On the 2nd December, at Christie’s venue in South Kensington, a special event took place which showed a growing attention towards ancient art. The “Important Old Master & British Pictures Evening Sale” proved how the sector of ancient paintings is currently enjoying a better situation with respect to the modern and contemporary art market. With a total sale result equal to 14,665,750 pounds and with 34 sold lots and 12 unsold, Christie’s proposed an extraordinary auction which, however, did not equalize the result achieved last December equal to 18,8 million pounds. With the recent times crisis, we can say that the London auction house gave a good performance.

London – Christie’s announce that they will offer a lost work by the great Italian master Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) at the evening auction of Important Old Master and British Pictures on 2 December 2008 in London. One of the most exciting and extraordinary discoveries of recent years, it was found in the attic of a French château where it had been hidden by the grandparents of the present owners due to the semi-naked subject. The present work is previously unpublished and is probably from a series of pictures commissioned by Empress Elizabeth of Russia (1709-1762).
Never before seen in public, the painting will be exhibited at Christie’s from 28 November to 2 December, and will be offered at auction on the evening of 2 December where it is expected to realize £700,000 to £900,000. The public exhibition leading up to the sale will also present the opportunity to view two masterpiece views of Venice by Canaletto (1697-1768) which are expected to realise a combined total in excess of £7 million; a little known and highly important portrait of a Tahitian Princess by John Webber, R.A., which has been consigned by the descendants of the last Queen of Tahiti and which is also unseen in public for over 200 years (estimate: £800,000-£1,200,000); and an extraordinary and rarely seen early 14th century depiction of the Madonna and Child by Segna di Bunaventura (active between circa 1298-1331) (estimate: £800,000-£1,200,000).

Due marvellous masterpieces by the painter Canaletto (1697-1768), portraying two views of the Venetian lagoon, will be auctioned for the first time at Christie’s next 2nd December in London during the auction “Important Old Master and British Pictures”. The total estimate for the two canvases is between 7 and 11 million pounds, but sector experts are actually suggesting that the final figure could be double, given that Canaletto always receives applauses and success within the market, thanks to significant hammer prices.

A truly extraordinary occasion opened up on the 16th November in Milan to end on the 14th December. Indeed, in the Sala Alessi of Palazzo Marino a wonderful and unfortunately hardly known work by Caravaggio will be exhibited: “The Conversion of Saul”. A work that proves to be the only relevant example of painting on panel by the great Lombard master.
Executed in 1601, it has had a rather tormented history. It was commissioned by Tiberio Cerasi for his personal chapel in S. Maria del Popolo in Rome, where the work was never exposed due to the protracting of the works and to the sudden death of the cardinal himself. Afterwards, it ended up in Spain, was then bought by the Balbi family from Genoa and finally, in the Fifties, it returned by way of heredity to Rome as the “pearl” of the Odescalchi collection.

The 2nd November is anticipated to be a challenging date for San Marco auction house as in the same day it will be holding two auction sessions: paintings by antique masters at 3.30pm and furniture, art objects, sculptures from the apartment of an American gentleman in  Venice and from other customers at 4.30pm. Rare pieces and masterpieces of extraordinary beauty will attract art experts, lovers and antique dealers to Palazzo Giovanelli, venue of the event. 
The 65 paintings put up for auction include canvases by important masters such as Gianbattista Tiepolo, Francesco Bassano,  Francesco Guardi, Antonio Balestra and Jann Richter. Common denominator for many of these works is not only their undisputed prestige, but also a highly deserved six-figure estimated value.

It has taken three years of restoration and 6 million euros but in the end Villa Necchi is reopening its doors for visitors. The beautiful residence built between 1932 and 1935 by architect Piero Portaluppi and modernized by Tomaso Buzzi, brought architectonic rationalism to the Italian economic capital. The villa was built by an enlightened family of the high bourgeoisie of Pavia that, having moved to Milan, made of their house a coterie for cultural aggregation open to the world. It was donated to the FAI in 2001 by the sisters Gigina Necchi Campigli and Nedda Necchi and today it is reopening its doors, placing itself as the city’s renewed cultural reference point, which in the administrators’ intentions will have to be not only a place to admire but a place to live.