Three paintings by the 17th-century painter Peter Lely, which belonged to the bankrupt British playboy James Stunt, came up for auction at Christies New York on 23rd May; two failed to find buyers, but the third did sell, albeit at a modest price.
Before being sold to Stunt, the works were on the British market and known to London galleries, so New York was probably a fresher place to offer them, says the Old Master dealer Theo Johns, who sold one of the works to Stunt in 2009.
Stunt, 42, notorious for his gambling and big-spending lifestyle, was formerly married to former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone’s daughter Petra. As well as being a bullion dealer he was a prominent collector of British portraiture, notably by Lely and Anthony van Dy…
Read the full article at: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/31/lely-portraits-owned-by-bankrupt-collector-james-stunt-flop-at-auction