For our section on auctions, here is the selection of the upcoming rounds at the beginning of December. The pre-Christmas winter with Ponte, Lempertz, Cambi, Capitolium, Phillips, Gros & Delettrez.
Il Ponte Auction House since 1974
“Woman at the window watering flower pots”
The online auction “L’arte della casa” was held today at 3 PM with pieces starting from a low estimate of €20-30 up to Grande centrotavola in argento depicting the Triumph of Galatea on a chariot, €13,000-15,000. On December 5, the auction on Sports in Paris will follow, while on December 15, the online auction Paintings and Sculptures of the 19th and 20th century will conclude with works by Tranquillo Cremona, Francesco Paolo Michetti, Filippo Palizzi, Domenico Morelli, Giuseppe De Nittis, Alberto Pasini. Prices vary: many lots have an estimate of around 500-600, reaching up to a maximum of €30,000. The two highlights are Il sogno by Federico Zandomeneghi, estimated at €25,000-30,000 and Donna alla finestra watering flower pots by Giuseppe Molteni (Affori 1800 – Milan 1867) €20,000-30,000. On December 16, it will be the turn of the selection of Oriental, Asian, and Islamic Art.
Lempertz, “50 Lots – My Choice”, on December 4th
50th anniversary of the auctioneer Henrik Hanstein who continues the family tradition, in the fifth generation! For half a century Hanstein has worked for the oldest family-run auction house in the world.
To celebrate, 50 lots will be passed under his hammer tomorrow, December 4th. They come from different departments: from Old Masters to 19th-century art, to modern and contemporary art, jewelry, and art objects. It starts with a ring with a natural Kashmir sapphire of 11.51 carats (estimated price 800,000 – 1,000,000 €). A Roman relief depicting two winged Nikai on chariots (estimate 200,000 euros), a fragment of the pediment of a Roman temple (around 200 AD) is the oldest piece. Among the Old Masters, Let the Children Come to Me (300,000–350,000 €) by Theodor van Loon, a Dutch Caravaggisti. Also up for auction is a Still Life with Fruit and Wine Glass (200,000-250,000 euros) by Cornelis de Heem that stands out for its brilliant palette.
For the selection of modern, the bright impressionist work Le Chantier de Matrat, Moret-sur-Loing signed by Alfred Sisley in 1888, estimated between 300,000 and 400,000 euros. Regarding the twentieth century, Study for Homage to the Square: Vittoriano by Josef Albers, 1955, oil on masonite (estimated 300,000 – 400,000).
Exchanges, the December auctions
On December 11, the protagonists will be ancient drawings and paintings: two auctions that will take place in a single session at 10 AM at the Genoese headquarters.
Among the drawings stands out the sheet Venere, Marte e Cupido (Lot 41), pen and brown ink on paper. The rare Cristo deposto of the Tuscan school of the early sixteenth century (Lot 11), already associated with the figure of Suor Plautilla Nelli and today attributed to the Peruginesque sphere or the circle of Fra Bartolomeo of the early years of the century.
The paintings include works from the mature Renaissance, the Baroque, and generally from the seventeenth-century period. Among the most significant works is the extraordinary Susanna e i vecchioni by Mattia Preti (Lot 256); the Battesimo di Clorinda by Andrea Vaccaro (Lot 258), a precious copper by Bernardo Strozzi with the Crocifissione (Lot 271), known as “Crocifissione Viezzoli”; the Perseo combatte contro Fineo e i suoi compagni by Luca Giordano (Lot 257).
Capitolium, the December auctions
The jewelry auction will be on December 4, 2025, followed by Paintings, sculptures, and antique furnishings on December 9. The following day will be the turn of 19th-century Paintings and sculptures. Instead, one will have to wait until December 16 and 17 for Modern and Contemporary Art.
Phillips, the jewelry auction in New York
The New York Jewels Auction on December 8 features colored stones, a ring with a pink diamond, vintage pieces from prestigious Maison, and gold creations. Appointment at 432 Park Avenue.
Dianne Batista, head of the New York jewelry division, writes: «we are excited to present standout pieces such as the bow brooch with antique diamonds by Boucheron, the “Fleur de Mer” brooch with sapphires and diamonds by Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. and the Art Déco models by Cartier…». There is also a large marquise-cut pink diamond with vibrant Burmese rubies, velvety Kashmir sapphires, and magnificent emeralds. The most anticipated prices are a ring with Burmese ruby – not thermally treated at 5.27 carats – and diamonds and a ring with a very light pink diamond of 15.12 carats with the rare marquise cut.
It is believed that the jewelry from the golden age “The Gilded Age” and the parallel Belle Époque will generate a lot of interest. Result of a television series now in vogue: The Gilded Age.
Among the highlights stands out a rigid bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels, famous for being worn by Jackie Kennedy-Onassis. The sculptural surface evokes Etruscan art and the interest in lunar craters from the mid-last century. There is no lack of a selection from Tiffany & Co.
Phillips, the auction in Hong Kong
The next Modern & Contemporary Art auction by Phillips will be held in Hong Kong on December 12. Among the Highlights “Collection of Kwong’s Comics – Masterpiece of Sheung-Koon Siu Bo, Bruce Lee, Comic Manuscripts”. These are manuscripts that symbolize modern culture and the growth of the city. In particular, the comic Bruce Lee by Sheung Koon Siu Bo is one of the longest-running comic series in the history of the Chinese metropolis.
Among the lots of the most anticipated contemporaries are works by Chiharu Shiota (US$103,000-154,000), KAWS, Yayoi Kusama (US$38,500-64,100), Jenny Holzer (US$48,700-70,500), Nicolas Party, Damien Hirst, and Zao Wou-Ki (US$3,800-6,400).
Gros & Delettrez in Paris
Length: 1.80 m. Estimate: € 300,000/500,000. Scientific consultant: Jonica Dos Remedios. Photo Credit : Gros & Delettrez
After the success of Phillips who sold a young Triceratops skeleton, in New York, for 5.4 million dollars on November 19, Gros & Delettrez also makes its move. On December 11, the auction house will offer a Triceratops skull in Paris. The estimate is between 300,000 and 500,000 euros. In 2008, also in Paris, a dinosaur skeleton was sold for the first time in France. It was the skeleton of a Triceratops auctioned by Christie’s for 592,000 euros. Acquired by an American patron who, after naming it Cliff, donated it to the Museum of Science in Boston.
She has collaborated for many years with art magazines such as Artribune, XIBT Contemporary, ArtApp, Insideart and Espoarte, preferring contemporary art in its many facets and media drifts.
