BY ALBERT CHEN
An extended-unseen work by one of many nineteenth century’s most influential painters ignited a bidding frenzy at Bonhams New Bond Avenue in London, as James McNeill Whistler’s very first portrait fee soared to £406,800 (approx. $495,000)—greater than 5 instances its low estimate of £80,000 (approx. $97,000). Supplied to the marketplace for the primary time in almost six a long time, Portrait of Lucas Alexander Ionides drew intense curiosity from collectors and establishments alike, marking a watershed second for early Whistler works.
Painted in 1859–60, shortly after Whistler relocated from Paris to London’s historic artists’ quarter in Newman Avenue, the portrait represents not solely a uncommon glimpse of the American artist’s formative interval but additionally the start of a lifelong inventive and private bond with the Ionides household, outstanding Greek-origin patrons of the humanities in Victorian London.
Commissioned by Alexander Constantine Ionides, the daddy of Lucas, the portray captures him with outstanding tenderness and psychological depth. It was accompanied within the sale by the unique typed manuscript of Reminiscences, the 1924 memoir during which Lucas Ionides fondly remembers his friendship with Whistler.
“This was the primary time Whistler’s Portrait of Lucas Alexander Ionides had ever been provided at public sale, and so it’s no shock there was a lot curiosity,” stated Charles O’Brien, Head of nineteenth Century British and Impressionist Artwork at Bonhams. “The work is an impressive demonstration of Whistler’s early expertise for portraiture, in addition to revealing the tenderness for his pal.”
The portrait loved satisfaction of place within the Ionides household houses—first at Tulse Hill, then on the iconic 1 Holland Park—till it was handed all the way down to Lucas’ son Cyril in 1924. It remained within the household for over a century till 1968, when it was offered to collector Michael Carruthers, whose household retained the piece ever since. Although briefly exhibited in a 1960 Arts Council retrospective in London and later in New York, the portrait has not been seen publicly in over half a century—making its reemergence, and record-breaking sale, all of the extra sensational.
As artwork historians and collectors proceed to re-evaluate Whistler’s early oeuvre, the sale underscores the enduring fascination together with his evolving model and storied connections. For a portray hidden from public view for generations, its dramatic return to the highlight has confirmed nothing wanting historic.
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