Our Old Masters sale on 21 March featured a composition by the painter Ambroise-Louis Garneray (1783-1857) that sparked a breathless bidding war.

An unreleased work by Ambroise-Louis Garneray (1783 - 1857) caused a bidding frenzy


AMBROISE-LOUIS GARNERAY - Paris, 1783 - 1857 
La bataille de Navarin le 20 octobre 1827
Oil on canvas -1827 /1845 
On the back of the canvas. initials 
52 x 78,5 cm 
PROVENANCE: 
Possible collection of M. Didot de Saint-Marc, Paris: his sale after his death, Bonnefons Laviale et David, 30 November and 1 December 1835, at the home of the deceased 17 quai Malaquais in Paris GARNEREY (M.} - French and English squadrons, on the roadstead of Navarin, lot 54; Private collection, Paris, Doctor Charles Vallée, director of the Grand Palais hospital during the 1914 - 1918 war, then by descent in his property in Béarn until 2023.

With a result of €769,000, La bataille de Navarin le 20 octobre 1827 set a new world record for the artist. Previously known only through a lithograph by Jean-Pierre Jazet (1788-1871), a copy of which is held by the National History Museum in Athens, this composition fetched more than 8 times its predecessor!

The theme of the Battle of Navarin recurs several times in the work of Louis Garneray. Two well-known large formats are held in French public collections. The Palais-Musée des Archevêques in Narbonne holds the first commissioned by the Minister of the Navy, the Duc d'Angoulême, while the Château de Versailles has a second, dated 1831. A third version exists, but it is an exact copy, also kept in Athens.

The Battle of Navarin, a high point in Greek independence

In preparing this public auction, our department raised awareness among Greek institutions, professionals and private individuals. Although no museum bid, several Greek collectors and dealers set their sights on this painting, which recounts an important moment in their national history.

Now regarded as the last great naval battle of the sailing navy, before the advent of steamships, battleships and shells, the Battle of Navarin marked the beginning of Greek independence. The subject matter also contributed to this surge in bids.

A great tradition: Louis Garneray, the first Navy painter

Louis Garneray's knowledge of ships and his painting heritage made him an outstanding painter of seascapes. Employed by the Duc d'Angoulême, then Grand Admiral of France, he became his official painter by competition in 1817, making him the first official painter of the French Navy.  
While the Battle of Navarin marked the liberation of Greece, it also represented the first French victory since the fall of Napoleon I. In order to keep an official record of this momentous event, the Minister of the Navy commissioned Garneray in November 1827 to produce a highly faithful commemorative painting on the spot.

Upcoming Old Masters auction in prepration
Wednesday 19 June 2024, 3pm

For more information or to include a lot in the sale, please contact:
Victoria Damidot
+33 (0) 1 47 45 91 57 - damidot@aguttes.com