Lot 128: Antoon van Welie (Dutch, 1866-1956)

De stervende zwaan: a posthumous portrait of ballerina Anna Pavlova in Swan Lake
signed and dated 'Antoon van Welie/F1938t' (lower left)
oil on canvas
160 x 105 cm.

Goed Nieuws, I, 7 January 1956, fig. 6.

A gift from the artist to the city of Amsterdam in 1938.
Acquired from the city of Amsterdam by Anton du Mée, thence by descent to the present owner.

THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE ROB DU MÉE (1935-2003)

Anton van Welie has depicted the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) in her most famous role. After the outbreak of World War I, Pavlova did not return to her native Russia, but chose to settle in London, from where she toured the world with her own ballet company. Her last performance took place in 1930. She died in Hotel des Indes in The Hague in 1931. An earlier portrait of Anna Pavlova by the artist is in the collection of Museum Mesdag, The Hague.

The original owner, Anton du Mée, imported French films into the Netherlands. The present lot was probably acquired by Du Mée on the occasion of the screening of the ballet film 'La mort du cygne' in the Rialto Cinema, Amsterdam, in 1938.

VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.