Christie's Old Masters and British Paintings auction in London last night (October 24) saw strong results for works by both Adam Frans van der Meulen and a follower of Rembrandt.
The auction totalled £809,625 ($1.2m), led by a piece from the studio of Giovanni Paolo Panini, which brought a 20% increase on its £25,000 high estimate, selling for £30,000 ($47,940).
However, the most impressive results were seen by works from Van der Meulen and the Rembrandt follower, which both enjoyed considerable increases on estimate.
 Van der Meulen was the official battle painter of Louis XIV of France |
Van der Meulen (1632-1693) achieved success for his mastery in painting battle scenes, and in 1662 was called to Paris to become King Louis XIV's official battle artist. This piece shows the king before Versailles in his state coach and can be compared to similar works in the Musee National du Chateau.
Although believed to be a Van der Meulen work, it was also suggested that the oil was actually created by Jacob Van Huchtenburg. Nonetheless, it sold for £27,500 ($43,945), achieving a 175% increase on its £10,000 high estimate.
 The work shares the qualities of a Rembrandt, but cannot match his inimitable style |
Also selling with a £7,000-10,000 valuation, the follower of Rembrandt's work saw a 150% increase after selling for £25,000 ($39,950). The bust-length portrait of a bearded man in a fur-trimmed coat shares the characteristics of a Rembrandt work that is currently housed in the Museu Colouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon.
The sale's strong results add further to the successes of old masters paintings in 2012. The respected Mei Moses Index reveals that works in the sector have increased in value by 5.6% since January.
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