Auction January 28, 2026
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NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle’s auction of Old Master & 19th Century Paintings, Drawings & Prints on January 28, 2026 delivered some exceptional results amid international bidding. The sale presented works spanning the 16th through 19th centuries, including portraits, still lifes and landscapes, along with religious, historical and mythological subjects.
The star of the Old Master paintings was a very fine miniature architectural view by the Venetian artist Giacomo Guardi (1764–1835), after a much larger work by his illustrious father, Francesco Guardi. Showing an intriguing view of a small city square from the shadows of a Renaissance arcade, this delightful gem measuring 5 1/8 x 3 15/16 inches sold for $14,080, a surprising price for a miniature work.
Also featured was Anthropomorphic Landscape attributed to Matthäus Merianthat, which realized $8,960. Anthropomorphic landscapes--imaginary views of natural scenery that appear to resemble the faces of people--were much in vogue in European art during the 16th and early 17th centuries. When this painting was first discovered by Alfred Barr in 1930 it was thought to be by the Italian Mannerist artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593). However when the work was cleaned and restored in 1954, an inscription attributing it to the Swiss engraver Matthäus Merian (1593-1650) came to light. It was soon shown that its composition is closely related to an engraving of a similar anthropomorphic landscape created by Merian in 1624, which suggests that it may have been the artist’s preliminary sketch for that work.
Old Master prints were highlighted by four hand-colored engravings by Basilius Besler (1561–1629) from Hortus Eystettensis (The Garden of Eichstätt), which sold for $10,240. Published in 1613, Hortus Eystettensis is a landmark botanical masterpiece, featuring hundreds of finely detailed engravings that document the extensive gardens of Prince-Bishop Johann Konrad von Gemmingen in Bavaria.
Additional Categories in the Sale
Special sections of the sale also showcased English & Continental Silver (Read More) on Wednesday, January 28 and English & Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts (Read More) on Thursday, January 29.
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
