USA: SOTHEBY'S AUCTIONS RARE RENAISSANCE PAINTING BY ANDREA MANTEGNA FOR OVER 28 MILLION US DOLLARS

Record ID: 646818

  • Title: USA: SOTHEBY'S AUCTIONS RARE RENAISSANCE PAINTING BY ANDREA MANTEGNA FOR OVER 28 MILLION US DOLLARS
  • Date: 23rd January 2003
  • Summary: (W4) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA (JANUARY 23, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF SOTHEBY'S AUCTION HOUSE IN NEW YORK 0.05 2. WIDE OF AUCTION ROOM 0.12 3. SMV AUCTIONEER ANNOUNCING START OF BIDDING ON 'DESCENT INTO LIMBO' BY ANDREA MANTEGNA 0.19 4. WIDE OF PAINTING (WITH AUDIO OF START OF BIDDING ON 14 MIILLION US DOLLARS) 0.26 5. VARIOUS OF BIDDING ON 'DESCENT INTO LIMBO'/ AUCTIONEER AND TELEPHONE BIDS (4 SHOTS) 0.43 6. WIDE OF ELECTRONIC BOARD WITH BIDS AND IMAGE OF PAINTING 0.46 7. SMV AUCTIONEER BRINGING GAVEL DOWN ON FINAL BID OF 25 MILLION DOLLARS (3 SHOTS) 1.05 8. WIDE OF AUCTION ROOM 1.08 (W4)NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA (RECENT) (REUTERS) 9. VARIOUS OF 'DESCENT INTO LIMBO' PAINTING (6 SHOTS) 1.41 10. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTOPHER APOSTLE, DIRECTOR OF SOTHEBY'S OLD MASTER PAINTINGS DEPARTMENT SAYING: "The fact that he shows Christ from behind is extremely revolutionary. Usually in Christian art one finds it is a vehicle to approach God, to approach Christ, to know, to make him more human and more accessible to the viewer. In this case Mantegna's purposely hidden the emotional state of Christ as he's liberating these souls from limbo." 2.07 11. VARIOUS OF 'DESCENT INTO LIMBO' PAINTING (3 SHOTS) 2.26 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th February 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVAB2RYFQY4GMT6X5G4SBSTHTHFL
  • Story Text: A rare painting by Renaissance master Andrea Mantegna
    sold for over 28 million U.S. dollars at Sotheby's auction
    house in New York, more than doubling the previous record for
    a work by the artist.



    At Sotheby's January sale of Old Master paintings in
    New York on Thursday (January 23), a small painting by the
    renaissance master Andrea Mantegna sold for more than double
    the previous record for his work.

    When the gavel came down after the final bid for 'Descent
    into Limbo,' the winning bid was 25.5 million U.S. dollars.

    With Sotheby's commission, the complete tally for the work
    rises to 28,568,000 U.S. dollars.

    Thursday's winning bid more than doubles the previous
    record for a Mantegna selling at auction, which was 10.4
    million U.S. dollars for the 1985 sale of the artists painting
    'Adoration of the Magi.'
    Sotheby's wouldn't disclose who bought the painting, only
    saying that it went to 'an anonymous bidder.'
    'Descent into Limbo' depicts the episode where Christ
    descends into limbo to liberate the souls of the righteous who
    have predeceased him.

    Christopher Apostle, Director of Sotheby's Old Master
    Paintings department, said that what makes this painting so
    revolutionary and important is the manner in which Mantegna
    depicts the figure of Christ painted from behind.

    "Usually in Christian art one finds it is a vehicle to
    approach God, to approach Christ, to know, to make him more
    human and more accessible to the viewer. In this case
    Mantegna's purposely hidden the emotional state of Christ as
    he's liberating these souls from limbo," said Apostle.

    The ruffled drapery of Christ and others in the painting
    illustrate the gust of hot infernal air rising from below.

    The painting is thought to have been commissioned by the
    Gonzaga Family, who were Mantegna's best patrons.

    According to Apostle, any work by Mantegna is rare, and
    'Descent into Limbo' was the last painting of the artist held
    in a private collection

  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register