Vincent Van Gogh’s Vue de l’asile et de la Chappelle de Saint-Rémy, which sold for £10,121,250. Image courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2012. (Click on image to enlarge).
IT was one of the most successful private collection sales ever at auction. When the auctioneer’s gavel fell on the last lot of the complete Elizabeth Taylor collection at Christie’s in London on February 8 the grand total for the collection amounted to a staggering $183,483,694 dollars or £117,249,761 sterling or 141,036,143 euro. Every one of 1,817 lots of fine art, jewelry, fashion, decorative arts and memorabilia was sold, often high above the estimate.
In London 38 artworks from the collection were offered on February 7 and 8. The top lot this week was Vincent Van Gogh’s Vue de l’asile et de la Chappelle de Saint-Rémy, which sold for £10,121,250. Buyers from more than 40 countries took part.
Marc Porter, Chairman, Christie’s Americas commented, “It has been an incredible honor for Christie’s to present this storied collection to the global collecting community. From our initial announcement of the collection sales last summer in New York, to the worldwide tour of the collection highlights last fall, to the last rap of the auctioneer’s gavel today in London, the global outpouring of affection and admiration for Elizabeth Taylor from fans and collectors alike has been amazing for us to witness. We are grateful to the trustees of her estate for entrusting Christie’s with this one-of-a-kind collection, which will go down in history as one of the most successful private collection sales ever presented at auction.”