Princess Diana family to offer Rubens masterpiece
- March 29, 2010 11:29
Earl Spencer, Diana's brother, is planning to sell works from the family's collection of paintings, furniture, porcelain and horse-drawn carriages at Christie's in London on July 6. The auction may raise about $30 million.
Highlights in the sale include Peter Paul Rubens's "A Commander being armed for Battle," painted in 1613 or 1614, expected to fetch 8-12 million pounds ($12-18 million) and a "King David" by 17th century Italian master Il Guercino, estimated at 5-8 million pounds.
The Rubens hung in the Spencer home, Althrop estate, for over 200 years. Althrop is undergoing a $16 million restoration and the family decided to sell "non-core" pieces from their collection.