Bonhams Old Master Prints Auction Realizes £93,056 in London Sale

In an auction that closed on 23 September 2026, Bonhams held its Old Master Prints sale, which realized a total of £93,056^[1]. The auction house successfully sold 40 of 52 lots, representing a 76.9% sell-through rate^[1]. According to Bonhams, which serves as the official result source for the sale, the auction brought together a selection of woodcuts, engravings, and etchings spanning several centuries of European printmaking history.

The print market relies heavily on the specific state, impression quality, and physical condition of the paper. This sale featured several notable works by Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, whose technical mastery of print mediums defined the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Dürer's woodcuts from his Small Passion series, executed around 1509, are celebrated for their dense narrative detail and dramatic use of light and shadow on small-scale blocks. The impressions offered in this sale were printed on laid paper without text, representing highly collectible examples of the artist's devotional imagery.

Meanwhile, the etchings of Rembrandt in the sale illustrated the Dutch master's evolving states and experimental printmaking techniques. From his early biblical narratives to his portraits of contemporary figures, Rembrandt's prints are highly valued for their expressive linework and atmospheric plate tone. The catalogued lots included various states of his famous compositions, such as his depiction of Joseph telling his dreams and his portrait of the print seller Clement de Jonghe, offering collectors a direct connection to seventeenth-century Amsterdam's artistic print market.

The top performing lot of the sale was Albrecht Dürer's woodcut, The Betrayal of Christ, from The Small Passion. According to the official lot description published by Bonhams, this specific woodcut is catalogued as Bartsch 27, Hollstein 136, and Schoch, Mende & Scherbaum 197. Printed circa 1509, the work is a very good impression on laid paper, preserved without text and trimmed to the borderline. It was offered unframed.

Another woodcut from the same series, Christ before Caiaphas, also attracted notable interest. Bonhams catalogues this print as Bartsch 29, Hollstein 138, and Shoch, Mende & Scherbaum 199^[3]. Like its counterpart, it is a very good impression on laid paper, without text, and trimmed to the borderline. Both works demonstrate Dürer's ability to convey complex theological narratives within a compact format, utilizing bold lines to define form and emotion.

Beyond Dürer, the sale featured historical engravings of British military history. James Basire's large-scale engraving with hand-colouring, titled The Encampment of the English Forces near Portsmouth, was offered from the property of a gentleman in the United Kingdom. According to the historical footnote provided by Bonhams, this detailed print depicts the historic battle of the Solent, during which the French King, Francis I, attempted to invade England to overthrow Henry VIII^[4]. The composition famously includes the sinking of Henry VIII's flagship, the Mary Rose, in the upper center of the image. The engraving was produced after a sixteenth-century wall painting commissioned by Sir Anthony Browne for his Cowdray estate in Sussex. Sir Anthony Browne, who served as the Master of the King's horses, is depicted in the print riding a white horse directly behind King Henry VIII in the center of the scene.

Rembrandt's etchings also formed a core component of the auction's offerings. His etching Joseph telling his Dreams, executed in 1638, was presented in its fifth state out of six, as catalogued in the New Hollstein volume under number 167 and Bartsch 37^[5]. Printed on wove paper with narrow margins, this unframed work captures Rembrandt's signature ability to render intimate human interactions and psychological depth through delicate etching lines. Other Rembrandt prints, including his portrait of the print seller Clement de Jonghe and his larger composition Jan Uytenbogaert, The Gold Weigher, further demonstrated the breadth of his graphic output.

The sale of these works highlights the enduring interest in early European printmaking, where collectors prioritize the rarity of specific states and the historical provenance of individual impressions.