Home / Arts and Entertainment / Bronze Masterpiece Smashes Auction Record in London
Bronze Masterpiece Smashes Auction Record in London
17 Jul
Summary
- Bronze sculpture sold for £13.6 million ($18.1 million) at Sotheby's.
- It set a new auction record for a Neoclassical sculpture.
- The work is a 19th-century bronze interpretation of a classical masterpiece.
A 19th-century bronze sculpture, known as the Hamilton Laocoön, recently commanded a remarkable £13.6 million ($18.1 million) at a Sotheby's auction in London. This exceptional price set a new auction record for a Neoclassical sculpture, significantly surpassing pre-sale expectations. The work's rarity, expert craftsmanship, and documented provenance contributed to its extraordinary value.
The Hamilton Laocoön is a bronze interpretation of the ancient marble sculpture, Laocoön and His Sons, discovered in Rome in 1506 and celebrated for its dramatic artistry. The specific bronze version offered was created in 1817 by French sculptor Auguste-Jean-Marie Carbonneaux, using a plaster cast from a mold made in Paris. Few of these monumental bronzes survive today.
This particular sculpture has a notable ownership history, having passed through the hands of collectors like George Watson-Taylor, William Beckford, and the Dukes of Buckingham and Hamilton, before remaining with the Guest family for generations. Its return to the auction block after approximately 150 years made it a highly anticipated event in the Old Masters and 19th-century art season.
