The beautiful portrait after Titian of Caterina Cornaro, by an unknown 18th century artist achieved excellent results when it sold for € 46 139.60 at Cypria’s Fine Art Evening Sale on Wednesday 25 May. The painting, privately held in the UK and now on the way to a collection in Germany, leapt six times past its estimate achieving the best price at Cypria’s evening auction. Created by an unknown 18th century artist, the portrait depicting Caterina Cornaro as St. Catherine of Alexandria, is based on the original masterpiece by Titian from 1542, now in the Uffizi, Florence. It portrays the last Monarch of the Kingdom of Cyprus (r.1474-89) – her solemn expression and splendidly pearl-embellished gold-embroidered purple robes attesting to her status.
Achieving an overall € 205 446.93 Cypria landed a very successful evening. Among the evening’s highlights, The Port of Copenhagen by Jean Altamoura (1852 – 1878), one οf Greece’s eminent pre-impressionists, breezed three times past its estimate achieving a price of € 36 426.00. The painting renders the mystical atmosphere of the Northern European Seas with a sublime shift towards the spirit of the Greek light.
Agios Sozomenos at Galata (White Church), by emblematic Cypriot modernist Christoforos Savva (1924 – 1968) achieved its price estimate of €21 321.40. Composition with figures, a pencil, pen and gouache on paper, also by Savva, leapt 10 times past its estimate achieving a price of €3 511.76
Highlights among historic books:
Alexander Palma di Cesnola’s extremely rare Lawrence Cesnola’s Collection, Cyprus Antiquities, excavated by Major Alexander Palma di Cesnola, 1876 – 1879 sold for €15, 784.60. The richly illustrated book is signed by the Author and handwritten translation in Italian on 34 of the 38 letterpress leaves is believed to by the Cesnola himself.
The First Edition of Histoire des chevaliers de l’Ordre de S. Jean de Hierusalem – (History of the Knights of the Order of S. John of Jerusalem) by Jean Baudoin & Anne de Naberat sold for €5, 099.64. The illustrated book from 1628 contains a rare map of Cyprus engraved by map designer H. Raignauld.
A total of 75 lots were sold at Cypria’s Sale. Highlights include Peacock by Apostolos Yayannos (sold for €8 499.40), Colombe Volant (lithograph printed in colours, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) (sold for €7 285.20) Traditional Cypriot male dance Antikristos by Kostas Averkiou (sold for €3 399.76), Sunset by Spyros Vassiliou (sold for €3 642.60), Untitled by Dimosthenis Kokkinidis (sold for €3 035.50), On the balcony by Vassilis Sperantzas (sold for €3 035.50), Mountain Village by Victor Ioannides (sold for €2 508.40), Composition by Stelios Votsis (sold for €2 508.40) and Once upon a time, Memories Κοκκινοχώρια by Lefteris Economou (sold for €2 508.40).
Prices of the sold lots include commission and VAT
