Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847) - photo 1
Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847) - photo 2
Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847) - photo 3

Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847)

Lot 227
15.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 100
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1109027
Lot 227 | Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847)
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
Fanny Mendelssohn (later Hensel, 1805-1847)
Autograph letter (unsigned) to her mother Lea, incorporating a drawing and an autograph manuscript song, Rome, 15 March 1840
In German. Four pages, 260 x 203mm, bifolium, opening with a small drawing of a child in a cradle, and an autograph music manuscript, 32 bars on six staves, some lettering heightened in liquid gold, ending with two postscripts signed by her son, Sebastian, and husband, Wilhelm Hensel. Paper blindstamped ‘Superfine Bath’. Provenance: Sotheby's, 29 November 1985, lot 159.

A birthday drawing, song and letter for her mother during her Italian journey. The music is for a trio for two sopranos and an alto, on a text beginning 'Sage mir, was mein Herz begehrt'. The letter opens with warm birthday wishes for her mother, and goes on to give an enthusiastic description of their travels in Italy, particularly of the Carnival in Rome, which exceeds even her expectations.

Fanny Hensel was four years older than her brother Felix Mendelssohn, to whom she was very close: although a gifted pianist and composer, she rarely performed in public and few of her compositions were published in her lifetime. Her trip to Rome with her husband and 9-year-old son in 1839-40 was the fulfillment of a long-held wish: they stayed in Rome from November 1839 to June 1840, enjoying the lively community around the Académie de France at Villa Medici, where Fanny's private performances brought her a degree of recognition. The trip inspired several compositions over the following years.
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
10.12.2023 12:00 – 17:00
11.12.2023 09:00 – 20:00
12.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
13.12.2023 09:00 – 17:00
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

More from Creator

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
£2 500
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
£20 000
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
£10 000
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
£12 000
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)
£100
MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY, Felix (1809-1847)
MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY, Felix (1809-1847)
£2 000
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
£10 000
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, K.
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, K.
€60

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.