Hispanic Society to Sell Dozens of Artworks From Its Collection

The Hispanic Society Museum and Library, located in Upper Manhattan, is parting with numerous Old Master European artworks—including a notable piece linked to the workshop of El Greco—aiming to generate funds to enhance its collection management and future acquisitions. 

Established in 1904 to promote the study of the Spanish and Portuguese languages, literature, and history, the museum is auctioning off 45 paintings—primarily depicting religious and royal themes—through an online sale that concludes on October 17.

These artworks are featured in a “strategic deaccessioning sale” conducted by Christie’s, as they were deemed outside the museum’s core objectives while the institution strives to “diversify its collection in a responsible manner,” according to a press release sent to Hyperallergic. The museum has yet to reply to an inquiry regarding specific plans for the funds raised through this auction. 

This museum’s impressive collection maintains a first edition of Don Quixote and a 1529 world map, while also hosting community-focused events tailored for Washington Heights, a location recognized as a “Dominican Historic District” by the National Register of Historic Places.

The auction features pieces from the late 16th and 17th centuries reflecting the Spanish School, a Hispano-Flemish representation of Saint Sebastian, and items associated with the Central Italian School. Notably, the work titled “Saint Dominic in Prayer,” attributed to the workshop of the renowned Spanish Renaissance artist El Greco, is anticipated to reach bids exceeding $150,000, with the current highest offer sitting at $160,000.

The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) emphasizes strict guidelines regarding the utilization of funds garnered from deaccessioning by accredited museums, with collection care being an endorsed purpose. According to AAM’s guidelines, museums may sell items that are surplus, damaged, or low in quality.

AAM notes that engaging in deaccessioning can often signify that a museum has lacked adequate support for an extended period.

Another prominent piece available in the auction is the “Portrait of Emperor Charles V in an Armchair”, which is a modern reinterpretation of Titian’s original artwork. Additional auction items consist of a historic, undated portrait of Isabella of Portugal attributed to a follower of Titian, currently with bids at $9,500; a Madonna and child after Luis de Morales; and the work “El Columpio (The Swing)” by Seville’s 20th-century painter Clemente Del Camino y Parladé.

The auction pieces can be viewed at Christie’s Manhattan headquarters in Rockefeller Center until October 15.