Overbeck’s The Annonciation preempted by the Louvre

27/3/25 - Acquisition - Paris, Musée du Louvre - The artist is practically absent from public sales. The only painting by him (the others listed on Artprice sold for a few thousand euros are obviously not by his hand) was auctioned in 2016 at Christie’s London for almost £700,000, including fees. Yet this was a rather late work from 1841. This means that Friedrich Overbeck’s The Annunciation, which was to be auctioned at Tajan (see the news item of 7/3/25), despite its modest estimate of €100,000, was expected to fetch a much higher price. We thought it would sell for at least 500,000 euros, especially as it is a canvas in very good condition, painted very early on and with impeccable provenance, having been kept in the same collection since the 19th century.

Friedrich…