The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles acquired Quentin Metsys’s rediscovered 16th-century masterpiece, Madonna of the Cherries, at Christie’s London Old Masters sale on July 2. The panel painting set a new auction record for the Flemish Renaissance artist, fetching £10.66 million ($13.46 million), which fell within the presale estimate range of £8 million to £12 million ($10.19 million to $15.2 million).
The highest previous auction price for Metsys, renowned as the foremost painter of early 16th-century Antwerp, was achieved in 2020 when Mary in Prayer sold for $1.9 million at Kunsthaus Lempertz, Cologne. Madonna of the Cherries represents one of the artist’s most famous works, and this century has seen four other versions of it come up for auction.
“Painted at the height of his career, and preserved today in excellent condition, Madonna of the Cherries is among Metsys’s most appealing and influential compositions,” Getty director Timothy Potts said in a statement. “Acknowledged as a masterpiece in its day, the painting became especially famous in the 17th century, after which its whereabouts were lost. I have no doubt that its spiritual and artistic resonance will make it one of the most beloved works in our collection.”
The museum plans to promptly exhibit the painting, announcing it will be showcased at the Getty Center’s North Pavilion in the upcoming weeks. The Getty Museum already possesses another artwork by Metsys in its collection, Christ as the Man of Sorrows, which was acquired in 2018.
The Madonna of the Cherries was originally owned by Cornelis van der Geest, an art collector from Antwerp in the early 17th century. However, after being sold in 1668, the painting faded into obscurity and remained unseen until 1920. By then, it had undergone significant alterations, including a thick layer of varnish and extensive overpainting, making it nearly unrecognizable.
The painting was offered for auction at Christie’s London in 2015, attributed to Metsys’s workshop, and sold for only £254,500 ($391,357). Following complete restoration, it was recognized as an authentic work by the artist during the conservation process.
The painting portrays the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ child and delicately holding a cherry between her fingers. It features a still life with grapes and an apple, symbolizing Jesus as the new Adam. The cherries in particular hold symbolic significance, representing the redness akin to Christ’s blood shed during his crucifixion and passion, while also symbolizing the fruit of heaven.
In the Old Master sale, a new auction record was set for the Italian Renaissance master Titian, as Rest on the Flight into Egypt fetched £17.56 million ($22.178 million), becoming the top lot of the evening.
