A complete set of The Brown Sisters by Nicholas Nixon comes up at Sotheby’s in New York on April 1. In what is considered to be one of the most remarkable continuing photographic series of the 20th and 21st centuries Nixon shot the first portrait of his wife Bebe, then 25, Heather 23, Laurie 21, and Mimi 15 in 1975, and has subsequently recreated a version of the portrait every year since using an 8 x 10-inch view camera. The result is a highly detailed and captivating work of conceptual art documenting the four sisters’ evolution through the years. This body of work comes directly from the collection of Mrs. Mary Robinson who, along with her late husband David, is known not only as one of the West Coast’s most important art collectors but also benefactors, having donated a significant collection of 150 early photographs to the National Gallery of Art in 1995. The set of 40 photographs offered as a single lot is estimated at $200,000-300,000.
The Brown sisters in 2010.
The Brown sisters in 1975.
