While his main focus had been genre paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an Old Master caused the greatest stir.
The Death of the Virgin, painted on a 3ft 10in x 3ft 6in (1.17 x 1.07m) panel in the first quarter of the 16th century by an unknown painter from the Upper Rhine, was expected to bring €20,000.
The artist had taken a copperplate engraving by Martin Schongauer from the early 1470s as the basis for his composition. Schongauer’s engraving was used by several later artists as the inspiration for their paintings. In the case the artist did not slavishly follow the original but adapted it, for instance reducing the number of Apostles surrounding the dying Virgin to 10 and simplifying other elements.
The panel was most probably conceived as part of a winged altar, meant to be seen from a distance: the fewer the details, the clearer the religious message.
On auction day, the panel was knocked down to an unnamed bidder for €60,000 (£51,280), three times the guide.
