Brueghel's 'The Drunkard' painting makes $783,750 at Christie's

Brueghel's 'The Drunkard' painting makes $783,750 at Christie's

Pieter Brueghel the Younger's delightful roundel The Drunkard Pushed into the Pigsty has performed well at Christie's, bringing $783,750.

old masters auction
The Drunkard Pushed into the Pigsty sold with a 12% increase on its top estimate

Estimated at $700,000, the piece performed with a 12% increase.

One of only two known autographed versions of the engraving, The Drunkard Pushed into the Pigsty is understood as a comic interpretation of a popular Flemish proverb warning against drunkenness.

The image originates with Pieter Brueghel the Younger's father, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, whose original painting sold at Christie's in 2012 for £3.3m ($5.1m).

The old masters art sector is booming, according to the Mei Moses index.

In December 2012, Raphael's sketch Head of an Apostle set a new auction record for an old master drawing, bringing £29.7m ($47.8m) to Sotheby's.

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