Yehal Greco: a traveling painting and the world's most expensive violin

A Stradivarius violin for $15 million, an El Greco painting for $9 million, a Rubens sketch for $6 million. This year, two major auction houses - Sotheby's and Christie's - decided to hold the auction of old masters' art in February, not in January, as before. But among the items that are planned to let go under the hammer, there are works of the highest level. However - not the classics alone. "Izvestia" collected the brightest lots of the next month.

Painting by El Greco

In the center of attention at the auction paintings of the old masters will be a painting by El Greco "Saint Sebastian". Painting of the great native of Crete, who worked in Spain in the late XVI - early XVII century, generally does not often appear at auctions: all the main things long ago in the largest museum collections, so collectors, even very rich, have to be satisfied with the works of less important. But, it seems, in this case before us an exception, which justifies its considerable cost - $7-9 million. While the record for a painting by El Greco is $ 14 million, although the estimeitet that canvas was more than twice lower. This means that the current rarity has every chance to set a new price level.

The fact that "St. Sebastian" - a work exemplary in many respects. Here is the most important subject, which loved and El Greco himself (two other works on the same theme are known). The painting itself is magnificent and perfectly illustrates the late style of the artist: the muscular figure of the martyr, pierced by arrows, is stretched vertically, which increases the expression, and the background - the sky, painted in dark brown and blue colors - emphasizes the drama.

Finally, the painting has an impressive history of ownership: some researchers suggest that it was in El Greco's studio at the time of his death, after which it passed to his son, in the XIX century was in the collection of the Romanian monarch Carol I, and then the last hereditary ruler of the country - Mihai I. Well, and the latter in 1976 sold it to New York art dealers. That's how the masterpiece ended up overseas. Where it will go now - God only knows.

Sketch by Rubens

At Sotheby's the title of the most expensive lot at auction art of the old masters share two paintings: one - August Strinberg, a Swedish artist, better known in his main, writing role; the second - Peter Paul Rubens, who needs no introduction.

Strinberg's piece is fine in its own way, but of course the Rubens painting is of special interest. Even though it is a sketch of relatively small size: the image is painted in oil on a vertical board 41 centimeters high. But in such parameters there is a plus. The fact is that large works Rubens, not lacking in orders, very often created with the involvement of his students. His workshop worked as a large factory, where the head only outlined the main thing, and further into the business entered less prominent authors. All the more valuable works, entirely written by his own hand. And here it is just the sketches he did himself.

In this case, we are talking about the "Annunciation", the final version of which was bought by the General Field Marshal of the Spanish king - the Marquis of Leganes. Rubens probably created it in 1628-1629 during his stay on the Iberian Peninsula. Today, the altarpiece is kept in Antwerp, in the house of Rubens, and the graphic sketch for it - in the Vienna Albertina. All this, together with numerous references in scientific literature explains the considerable price of the lot - $4-6 million.

Stradivarius violin

With all the importance of the works of El Greco and Rubens the most expensive lot of the month - not a painting at all, but a violin by Antonio Stradivari. It was made by the great Italian master in 1714 and belonged for some time to the famous Hungarian violinist of the XIX century Joseph Joachim, who, in particular, it played the premiere of Brahms' Violin Concerto.

Another famous owner of the rarity is the Chinese virtuoso of the second half of the 20th century, Si-Hong Ma. After the latter's death, the violin became the property of the New England Conservatory (Massachusetts). And was named "Joachim-Ma" after the surnames of its star owners. Now it can bring the educational institution from $ 12 million to $ 18 million.

Moreover, if the lot reaches the upper limit, it will be a world record for musical instruments. Now it is held by the violin of the same master, called "Lady Blunt" and belonged to Byron's granddaughter. "Joachim-Ma" belongs to the same period of Stradivari's work, considered the most successful. But the new lot has an important trump card: the actual history of use by the great musicians (whereas "Lady Blunt" has been largely silent).

For connoisseurs of art, however, much more important is not the amount that will pay wealthy collectors, but the future of a unique instrument. I would like to believe that it will not be put in a safe, but will be given for use to some outstanding violinist, continuing the glorious biography of "Joachim-Ma".

House with Banksy graffiti

Well, the leader for the title of the most unexpected and extravagant art lot of February - a whole house in Bristol (UK), which has Banksy graffiti on the wall. Inside the three-story mansion in the heart of the city center is a sexual health clinic and nightclub. It is not surprising that the artist's image plays on the theme of intimate life: on the blank wall there is a window under which a hapless lover is hanging on one arm, hiding, apparently, from the husband of his girlfriend who has returned at the wrong time.

As is well known, Banksy's original graffiti cannot be sold separately from the buildings on which they are painted. True, vandals all over the world hunt for such works and sometimes barbarously cut out whole pieces of walls. But, first, legally sell such an artifact will not be possible, and secondly, it is the house in Bristol is more or less protected from such crimes: the work is high up and can hardly be dismantled painlessly for the building as a whole.

The lucky one, ready to lay out for an architectural object from 700 thousand pounds, will have to guarantee the integrity of the building and a particular wall. However, he does not have to take special care of the safety of the image (for example, to protect it from the weather): the local authorities have not yet determined how to interpret graffiti in terms of legislation. There is only one nuance: formally, the house is not sold, but leased for 250 years. So whether the great-grandchildren of the current owner will be able to inherit Banksy's original is a question.