The Hispanic Society Museum and Library in Upper Manhattan is selling 45 European Old Master paintings through an online auction to raise funds for collection care and new acquisitions. The deaccessioning sale, conducted through Christie's auction house, features works that museum officials determined fall outside the institution's core mission as it works to diversify its collection responsibly.
Founded in 1904, the Hispanic Society was established with the specific goal of advancing the study of Spanish and Portuguese languages, literature, and history. The museum currently houses significant historical items including a first-edition copy of Don Quixote and a world map from 1529. The institution also hosts community events specifically designed for the Washington Heights neighborhood, which is listed as a Dominican Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.
The auction, which closes on October 17, includes paintings predominantly featuring religious and aristocratic subjects from various European schools. Among the most valuable pieces is "Saint Dominic in Prayer," created in the workshop of the renowned Spanish Renaissance artist El Greco. This painting is expected to sell for over $150,000, with the current highest bid already reaching $160,000.
Other notable works in the sale represent diverse European artistic traditions. The collection includes paintings from the Spanish School of the late 16th and 17th centuries, a Hispano-Flemish rendering of Saint Sebastian, and pieces from the Central Italian School. Another highlighted work is "Portrait of Emperor Charles V in an Armchair," which is a modern copy created after the original work by Tiziano Vecellio, better known as Titian.
Additional lots in the auction showcase the breadth of the collection being sold. These include an undated portrait of Isabella of Portugal by a follower of Titian, currently receiving bids at $9,500, a Madonna and child painting created after the style of Luis de Morales, and "El Columpio (The Swing)" by 20th-century Seville painter Clemente Del Camino y Parladé.
The deaccessioning follows strict guidelines established by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), which has specific requirements for how accredited museums can use funds from artwork sales. Collection care is among the organization's approved uses for such funds. Under AAM guidelines, museums are permitted to sell works when objects are considered redundant, damaged, or of poor quality. According to the alliance, museum deaccessioning often indicates that an institution has not received adequate financial support for many years.
The Hispanic Society Museum did not respond to requests for comment regarding specific plans for how the funds from the sale will be used beyond the general purposes of collection care and acquisitions mentioned in their press release. The artworks will remain on display at Christie's headquarters in Manhattan's Rockefeller Center until October 15, allowing potential buyers and art enthusiasts to view the pieces before the auction closes.
