Christie’s London made headlines with the record-breaking auction of Titian’s Rest on the Flight into Egypt (c.1510), which sold for $22,178,280. This sale was part of Christie’s Classic Week evening sales, totaling nearly $65 million. The wooden panel painting, measuring 18 by 25 inches and depicting Mary cradling Jesus under Joseph’s gaze, exceeded its $20-30 million estimate. This set a new auction record for Titian, surpassing his previous record of $16.9 million for A Sacra Conversazione (c.1560).
Rest on the Flight into Egypt has a distinguished provenance, first auctioned by Christie’s in 1878 and later part of Longleat House's collection in Wiltshire, UK. Ceawilin Thynn, the 8th Marquess of Bath, along with the Longleat Trustees, offered it at auction as part of their investment strategy.
Orlando Rock, chairman of Christie’s UK, praised the painting as “one of the most poetic products of his youth.” The painting has been stolen twice, once by Napoleon and again in 1995, before being recovered in London seven years later. The sale of Rest on the Flight into Egypt underscores the enduring legacy of Titian and the continued demand for Old Master paintings.
Selena Mattei