In the middle of summer, these are English rabbits who celebrate Christmas.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Under the title The Rabbits' Christmas Party, the illustrator Beatrix Potter has drawn in ink and watercolors circa 1892, each with several variant copies, six scenes from the life of rabbits. Sotheby's could not wait for winter to sell three of them, on July 17 in London. The formats are 15 x 15 cm.

For £ 40 K, at number 288, we see five rabbits, refrigerated despite their heavy coats. They approach the house, one of them knocking at the door. This drawing comes directly from the artist's family.

For £ 20 K, at number 289, a rabbit standing on a stool is playing bagpipes, and around him six other dance with frenzy. The explanation for this lower estimate is not obvious from reading the catalogue. It is possible that the colors are weaker.

For £ 40 K, at number 290, they put on their coat, kiss and leave.

For £ 40 K, at number 291, three rabbits are conscientiously busy devouring buns, or more exactly the label they just pulled from the cylindrical box containing them. A second box is still intact, and you can read despite the attack of rodents the following: "A Merry Christmas and Plenty of Buns - H.B.P." This drawing is the most interesting of the four, first of all because it is not part of the series of six Christmas Partys, then because it is considered as previously unknown, finally because it is the most funny and original.

This reminds, of course, Alice in Wonderland and well-known drawings by John Tenniel. Tenniel and Potter are not often seen in auctions, even in London, and this group could generate more than just a success of curiosity.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

There are many positive lessons to be learnt from the sale of these four drawings.

The departure, lot 290, is the only of the four to have been regarded as a masterpiece: 290 K£ costs included. I have reviewed the catalogue, nothing predisposed to such a gap over others. Commentary on quality of rabbit ears drawing is certainly not sufficient. This is a very good price obtained on a lot that I had found by consulting the catalogue, and not, contrary to my usual practice, by consulting press releases. At the two major groups, the event is permanent and not always publicized in advance, at least when it relates to this price range.

Lot 290 steals the spotlight to the 288, the arrival, which however sold well at 120 K£ costs included. It had the same estimate. I forward a hypothesis: maybe this drawing 288 is less rare? It is interesting to note that this is the only of the four that came from the artist's family. It did not made it distinguished in the results.

The dance of rabbits, lot 289, being sold at 22.5 K£ costs included, has remained below the low estimate (I remind that the estimates are always given before fees). It had without doubt some fault, as I had assumed in my article. This confirms that art can not be bought without seeing. I'm going even further: those who say that auction operations on the web compete with traditional auction houses are wrong.

Lot 291, which was my favorite, was sold 42 K£ costs included. I infer that the amateurs have preferred images already known to this one which was unpublished. For works that can be considered as multiples, fans are certainly willing to pay at more expensive price the copies that enable them to complete the series.