Old Masters online at Christie’s

Christie’s is holding an online collection sale of Old Master pictures, ‘Discovering Old Masters: The Legacy of Piero Corsini’, which is now live until October 7.

Piero Corsini (1938-2001) was one of the most successful and charismatic art dealers of his day, and this auction  offers a curated selection of works from the Renaissance to the 19th century, featuring predominantly Italian works, with paintings and drawings ranging across all artistic themes, from genre, religious and mythological works, to portraits, landscapes and still lifes.

Born in Florence, Corsini began to acquire and study Old Masters from the age of 18. For the next 25 years he dealt privately from Florence, before moving to Manhattan, New York in 1981 where he opened a semi-private gallery in a brownstone on East 63rd Street.

Specialising in Italian Renaissance and Baroque pictures, Corsini built a formidable reputation, staging annual exhibitions and selling to museums and institutions all over the world.

Corsini was an inveterate buyer at auctions at both ends of the scale, buying major recognised Old Master paintings as well as lower value works that caught his ever inquisitive eye. The paintings in this sale are part of Piero Corsini’s legacy and his journey of discovery via Old Master pictures during his lifetime.

The sale is expected to realise in the region of £1million – £1.5million. A view will be taking place at Christie’s, London from September 24-30.

Maja Markovic, Head of Sale, Old Master Pictures, commented: “Piero Corsini was one of the most successful and charismatic art dealers of his day, and this auction is a testament to both the insatiable curiosity of his collecting and his connoisseurly intuition for discoveries.

“The paintings in this sale, many of which have been stored away since his death, are part of Corsini’s legacy and his journey of discovery in Old Master Paintings.”