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SLEEPER

The market of old masters is "inefficient"

Four centuries of art are too much to embrace for any academic, connoisseur or auction house expert. The world of old masters is vast and intricate and yet to be fully valued and appreciated. Caravaggio and Guercino, forgotten for centuries, were only recently rediscovered by Roberto Longhi and by Sir Denis Mahon and brought back to the Olympus of artists that fetch record prices at auction. In few words, the market of old master is inefficient or slow to efficiency. Therefore, the market offers a number of misattributed, unattributed or simply out of fashion gems that Philip Mould likes to call "sleepers". Below, we present few examples that we discovered in the auction market in the last few years.
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MARCANTONIO BASSETTI

Marcantonio Bassetti (1586-1630)
3 March 2020 - Sold by Pandolfini, Florence, Italy as "Scuola toscana, sec. XV", lot 218.

GIOVANNI FRANCESCO BARBIERI, GUERCINO

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, il Guercino (1591-1666)
11 December 2019 - Sold by Hôtel des Ventes Mosan, Liège, Belgium as "Ecole Italienne", lot 90.

FRANCESCO CAPELLA

Arancescoo Capella (1714-1784)
11 December 2019 - Sold by Capitolium, Brescia, Italy as "Artista Veneto", lot 82.

ALESSANDRO ALLORI, ENTOURAGE

Alessandro Allori, entourage (1535-1607)
17 June 2018 - Sold by Herbette, Doullens, France as "ÉCOLE FRANCAISE du XVIIIè", lot 29.

CARLO INNOCENZO CARLONI CARLONE

Carlo Innocenzo Carloni (1686-1775)
14 November 2017 - Sold by Pandolfini aste, Florence, Italy as "Scuola Piemontese, sec. XVIII", auction Dipinti Antichi, lot 43.

FRANCESCO MONTI

Francesco Monti (1683-1768)
07 June 2016 - Sold by Boetto aste, Genova, Italy as "Scuola italiana sec.XVIII", auction Antiquariato, lot 958.

MARCO RICCI

Marco Ricci (1676-1730)
26-27 October 2016 - Sold by Il Ponte casa d'aste, Milan, Italy as "Giuseppe Bernardino Bison", auction 376, lot 539.

SIMONE CANTARINI

Simone Cantarini (1612-1648)
18 May 2016 - Sold by Pandolfini, Florence, Italy as "Artista del secolo XVII", lot 83.

LEONARDO COCCORANTE

Leonardo Coccorante (1680-1750)
16 September 2015 - Sold by Koller West, Zurich, Switzerland as "NORTHERN ITALY, 18TH CENTURY", lot 6494.

GIOVANNI ANDREA DONDUCCI MASTELLETTA

Giovanni Andrea Donducci (Mastelletta) (1575-1655)
31 March / 1 April 2015 - Sold by Il Ponte Casa d'Aste, Milan, Italy as "Scuola emiliana del sec. XVII", lot 339.

UBALDO GANDOLFI

Ubaldo Gandolfi (1728-1781)
14 March 2015 - Sold by Hôtel des Ventes Victor Hugo, Dijon, France, as "Ecole française XVIIIème s.", lot 364.

CARLO INNOCENZO CARLONE

Carlo Innocenzo Carlone (1686-1775)
22 February 2015 - Sold by Sloans & Kenyon, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA, as "NORTHERN ITALIAN SCHOOL (18th Century)", lot 1032.

CARLO INNOCENZO CARLONE

Carlo Innocenzo Carlone (1686-1775)
12 February 2015 - Sold by Tajan, Paris, as "École italienne du XVIIIe siècle", sale 1510,lot 68.

JUAN DE ZURBARAN

Juan de Zurbaran (1620-1649)
17 January 2015 - Sold by Metayer Maison de Ventes aux Enchères, Paris, as "Huile sur toile ancienne", lot 118bis.

JACOPO AMIGONI

Jacopo Amigoni (1682-1752)
16 December 2014 - Sold by Tajan, Paris, as "Ecole ROMAINE vers 1680, entourage de Pietro di CORTONE", lot 34.

GIUSEPPE BERNARDINO BISON

Giuseppe Bernardino Bison (1762-1844)
29 October 2014 - Sold by Cambi Aste, Genova, as "Scuola Italiana del XVIII secolo", lot 184.

PIER FRANCESCO MOLA

Pier Francesco Mola (1612-1666)
16 April 2014 - Sold by Pandolfini, Florence, as "Scuola Romana XVII secolo", lot 74. We thank Dot. Francesco Petrucci for confirming the attribution (e-mail dated 01 Apr 2014).

FRANCESCO SOLIMENA

Francesco Solimena (1657-1747)
13 April 2014 - Sold by Euroantico, Vignanello, as "Francesco De Mura", lot 1067.

FELICE GIANI

Felice Giani (1758-1823)
6 March 2014 - Sold by Wannenes, Genova, as "Pittore Bolognese del XVIII-XIX secolo", lot 1103.

FRANCESCO ALBANI

Francesco Albani (1578-1660)
January 2014- Auction 33 - Sold by KUNSTAUKTIONSHAUS CHIEMGAU, Traunstein, as "anonymous", lot 401.

STEFANO MARIA LEGNANI LEGNANINO

Stefano Maria Legnani (Legnanino) (1660-1715)
1 December 2013 - Sold by MonsAntic, Mons, as "anonyme 18eS", lot 429.

GIOVANNI BILIVERT BILIVERTI BILIVELT

Giovanni Bilivert (1585-1644)
26 November 2013 - Sold by Pandolfini, Florence, as "Marucelli Giovanni Stefano (1586-1646)", lot 149.

SIMONE CANTARINI

Simone Cantarini (1612-1648)
8 November 2013 - Sold by Farsettiarte, Prato, as "Scuola bolognese del XVIII secolo", lot 229.

GAETANO GANDOLFI

Gaetano Gandolfi (1734-1802)
15 October 2013 - Sold by Pandolfini, Florence, as "Scuola emiliana, secc. XVII-XVIII PIETA'", lot 22.

GIOVANNI LANFRANCO

Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647)
15 June 2013 - Sold by Cortot-Vregille-Bizouard, Dijon, as "Ecole du XIXème siècle", lot 47.

CORRADO GIAQUINTO

Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1765)
5 December 2012 - Sold by Audap-Mirabaud, Paris, as "Attribué à Francisco Bayeu y Subias (1734-1795)", lot 45. We thank Prof. Nicola Spinosa for confirming the attribution (e-mail dated 25 Nov 2011)

DOMENICO PULIGO

after Domenico Puligo (1492–1527)
9 June 2012 - Sold by Artcurial, Paris, as "Ecole italienne du XVIIe siècle", lot 144A.