Rare Tudor Portrait of Queen Katherine Parr Sets Record at Sotheby's Old Masters Sale
On July 5, 2023, a unique portrait of Queen Katherine Parr, the final spouse of Henry VIII, fetched £3.4 million at Sotheby's Evening Auction for Old Masters & 19th Century Paintings in London, establishing a new record for Tudor portraits. This artwork, attributed to Master John and created between 1547 and 1548, had remained off the market for two centuries. The auction's total reached £39,027,300, marking the highest figure for an Old Masters auction in London since July 2019. The standout piece was 'Pentecost' by the Master of the Baroncelli Portraits, which sold for £7.9 million. Additional significant sales included Rubens' 'Saint Sebastian Tended by Two Angels' at £4.9 million and Velázquez's 'Portrait of Monsignor Cristoforo Segni' at £3,438,000.
Key facts
- Portrait of Queen Katherine Parr sold for £3.4 million, a record for Tudor portraiture.
- The painting had not appeared on the market for 200 years.
- Attributed to Master John, executed in 1547-48.
- Only two known portraits of Katherine Parr exist; the other is at the National Portrait Gallery.
- Sotheby's Old Masters evening sale total: £39,027,300.
- Highest Old Masters auction total in London since July 2019.
- 19% increase over December 2022 sale.
- Top lot: 'Pentecost' by Master of the Baroncelli Portraits at £7.9 million.
- Rediscovered Rubens painting sold for £4.9 million.
- Velázquez portrait sold for £3,438,000.
- Records set for William Segar, William Hogarth, Domenico Beccafumi, and Vincenzo Cabianca.
- Florentine school panel exceeded estimate, selling for over £450,000.
Entities
Artists
- Master John
- Katherine Parr
- Henry VIII
- Master of the Baroncelli Portraits
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Diego Velázquez
- Pietro Martire Neri
- William Segar
- William Hogarth
- Domenico Beccafumi
- Vincenzo Cabianca
- Pieter Brueghel the Younger
- Gabriel Metsu
- Nicolaes van Verendael
- Antonio Joli
- Jacopo Amigoni
- Cristina Masturzo
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- National Portrait Gallery
- Galleria Corsini
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- Rome
- Genoa