古典大师（第一部分）

Canaletto’s breathtaking masterpiece Venice, the Bucintoro at the Molo on Ascension Day leads the Old Masters Part I sale in New York this February. Painted in England in the early 1750s for the King family (later Earls of Lovelace), this daring composition dazzles with its brushwork and colour. Commissioned by the King family, in whose possession it remained for almost 200 years, the painting is a highlight of the season.

The sale presents works spanning six centuries of European art — from the 15th to the early 19th century — featuring celebrated artists of the Renaissance, Italian Baroque, Dutch Golden Age and 18th-century France. The offering is especially rich in Italian paintings: the Lovelace Canaletto will be accompanied by a Madonna and Child by Botticelli and Workshop, unseen on the market for over half a century, and a rare self‑portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi, one of only five recorded. A Lifelong Pursuit: Important Italian Paintings from a Distinguished Private Collection includes a rare portrait by Jacometto Veneziano, an elegant Sacra Conversazione by Paris Bordone, and a powerful depiction of Saint Paul by Jusepe de Ribera.

From the North, highlights include a compelling portrait by Adriean Isenbrandt, an introspective depiction of Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin by Colijn de Coter, and a portrait of a well‑dressed gentleman by Frans Hals from the Estate of Ambassador J. William Middendorf II. The group is complemented by a portrait of a richly attired lady by Willem Key, sold to benefit the collection care and acquisition fund of the Hispanic Society of America. The 18th-century section is led by The Diligent Mother by Jean Siméon Chardin, alongside a charming pair of pastels by Élisabeth‑Louise Vigée Le Brun and a large‑scale, elegant portrait by the enigmatic Le Nain Brothers.