A painting by Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, set a new world auction record for the artist during Christie’s Old Masters Evening Sale in London on July 1. Venice, the Return of the Bucintoro on Ascension Day, previously in the collection of Sir Robert Walpole, realised £31,935,000 (about $43.3 million), far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of £20 million.
See also: Canaletto Owned by British Prime Minister Set for Record-Breaking Sale
The 18th-century masterpiece, which once hung at 10 Downing Street, was the top lot in a sale that totalled £55.2 million (about $75 million) and achieved a 99% sell-through rate by value, marking the strongest result for Christie’s Old Masters department in over a decade.
Measuring 34 by 54 inches and dating to circa 1732, the painting depicts Venice’s grandest public ceremony: the annual Sposalizio del Mare, or “Marriage of the Sea.” Its impressive scale, provenance, and state of preservation contributed to the result, which broke Canaletto’s previous auction record of £18.6 million, set in 2005.
See also: Canaletto: The Spirit of Venice
Maja Markovic, Head of Old Masters Evening Sale, said: “The result of the Canaletto, which surpassed a record that stood for over two decades by more than £13 million, is a testament to the painting’s exceptional quality and enduring appeal. It is the second highest price achieved for an Old Master at Christie’s London, surpassed only by Rubens’ Lot and His Daughters in 2016.”
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The painting has come to auction only twice before, in 1751 and 1999. Its sale reaffirms collector appetite for rare and historically significant works at the top end of the market.
