John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
Portrait of a Memlook Bey, possibly a self-portrait
Found at
Christies,
London
Old Master & British Drawings & Watercolours, Lot 99
05.Jul - 05.Jul.2017
Old Master & British Drawings & Watercolours, Lot 99
05.Jul - 05.Jul.2017
Estimate: 80.000 - 120.000 GBP
Price realised: 473.000 GBP
Price realised: 473.000 GBP
Description
signed with initials and dated ‘J F L 1863’ (lower left)
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
8 7/8 x 6 ½ in. (22.6 x 16.5 cm.)
Peter Reid; Christie’s, London, 20 April 1917, lot 28, as 'A Sheikh' (26 gns to Gooden & Fox). | with Gooden & Fox, London. | Sir Thomas Devitt Bt.; Christie’s, London, 16 May 1924, part of lot 26 (6 gns to Leggatt). | Howson Foulger Devitt, 1928. | Peter Kenneth Devitt and by descent in the family. | Anonymous sale; Sotheby’s, London, 10 July 1997, lot 171. | with Spink-Leger, London, by 1997, where purchased by the present owner.
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
8 7/8 x 6 ½ in. (22.6 x 16.5 cm.)
Peter Reid; Christie’s, London, 20 April 1917, lot 28, as 'A Sheikh' (26 gns to Gooden & Fox). | with Gooden & Fox, London. | Sir Thomas Devitt Bt.; Christie’s, London, 16 May 1924, part of lot 26 (6 gns to Leggatt). | Howson Foulger Devitt, 1928. | Peter Kenneth Devitt and by descent in the family. | Anonymous sale; Sotheby’s, London, 10 July 1997, lot 171. | with Spink-Leger, London, by 1997, where purchased by the present owner.
Artwork auctioned at three times the upper estimate price
When the work Portrait of a Memlook Bey, possibly a self-portrait by John Frederick Lewis was auctioned at Christies in London in July 2017, the result exceeded expectations many times over. The upper estimate was set at a - in retrospect quite modest - GBP 120,000.00 but the actual price achieved was more than three times as high at GBP 473,000.00 (€ 527,795.37). Admittedly, works by John Frederick Lewis have also been auctioned for a multiple of this price - according to our records, the highest result so far was achieved by the work The Midday Meal, Cairo in June 2005 with an auction result of GBP 2,472,000.00 (€ 3,663,660.11).
Kunstwerk zum Dreifachen des oberen Schätzpreises versteigert
Als die Arbeit Portrait of a Memlook Bey, possibly a self-portrait von John Frederick Lewis im Juli 2017 bei Christies in London versteigert wurde, übertraf das Ergebnis die Erwartungen um ein Vielfaches. Der obere Schätzpreis war mit – rückwirkend betrachtet recht bescheidenen – GBP 120.000,00 angesetzt, der tatsächlich erzielte Preis hingegen war mit GBP 473.000,00 (€ 527.795,37) mehr als dreimal so hoch. Freilich wurden Arbeiten von John Frederick Lewis auch schon für ein Vielfaches dieses Preises versteigert – das bisher höchste Ergebnis erzielte nach unseren Aufzeichnungen die Arbeit The Midday Meal, Cairo im Juni 2005 mit einem Auktionsergebnis von GBP 2.472.000,00 (€ 3.663.660,11).
John Frederick Lewis - Auction history
![John Frederick Lewis, R.A. - Sketches and Drawings of the Alhambra. London: [1835]](/images/john-frederick-lewis-r-a_sketches-and-drawings-of-the-alhambra-london-1835_AID713772_320x320.jpg)
Other artists in this auction
