Early 18th century oil on canvas depicting a map of islands in the Maltese archipelago, €28,000 (£25,545) at Lempertz in Cologne.
The 3ft 2in x 4ft 11in (97cm x 1.5m) painting shows the wealthy and strategically important islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino surrounded by shipping. The detailed descriptive panels of the locations to the lower section are dated 1725.
It came with a provenance to a private collection in Berlin. Offered with a guide of €6000-7000 at the auction on March 18, it ended up selling for €28,000 (£25,545), plus 24/20% buyer’s premium.
