Carlsen, who trained at the Danish Royal Academy before arriving in the US in 1872, is an artist who can fetch anything from £500-50,000 at auction. Judging by the number of American dealers interested in the painting, this Chardin-like still life was clearly a fine example by the artist and it had the added attraction of being in untouched condition and with a provenance stretching back half a century to the New York Sketch Club, which still holds exhibitions at its brownstone house at 47 Fifth Avenue, New York.
US dealer awakes a Suffolk sleeper
Sleepers are something of an endangered species at UK picture sales, but this small 6 by 5in (15.5 x 12.5cm) oil on board still life, right, by the Danish/American painter Emil Carlsen (1853-1932) certainly made the room sit up when it sold to a US dealer on the telephone at £17,500 against an estimate of just £1000-1500 at the Atheneum Sale in Bury St. Edmunds held by Bonhams’ (17.5/10% buyer’s premium) on December 17.
