On November 8, Dorotheum auctioned paintings from the 19th century as part of its Classic Week, which focused on ancient art.
The 1889 painting Riviera near Boccadasse by Alfred Zoff was estimated at €90,000-120,000 and is regarded as one of the major works by the important Austrian impressionist. The final result of €115,200 (including fees) came very close to the high estimate and presents a new auction record for Zoff.
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The first part of the Old Masters auction on the following day was also reached many top prices, most notably with the work Madonna and Child, which Venice's most important Renaissance painter, Giovanni Bellini, executed together with an assistant.
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Offered with an estimate of €250,000-350,000, it attracted the attention of two bidders, one in the room and one on the phone, who went back and forth until the party on the phone won the bidding war. The two competitors managed to push the price up to €1.4 million (including fees). Although this does not mean a new record for Bellini, it is still one of the highest results for him in auction history. The current auction record for a work by Giovanni Bellini was set in 2010, when Madonna and Child in a Landscape changed hands at Christie's for £3.5 million.
Related: A New Renaissance for Old Masters
"The great interest shown by museums, art foundations and renowned institutions in the entire Dorotheum range confirms the quality of this auction," explained Mark MacDonnell, an expert in Old Masters, in a press release from the auction house.
