Description

GIACOMO QUARENGHI 1744 - 1817 View of the Coast near Balaklava, with the St George Monastery Beyond. Valued by Christie's at £15,000 - £20,000 / US $23,000 - $30,000 / €17,000 - €22,000. In rare outstanding museum quality condition. Possibly the largest landscape the artist produced. Superb provenance. Perfect for a serious collector, museum or investor. POSTS WORLDWIDE By now you probably already can tell that this is an important antique painting. This is an outstanding original antique pencil, watercolour and ink on paper, by a prominent exponent of neoclassical architecture, and one of the foremost Palladian architects in Europe and court architect to Catherine the Great, Giacomo Quarenghi. He is known as the last of the great architects of Italy. You can read more about Giacomo Quarenghi on his Wikipedia page. Landscape paintings by Giacomo Quarenghi like this one, are hard to come by and rarely come up for sale. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the world and has also sold internationally in prestigious auction houses of Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Christie's. This Quarenghi painting is over 200 years old. The value of Giacomo Quarenghi paintings has a track record of steadily increasing over time because the paintings are very distinctive, very rare and the artist is an extremely sought-after and iconic painter. His landscape paintings are highly collectable and his work mostly sells for tens of thousands of pounds at auction. The 4th image shows an example of some of the artist’s auction results at Christie’s. To complete the original set we have 2 further Giacomo Quarenghi paintings available for sale with the same provenance. There was a set of 3 paintings by Giacomo Quarenghi listed by Christie's. We are now selling all 3 paintings. Together they would make a wonderful collection because they all depict views of similar geographical locations, and were produced around a similar time. All 3 paintings have been together, having been owned by the John Manning Gallery until c.1940. They were more recently displayed for sale in the Christie’s catalogue in London on 3rd June 2013 on two full pages (18 and 19). All 3 paintings are in superb condition and have been expertly reframed in the same frame and mount. The original backing boards have been preserved and display the same important chalking and labels linking their shared provenance. The previous matching frames and mounts are also part of this sale if requested. The three paintings complement each other beautifully and are worth more as a group. To view the other two paintings, please see my other listings. An original copy of the Christie's catalogue will be included with the sale of this painting. About this Painting. This is likely to be the largest Giacomo Quarenghi ink and watercolour landscape painting that the artist produced. Quarenghi’s paintings rarely come up for sale (you will not find any others for sale today apart from the 3 we are selling). I n 2005 there was a large collection of smaller sized paintings that sold. Please see the 4th image to see the auction results. This specific painting was valued by Christie's at £10,000 - £15,000 (US $16,000 - $23,000 / €12,000 - €17,000). Overall, I think this is one of the artist’s most beautiful paintings. It certainly has a lovely coastal feel about it. Having studied many of his paintings, this work seems to be the only cliff landscape that Quarenghi painted. This landscape painting depicts a stunning view of the Coast near Balaklava. The cliffs are striking with their giant boulders/rocks which are surrounded with lush greenery. On the left on the top of the cliffs, you can see the prominent St George Monastery. The monastery sits at about 200 meters high and part of the monastery still stands today thanks to a restoration project. The first mention of the monastery dates back to the year 1578. The monks, who lived there, were particularly hard working and many of them served in the Black Sea Fleet for several centuries. The view of the sea shows striking rock formations with fishing boats in the distance. On the side of one of the rock formations, you can see a boat with three people who were likely fishing. The foreground shows 4 men fishing with one man pointing towards the Monastery. Giacomo Quarenghi was known to use a certain paper for many of his watercolour and ink landscapes. It is highly recognisable by very slight embossed horizontal likes and watermarks. If you look carefully at some of the closer images of the sky, you can see these horizontal lines. The watermarks are much easier to see in person, however, a trained eye may be able to spot them on the photos; the most visible watermark can be seen around the centre of the painting in the sky just above some of the more distant cliffs. The painting gives a great feeling of scale from the huge rock formations on the foreground and the monastery in the middle ground ending with the last cliff at the sea’s horizon. His paintings have a highly distinctive style and key examples in exceptional condition like this one certainly impress. Overall, this is an outstanding example of the artist’s work and one that is rare to come by. Provenance. The painting has a great provenance having been sold by the renowned John Manning Gallery c.1940. The painting was more recently included in Christie's art sale in London on 3rd June 2013 with an appraised value of £15,000.00 - £20,000.00 GBP. The 4th image shows the relevant page of the Christie's catalogue An original copy of this Christie's catalogue will be included with the sale of this painting. Approximate Dimensions. Christie’s measurement: (We have found that these are a millimetre perfect match to the paintings actual dimensions plus an old hidden loose paper mount that was fitted between the painting and the original cardboard mount. All of these will be included with the painting.) Width: 52 cm / 20.5 inch Height: 37.2 cm / 14.64 inch Measurement of re-mounted painting shown. Width: 45.7 cm / 18 inch Height: 31 cm / 12.2 inch Measurement including frame. Width: 65.9 cm / 26 inch Height: 51.5 cm / 20.3 inch Depth: 4.7cm / 1.9 inch About Giacomo Quarenghi. A Known as "the last of the great architects of Italy” and a prominent exponent of neoclassical architecture, Giacomo Quarenghi was one of the foremost Palladian architects in Europe and contributed greatly to St Petersburg's architectural landscape under Catherine the Great. He was one of the foremost and most prolific practitioners of neoclassical architecture in Europe. He brought into vogue an original monumental style, of Palladian inspiration, which was a reference for many architects. Quarenghi was born near Bergamo, in Northern Italy, in 1744. In Italy, he studied as a painter under G. Reggi, a pupil of Tiepolo, and several other prominent artists and architects. Later Quarenghi secured commissions in England as a neoclassical landscaper and architect. In 1779, Quarenghi accepted Catherine the Great's post as court architect in St Petersburg. Among many of his most celebrated architectural monuments, you can find the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoe Tselo and the English Palace at Peterhof. In later years, Quarenghi turned his attention to watercolours and produced numerous landscape drawings, both on Imperial commission and for private individuals. In 1805 he became a corresponding member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Giacomo Quarenghi was granted nobility and the Order of St. Vladimir of the First Degree in 1814. When the 150th anniversary of his death was being marked in 1967, a Statue of the Italian architect and artist was erected between the Assignation Bank and Bank Bridge in Saint Petersburg . Rare Museum Condition. (Please carefully examine all 12 HD images before you buy) The overall condition is very important when it comes to collectable antique fine art. Having studied many Giacomo Quarenghi paintings, this is one of the most beautifully preserved we have seen. Considering this painting is more than 200 years old, it shows hardly any signs of deterioration or fading. Overall it is in truly exceptional condition for its age. A few years ago I was advised by the Bonham’s international auction house of fine art and antiques that this painting had surface dirt that would benefit from being professionally gently cleaned by a trusted expert. Bonham’s recommended to me one of the most trusted and experienced paper cleaners in the country, who they use themselves. The painting has been gently cleaned and the end result is even better than expected: Su btle colours that were hidden under layers of surface dirt and discolouration can once again be appreciated. There are no tears, holes, scratches, air-burn or warps and no repairs. The paper is still strong with no brittleness. Overall it is in superb outstanding condition. Due to the crude condition of the old frame and mount, I was advised by experts that the painting would benefit from a special frame and mount that better complements it. The classic frame used was specially secected and is of the highest quality and has been fitted around the important original wooden backing board, which clearly displays significant parts of the painting’s provenance with chalked numbers and labels. This can be seen on the 3rd image. T If requested, the painti ng can b e delivered with the old frame and mount as part of the package because it is more desirable from a collector’s point of view to own these items as further evidence of the provenance (image of the old frame and mount available upon request). To preserve the painting for generations to come, it has been expertly fitted with the highest quality museum glass; ‘Artglass AR 99™’ that is used by museums and professionals around the world. Artglass AR 99™ is the highest performance anti-reflective glass with 99% UV protection. The “invisible” glass ensures neutral reflection colour and helps prevent the treasured keepsake from fading. Artglass™ ranks the highest in the market of anti-reflective glass and now its successor Artglass AR 99™ combines superb clarity with the best possible UV protection that is highly valued among industry professionals and museums. Artglass AR 99 Features and Benefits: > Helps prevent from fading. > 99% UV protection. > Less than 1% light reflection. > Crisp image resolution. > No “orange peel” surface distortion. > Neutral colour from all angles. > Meets requirements of the standard ISO 18902. > Conservation grade glass according to photographic activity test (PAT) ISO 18916. > Follows fine art trade guild and professional picture framers association standards. > 99% conservation level UV block is certified by the national physical laboratory in UK according to EN 410. Overall, this over 200 year old painting looks outstanding whilst still retaining its classic historical look. It would be suitable for many museums around the world and would also suit private homes, complementing both modern and traditional settings. Payment. Paypal. Bank transfers or Transferwise paid in British pounds is preffered. Sir Richard Branson's Transferwise.com has the most competitive rates for international conversion payments. Collection is also available and can also save you the cost of shipping. Sent fully Tracked. Sent signed for and fully tracked with one of the world's most reliable & secure courier services. Strong Packaging. This painting will be professionally packaged and double boxed in extremely strong heavy duty boxes and packaging to fully protect it to ensure it reaches you in pristine condition. An excellent investment for the future which you can enjoy today. For centuries, Art has long been considered as a strong and safe tangible investment. Ellen Kelleher is a personal finance reporter for The Financial Times and recently wrote an article recommending art, especially in the $500 - $50,000 range as a sound long term tangible investment with a very impressive annual current average increase of 9.7 percent. For more information, please read “Hang Your Investments on the Wall” by Ellen Kelleher, The Financial Times. Get your hands on a rare antique Giacomo Quarenghi painting. This painting is perfect for a serious collector, museum or investor because it is not only one of the most renowned and iconic names you can buy, it is possibly the largest landscape painting the artist ever created, and it is also one of the most beautifully preserved examples you will find. Please Note . This Painting is available for sale somewhere else so may be removed at any time.