The Story Gallery

As my other listings show, I am a regular buyer at Christie's & Sotheby's (NYC, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Beverly Hills, & London), and I while I have never before offered thi...

*PURCHASED AT CHRISTIE'S, PARIS * ALLAN OSTERLIND (1855-1938) (Erik Allan August Österlind) "Rue de Village Andalou" Signed, Oil on Board, Giltwood Frame Osterlind's late Impressio...

* PURCHASED AT CHRISTIE’S, NYC * JACOB VAN OOST (1603-1671) TRONIE STUDY FOR A NATIVITY SHEPHERD, CIRCA 1628 IN THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS (1630) THE HERMITAGE MUSEUM, SAINT PET...

* PURCHASED AT CHRISTIE'S, NYC * PROVENANCE: *Alessandro Maggiori (1764-1834): Rome, 1808. *Mrs. Lester Cook: Sotheby’s, London, 1984. *The Collection of the Rothschild Family. *Ch...

* Purchased at Christie’s, NYC * A British expat who flourished in 18th century Florence, Thomas Patch's brushwork was prized for its treatment of dramatic lighting & intricate ...

* PURCHASED AT CHRISTIE'S, NYC * This diminutive bronze was given **pride of place** astride massive red porphyry columns in the Chicago penthouse of famed philanthropic collectors, James & Marilyn Alsdorf, underscoring Hercules' commanding presence, even when surrounded by life-sized statuary (cf. Christie's Alsdorf Collection video of 8/18/2020 @ 0:08s - 0:10s). ORIGINAL OWNER: CHAIRMAN, ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO **1963 AIC MUSEUM LABEL & COLL. NUMBER ATTACHED!!** Nicolo Roccatagliata (c.1593 - c.1636) A Venetian Bronze Statue of Hercules 17th century, Circa 1600 Beginning his metalwork apprenticeship in Genoa at the prodigious age of 10, Nicolo Roccatagliata was a pupil of A. Groppo, later working for Tintoretto. Roccatagliata's darkly patinated bronzes of classical & religious subjects adorn the world's finest museums. Original to the artist's 17th century studio (in contrast to a proliferation of later Grand Tour copies), the present model's late Renaissance date is evinced by the variegated patination, unforced natural modeling, and archaic casting methods (which continued under his son, Sebastiano). Marked by superior rendering of the abdominal musculature & posterior flesh, a 16th century Renaissance contrapposto in Hercules' stance is counterbalanced by an evident trend towards early 17th century mannerism in the stylized treatment of the hair, beard, and eyes. While the Vienna version (provenanced by 1924) is argued by some to be the finest from Roccatagliata's workshop, Yale University's (London, 1958) has finer details. Yet, these details betray the Yale model's origins as a sophisticated product of an 18th/19th century copyist, who worked from an entirely new wax model, recast by later methods, and intricately tooled & reimagined the surface into an almost plastic patina. Still, the Vienna statue...

* PURCHASED AT CHRISTIE'S, NYC * THIS JUST IN: a Prieur at Christie's, NYC (same auction house where we purchased this statue) of King Henri IV on horseback has sold, 2/5/2026 $1.65...

A private piece from a family collection, never before offered for sale. Single-family ownership for 135 years. The finest quality antique coral, natural, undyed. This necklace repr...

17.49 CT Tanzanite center stone. Peerless. The finest color Tanzanite ever mined. Deep violet blue, just like the best sapphires, but with an added purple glow only seen in top Tanza...

*HUGE* 16.56 CARAT NATURAL COLOR-CHANGE PINK - PLUM STAR SAPPHIRE WITH 6 RAYS 20-DIAMOND HALO (1.64 TCW) SOLID PLATINUM BAND & SETTING WITH 18K YELLOW GOLD SURROUND The most u...