The Louis Grandchamp des Raux collection of French 17th and 18th century paintings is to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s Paris, Art Daily reports. The sale is the most significant collection of paintings from the period to hit the auction block in two decades – according to the auction house.
The collection amounting to fifty pieces in total, also includes works from some of the era’s most notable artists, including François Boucher, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, François Desportes, Louyse Moillon, Anne Vallayer-Coster and Hubert Robert as well as works by more obscure artists such as Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié and Pierre-Antoine Lemoine.
A number of highlights from the sale include ‘Portrait of a Woman with Violin’ (1773) by Anne Vallayer-Coster, which has been estimated at between €300,000 to €400,000, or £229,053 to £350,560. The artist is known almost exclusively for her still-life painting, the artwork is one of the few known portraits painted by the artist. Vallayer-Coster was one of the few female artists to gain critical acceptance in a profession that was dominated by men.
The auction also includes some major works by northern European artists such as ‘Still Life with Grapes, Cherries and Strawberry Plant’ by the German Isaak Soreau, estimated at €150,000 to €200,000, or £114,526 to £152,735, and ‘Still Life with Peaches, Plums and Grapes in a Basket on a Table’ by the Flemish Jacob van Hulsdonck, estimated at €250,000 to €300,000 or £190.964 to £229,053.
Louis Grandchamp des Raux accumulated his seminal collection over the course of 25 years with the help of the expert Eric Turquin, who told Art Daily “The sale of this collection of paintings is tremendously exciting.” Louis Grandchamp des Raux had a talent for spotting significant works by artists who were unjustly less well-known. The auction takes place on March 26, 2015 in Paris.