The record price of the masterpiece of William Hammersheim at Sotheby’s in London Automatic translate

On June 12, at Sotheby’s auction in London, the painting “Ida Reading a Letter” by Wilhelm Hammershoi was sold for £ 1,721,250 ($ 2.6 million), which exceeded its pre-sale an estimate of 500-700 thousand pounds, and was an absolute record for the works of this artist, and a record for any Danish work of art at auction.

The picture was played between three bidders by telephone, until finally it was sold to a foreign private collector. Commenting on the results, Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg, head of the Sotheby’s auction in Denmark, said: “We are very pleased with the result, all five paintings by Wilhelm Hammerschay left at the auction today were in excellent condition and had never been auctioned before.. They looked good in the group, each had its own distinctive motive - the artist’s beloved wife, candlelit interior and city landscapes, so characteristic of Hammershey. ”

Claude Piening, senior director of Sotheby’s European Painting Department, said: “Togri were international, with interest in Asia, America, Scandinavia and Central Europe. The Hammershey was enjoyed by 21st century collectors. Exhibitions in London, Tokyo, Munich and Denmark are now continuing to attract new fans of his work. ” “Ida reading a letter”, written in 1899, was one of the first works of the master and played an important role in shaping the artist’s special aesthetics, in the subtle use of light and muted tones.

In general, a group of five paintings was sold for $ 6.7 million, compared with a pre-sale estimate of $ 2.2-3.2 million.

Anna Sidorova