納粹掠奪名畫《牡蠣餐》 HK$2,200萬倫敦成交

1945年,《牡蠣餐》遭納粹奪去,自此不知所終。事隔70餘年,這幅古典名畫竟然在倫敦市長大人官邸被發現,最終物歸原主。畫作剛剛在蘇富比上拍,以£193萬(HK$2,200萬;NT$7,700萬)成交。


夏洛特與畫作重聚

故事在荷蘭東部的安恆市(Arnhem)揭開序幕。1936年,當地兒童醫院的總監帶了一幅畫作回家。他的女兒夏洛特(Charlottle)一看,就為這幅荷蘭「黃金時代」畫家奧克特維爾特(Jacob Ochtervelt,1634-1682)之作而著迷。

畫作名曰《牡蠣餐》,裡頭充滿暗示象徵。牡蠣被視為強效春藥,自古與情慾劃上等號;仕女錦衣華服,意味追求者可能為博取她的好感而不惜血本;狗本是忠誠象徵,畫中的狗卻在舔喝女主人杯中溢出的酒,暗示未能保衛女主名節。

此畫一直懸在這家人的寓所。至1943年,他們嗅到戰火的氣味,於是把《牡蠣餐》連同另外13幅畫作,全部送到銀行保險庫儲存。果然,盟軍翌年發動史上有名的市場花園行動(Operation Market Garden),安恆市成為慘烈戰場。


盟軍空降部隊奇襲安恆市

這次行動是讓空降部隊奇襲,地面裝甲部隊配合快速行動,奪取荷蘭主要河川上由德軍控制的一系列橋樑。盟軍奪得這些橋樑的控制權,跨越萊茵河,攻入德國心臟地帶。


電影《奪橋遺恨》(A Bridge Too Far)


《奪橋遺恨》劇照,盟軍最終無法佔領安恆市大橋

盟軍開始時勢如破竹,可惜最終因未能佔領安恆市的大橋,功虧一簣。單是這場「安恆戰役」,雙方喪命的士兵數目就超過三千。此戰後來拍成電影《奪橋遺恨》(A Bridge Too Far),主角包括辛康納利、米高堅、安東尼鶴健士。


二戰結束後,美軍從納粹德軍起回部份藝術品


倫敦市長大人官邸


倫敦市長大人官邸內

盟軍敗陣後,上述的14幅畫作全部落入納粹之手,一消失就是70餘年。後來,專門追蹤被掠奪文物的機構發現,《牡蠣餐》竟然就在倫敦市長大人官邸當中,還已經懸掛了30年之久,只是之前無人知道它曾為納粹所奪。


夏洛特與畫作重聚


左為時任倫敦市長大人Andrew Parmley,右為夏洛特

*「倫敦市長大人」中文聽上去有點古怪,這個翻譯其實是為了分辨清楚倫敦的兩位市長。一般在新聞看到的倫敦市長是Mayor of London,管理整個大倫敦區(Greater London),是近代才有的職位。至於倫敦市長大人是Lord Mayor of London,歷史久遠,管理倫敦歷史城區和金融區。

去年11月,《牡蠣餐》終於回到夏洛特手上。儘管她已白髮蒼蒼,但仍清楚記得這幅少女時就為之著迷的古典畫作。《牡蠣餐》昨晚於蘇富比上拍,£160萬落槌,連佣£193萬成交,買家經電話委託「西洋古典油畫部」拍賣業務主管Andrew Fletcher(上圖)出價。

 

《牡蠣餐》與晚拍成交三甲


奧克特維爾特(Jacob Ochtervelt,1634-1682)《牡蠣餐》(The Oyster Meal)

拍品編號:48
尺寸:53.5 x 44.5cm
來源:

  • Le Comte de Morny, Paris;
  • Anonymous sale (‘d'une très-belle collection’), Paris, Drouot, 27–28 April 1874, lot 73, for 6,000 Francs;
  • Henry Louis Bischoffsheim, Bute House, South Audley Street, London, probably by 1903;
  • His deceased sale, London, Christie’s, 7 May 1926, lot 75, for £1,417. 10s to Wallis;
  • Alphons Preyer, Paris and The Hague;
  • His sale, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, 8 November 1927, lot 23, for 310,000 Florins to Galerie van Diemen;
  • J. Teixeira de Mattos, Amsterdam;
  • With Firma D. Katz, Dieren, 1935–36, by whom probably sold to
  • Dr Joan Hendrik Smidt van Gelder, Arnhem;
  • From whose safe in the Amsterdam Bank, Arnhem, looted by Helmut Temmler, Head of the Gaukommando Düsseldorf, in 1945 and taken to Düsseldorf;
  • With Galerie Peiffer, Düsseldorf, 1950s;
  • With Galerie Kurt Meissner, Zurich, 1965;
  • From whom acquired by Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, Washington, by 1967 until 1969 or later, by whom sold to Edward Speelman;
  • With Edward Speelman Ltd., London, by whom sold to Harold Samuel, London, 1971;
  • Bequeathed to the City of London Corporation, 1987;
  • By whom restituted to the heirs of Dr J.H. Smidt van Gelder on 6 November 2017.

估價:£1,500,000 - 2,500,000
成交價:£1,930,000


魯本斯(Peter Paul Rubens,1577-1640)《威尼斯貴族肖像》(Portrait of a Venetian Nobleman)

拍品編號:17
尺寸:59 x 48cm
來源:

  • Probably identifiable in Rubens’ possession at the time of his death in 1640 as 'Vn visage apres Tinctoret', no. 70, or as 'Vn pourtrait d’vn gentilhome de Venise', after Titian, no. 41;
  • Rousselle, Brussels, 1897;
  • With F. Kleinberger, Paris and New York, 1911;
  • Leopold Koppel, Berlin (d. 1933), by 1914;
  • His only son Albert Leopold Koppel (Dresden 1889–1965 New York), Toronto, by 1948, when shipped by him from Toronto to Rosenberg & Stiebel in New York, where it arrived on 20 February for storage;
  • With Rosenberg & Stiebel, New York, 1951, when appraised in January, and sold by them to Durand Matthiesen, Geneva, the proceeds remitted to Albert Koppel in November;
  • With Matthiesen, London, 1954;
  • Dr Hans Wetzlar, Amsterdam, probably acquired 1954–55, and certainly by 1959;
  • Thence by descent.

估價:£3,000,000 - 4,000,000
成交價:£5,416,400


泰納(J.M.W. Turner,1775-1851)《沃爾頓橋》(Walton Bridges)

拍品編號:21
尺寸:92.7 x 123.8cm
來源:

  • Sold by the artist to Sir John Leicester, 1st Baron de Tabley (1762–1827), for £280 in January 1807;
  • Thomas Wright (1773–1845), Upton Hall, Nottinghamshire;
  • His sale, London, Christie’s, 7 June 1845, lot 58, for 670 guineas to Pennell;
  • Joseph Gillott (1799–1872), Westbourne Road, Edgbaston, by 1847;
  • His sale, London, Christie’s, 27 April 1872, lot 307, for £5,250 to Agnew on behalf of H.W.F. Bolckow;
  • Henry William Ferdinand Bolckow (1806–1878), M.P.;
  • Sold by his executors, London, Christie’s, 2 May 1891, lot 105, to Agnew on behalf of Lord Wantage;
  • Brigadier General Robert Loyd-Lindsay, 1st Baron Wantage, VC, KCB, VD (1832–1901), Lockinge, Oxfordshire;
  • Thence by descent to the present owner.

估價:£3,000,000 - 5,000,000
成交價:£3,370,000


格里恩(Hans Baldung Grien,1484-1545)《聖家與五名天使》(The Holy Family With Five Angels)

拍品編號:10
尺寸:72 x 60cm
來源:

  • English private collection by 1969;
  • With Agnew’s, London;
  • Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby’s, 25 November 1970, lot 38 (as School of the Upper Rhine, circa 1500) for £21,500;
  • With Edward Speelman, London;
  • From whom acquired by the father of the present owner;
  • Thence by descent.

估價:£2,500,000 - 3,500,000
成交價:£3,010,000

 

拍賣總結

拍賣行:倫敦蘇富比
場次:古典油畫晚拍
拍賣日期:2018/7/4
拍品數目:69
成交:51
未成交:18
成交率:74%
成交總額:£42,634,150