A rare work by Hans Baldung Grien, long hidden in a family collection, returns to the market on the occasion of an extraordinary sale.
Why is the discovery of the portrait of Susanna Pfeffinger exceptional?
During the week of the Salon du dessin (March 25-30, 2026), the Parisian scene is preparing for a moment of strong emotion. On March 23, at the Hôtel Drouot, the auction house Beaussant Lefèvre & Associés, in collaboration with the expertise studio Bayser, will put up for sale an unpublished drawing by Hans Baldung Grien (1484/85-1545). The artist is among the leading figures of the Renaissance in the Rhineland area, particularly linked to Strasbourg.
For Patrick de Bayser, this discovery has a dual significance, both personal and professional. “It was an intimate shock because I have always been emotionally attached to Alsace and the Alsatians,” he explains, recalling his grandfather who participated, with Marshal de Lattre’s army, in the liberation of the region, eventually settling in Kientzheim, near Colmar. Moreover, on a professional level, the specialist evaluates this drawing as the most important he has brought to light since the San Sebastiano by Leonardo da Vinci, which emerged in 2016.
The subject is a portrait made in 1517 using the silverpoint technique and remained for over 500 years in the same family, that of the depicted. In total, a full 17 generations have passed down the work until its recent discovery in an inheritance context.
Who was Susanna Pfeffinger, the protagonist of the portrait?
The woman depicted is Susanna Pfeffinger (1465-1538), a devout figure belonging to the bourgeois elite of the time. In the drawing, she appears three-quarters, half-length, with a cap, chin band, and a dress that completely covers her neck, a true model of modesty and piety. Susanna was the wife of Friedrich Prechter (1450-1528), a merchant-banker closely linked to the artist.
Since arriving in Strasbourg in 1509, Baldung quickly came into contact with the city’s most prominent families. He obtained bourgeois rights, joined the painters’ guild, opened his own workshop, and increased the number of commissions. Among these is the portrait of Margrave Christopher I of Baden (1510), now preserved at the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, which testifies to the artist’s integration into the power circuits.
That said, Baldung’s career took a turn in 1520 when he adhered to the Reformation. From that moment, religious subjects gradually gave way to secular themes, often laden with symbolic tension and formal experimentation compared to contemporary German production.
What does the silverpoint technique of the portrait consist of?
The Portrait of Susanna Pfeffinger, wife of Friedrich Prechter, bust three-quarters left, dated 1517, is executed in silverpoint on paper prepared with bone ash. The sheet measures 15.7 x 10.4 cm, bears the monogram “HB” at the top left, and the date “1517” at the top right. The economic estimate ranges between 1,500,000 and 3,000,000 euros, in line with the rarity of the work.
The surface was treated with a preparation based on bone ash to allow the metal alloy to adhere optimally. Baldung does not use charcoal, chalk, or sanguine: instead, he employs a metal stylus, brass coated with silver, pressed with varying intensity to modulate light and shadow. The choice of this technique reveals a high level of ambition.
This drawing method, described by Leonardo da Vinci in his Treatise on Painting, requires absolute control of the gesture. The line is indeed irreversible and does not allow for reconsideration, unlike other more forgiving graphic means. In Susanna’s sheet, there is a single regret, a slight extension of the shoulder line, which testifies to the master’s meticulous attention.
Moreover, Baldung’s entry into the world of silverpoint occurs in the workshop of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). The latter, the son of a goldsmith, had long mastered the use of metal in drawing. Dürer’s technical and stylistic legacy is one of the key points for understanding Baldung’s position in the history of German art.
How does Hans Baldung Grien position himself as Dürer’s heir?
Many art historians consider Baldung the true successor of the Nuremberg master. When Dürer undertakes his second trip to Venice (1505-1507), it is Baldung who directs the workshop, a sign of great trust and professional recognition. This experience strengthens his role within the artistic system of the time.
To grasp the connection between the two, just compare the portrait of Susanna Pfeffinger with that of Agnès Dürer (Vienna, Albertina, 1521). Both female figures are represented with extreme care in detail and fabric rendering, but also with a rare psychological attention. Moreover, the two women shared a deep friendship and a scrupulous care for their appearance.
Upon Dürer’s death in 1528, Baldung received a lock of his hair, “cut as a memento,” the last tangible sign of the emotional and professional bond that united the two artists. Overall, this biographical and stylistic closeness reinforces the interpretation of Baldung as the direct heir of the great Nuremberg tradition.
Why is the provenance of the drawing so important for the market?
The ownership history of Susanna’s portrait is one of the strongest elements of the sale. The work, in fact, remained for over half a millennium in the same family, that of the model, passing through 17 descents before being found in a trunk during a succession. This type of continuous provenance is extremely rare, especially for a sheet from the early sixteenth century.
Moreover, Baldung exerted a particular attraction on twentieth-century artists, especially the Surrealists. Hans Bellmer (1902-1975) was fascinated by his intertwining of female bodies, which he interpreted as anticipations of modern sensibilities. In today’s collecting landscape, about 250 drawings by Baldung are cataloged, but few still belong to private individuals.
According to Patrick de Bayser, the last Baldung drawing to appear at auction dates back to 2007, when a sheet exceeded 3.7 million dollars. In comparison, the current valuation between 1.5 and 3 million euros for Susanna’s portrait reflects both the rarity of the silverpoint technique and the solidity of the provenance chain. The combination of these factors fuels anticipation for the auction at the Hôtel Drouot.
What impact can this sale have on the old drawing market?
The sale of this sheet during the Salon du dessin fits into a context of strong international attention for the drawing of old masters. Events like the Salon du dessin in Paris have long represented a privileged showcase for galleries, collectors, and museums. The presence of an unpublished work by Baldung further accentuates interest in the German Renaissance segment.
Moreover, the choice to present a work with such a compact history and solid attribution aligns with the growing demand for traceable provenances in the international market. In a context of attention to provenance issues and problems related to the circulation of cultural goods, this type of dossier strengthens buyers’ confidence.
For a broader understanding of Baldung’s path, it is useful to remember the fundamental core of works preserved at the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe, which also houses the aforementioned portrait of Margrave Christopher I of Baden. In parallel, institutions like the Albertina in Vienna document through the sheets of Dürer and his followers the context in which Baldung was formed.
That said, the portrait of Susanna Pfeffinger remains, to date, the only silverpoint work by Baldung still in private hands. Expectations for March 23 are therefore very high: the final result could redefine the valuation parameters for German Renaissance drawing and confirm, once again, the centrality of Hans Baldung Grien in the history of European drawing.
As expert in digital marketing, Amelia began working in the fintech sector in 2014 after writing her thesis on Bitcoin technology. Previously author for several international crypto-related magazines and CMO at Eidoo. She is now the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Cryptonomist and Econique.
She is also a marketing teacher at Digital Coach in Milan and she published a book about NFTs for the Italian publishing house Mondadori, while she is also helping artists and company to entering in the sector. As advisor, Amelia is also involved in metaverse-related project such as The Nemesis and OVER.
