Auction 1266 on Saturday, 17 May 2025

Lempertz enjoyed a highly successful Old Masters auction on 17th May, especially the sale of the flower still life by Jan Davidsz. de Heem. This masterpiece by the important Dutch painter, which only recently became known to the public, realised € 3,550,000, around four million US dollars. A higher auction result for a work by Jan Davidsz. de Heem has only been achieved three times worldwide.

In the packed auction room, with numerous telephone and online bidders participating, the painting was called at an estimate of € 1,000,000 to € 1,500,000. After intense competition from international bidders, a European collector finally prevailed.

Prior to this, a vision from hell had already ensured an exceptional result. The painting depicts a tale written by an Irish monk in the 12th century. According to this legend, the proud knight Tondalus, known for his lax lifestyle, was led by an angel to heaven and through hell, where he saw everything that might await him after death.

This story, told in the pictorial style of Hieronymus Bosch, attracted the attention of numerous international bidders. In order to prevail against the competitors online and on many telephones, a Belgian connoisseur as successful bidder had to agree to a price of almost € 910,000.

Jan Bykowski
Press and Public Relations
info@lempertz.com
Tel. 0221 925729 -57