400-Year-Old Van Dyck Sketch Discovered in a New York Farm Shed Sells for $3 Million
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A Sketch for Saint Jerome from 1615-18 by Anthony Van Dyck that was discovered in the late 20th century in a farm shed in Kinderhook, N.Y., fetched US$3.075 million at a Sotheby’s auction last week in New York.
Considered lost for centuries, the painting was purchased by the late collector Albert B. Roberts at an auction in 2002 for just US$600, according to Sotheby’s. Roberts then sought the help of art historian and Van Dyck scholar Susan J. Barnes, who confirmed the sketch was a “surprisingly well-preserved” work by Van Dyck.
Roberts died in August 2021 at the age of 89. A portion of proceeds from the sale will benefit his namesake foundation, which supports artists and other creatives.
“Not only is the story of its journey from a farm shed in Kinderhook to the rostrum at Sotheby’s irresistible, it is also a highly important early work by the teenage Van Dyck, completed while he was still under the tutelage of [Peter Paul] Rubens,” Christopher Apostle, Sotheby’s head of Old Master paintings in New York, said in a statement.
The auction house declined to disclose the identity of the buyer.
Last week’s Old Masters sale at Sotheby’s was headlined by a 1609 painting by Rubens, Salome, depicting the head of Saint John the Baptist. Offered from the collection of Mark Fisch, a real estate developer and a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and his ex-wife, Rachel Davidson, a former New Jersey judge, the masterpiece fetched US$26.9 million, the third-highest price for the artist at auction.
The 10 Baroque masterworks from Fisch Davidson collection brought in a total of US$49.6 million in a white-glove auction.
Sotheby’s Master Week sale—which is poised to break a record of US$100 million— continues throughout this week. One highlight will be a Kobe Bryant game-worn Lakers jersey, which will be offered on Wednesday with an estimate between US$5 million and US$7 million.
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The pandemic-fuelled love affair with casual footwear is fading, with Bank of America warning the downturn shows no sign of easing.
The pandemic-fuelled love affair with casual footwear is fading, with Bank of America warning the downturn shows no sign of easing.
2 minThe boom in casual footware ushered in by the pandemic has ended, a potential problem for companies such as Adidas that benefited from the shift to less formal clothing, Bank of America says.
The casual footwear business has been on the ropes since mid-2023 as people began returning to office.
Analyst Thierry Cota wrote that while most downcycles have lasted one to two years over the past two decades or so, the current one is different.
It “shows no sign of abating” and there is “no turning point in sight,” he said.
Adidas and Nike alone account for almost 60% of revenue in the casual footwear industry, Cota estimated, so the sector’s slower growth could be especially painful for them as opposed to brands that have a stronger performance-shoe segment. Adidas may just have it worse than Nike.
Cota downgraded Adidas stock to Underperform from Buy on Tuesday and slashed his target for the stock price to €160 (about $187) from €213. He doesn’t have a rating for Nike stock.
Shares of Adidas listed on the German stock exchange fell 4.5% Tuesday to €162.25. Nike stock was down 1.2%.
Adidas didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cota sees trouble for Adidas both in the short and long term.
Adidas’ lifestyle segment, which includes the Gazelles and Sambas brands, has been one of the company’s fastest-growing business, but there are signs growth is waning.
Lifestyle sales increased at a 10% annual pace in Adidas’ third quarter, down from 13% in the second quarter.
The analyst now predicts Adidas’ organic sales will grow by a 5% annual rate starting in 2027, down from his prior forecast of 7.5%.
The slower revenue growth will likewise weigh on profitability, Cota said, predicting that margins on earnings before interest and taxes will decline back toward the company’s long-term average after several quarters of outperforming. That could result in a cut to earnings per share.
Adidas stock had a rough 2025. Shares shed 33% in the past 12 months, weighed down by investor concerns over how tariffs, slowing demand, and increased competition would affect revenue growth.
Nike stock fell 9% throughout the period, reflecting both the company’s struggles with demand and optimism over a turnaround plan CEO Elliott Hill rolled out in late 2024.
Investors’ confidence has faded following Nike’s December earnings report, which suggested that a sustained recovery is still several quarters away. Just how many remains anyone’s guess.
But if Adidas’ challenges continue, as Cota believes they will, it could open up some space for Nike to claw back any market share it lost to its rival.
Investors should keep in mind, however, that the field has grown increasingly crowded in the past five years. Upstarts such as On Holding and Hoka also present a formidable challenge to the sector’s legacy brands.
Shares of On and Deckers Outdoor , Hoka’s parent company, fell 11% and 48%, respectively, in 2025, but analysts are upbeat about both companies’ fundamentals as the new year begins.
The battle of the sneakers is just getting started.
The pandemic-fuelled love affair with casual footwear is fading, with Bank of America warning the downturn shows no sign of easing.
An opulent Ryde home, packed with cinema, pool, sauna and more, is hitting the auction block with a $1 reserve.
