William IV. Together, these miniatures present an unparalleled insight into 18th and 19th century society.

19th Century Tapestry Gifted by Napoleon III

A 19th-century French tapestry depicting The Miraculous Draught of Fishes will star in the Fine Decorative Arts sale on 5 July. Carrying an estimate of £25,000-35,000, the tapestry was designed after the series of the Acts of the Apostles cartoons by Raphael which were commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel. Crafted by the Atelier La Foret, the border of this tapestry was designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), celebrated French architect and author, famous for his restoration of some of the most prominent medieval landmarks in France, including Notre-Dame de Paris, Mont Saint-Michel and Sainte-Chapelle. The tapestry was reportedly originally presented to the 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800-1870) by Napoleon III (1808-1873) at the Conference of Paris. A renowned English diplomat the 4th Earl of Clarendon began his career as an attaché to the British embassy in Saint Petersburg and later on kept a close relationship with Emperor Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie in his capacity as Foreign Secretary. During the Congress of Paris in 1856, Clarendon served as the United Kingdom's chief representative, helping to end the Crimean War. Another highlight of the sale is a suite of three rare carved Carrara marble plaques attributed to the Danish sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen (estimate of £70,000-100,000).

29 May 2024