SARASOTA, FLA. — The guitar she is playing is acoustic but the price was amplified. Attributed to Jean August Dominique Ingres (French, 1780-1862) and estimated $4/6,000 in Helmuth Stone’s January 9 auction of Old Masters, fine art and antiques, “A lady playing a guitar” outperformed and finished at $34,720, inclusive of premium, pushed by more than 50 bids from its $2,000 starting price. Signed and dated (1833) lower right, the pencil-on-paper work was accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Mr Eric Bertin, dated September 19, 2005, measured 11¼ by 9¼ inches and was framed behind glass. Ingres blended traditional technique and experimental sensuality to reimagine classical and Renaissance sources for Nineteenth Century tastes. A talented draftsman, he was known for his serpentine line and impeccably rendered, illusionistic textures. “It was a great result,” said Austin Helmuth regarding the drawing, which went to a collector in New York City.

Read more about this sale in an upcoming issue.