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    • Posts Tagged ‘Christie’s’

    A LANDMARK SALE OF BRITISH ART TO MARK CHRISTIE’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

    Thursday, April 28th, 2016

    A landmark sale of major paintings and sculpture will mark Christie’s 250th anniversary in London on June 30. The focus will be on great works of British art.  Highlights will include an intimate family portrait by Lucian Freud painted in 1992.  At auction for the first time in 100 years is a pivotal example of British Aestheticism from 1864 by Frederic, Lord Leighton.  And there is an exquisite 1778 portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds which has never been on the market before.

    Building on the success of Christie’s pioneering series of curated evening sales including Looking Forward to the Past and The Artist’s Muse in 2015, the global auction house will celebrate four centuries of British artists with an evening sale on June 30 entitled  Defining British Art.    A loan exhibition with the same title will run from June 17 to July 15.  Highlights will be on view at Christie’s New York from May 6-12 and at Christie’s Hong Kong from May 26-30.

    Ever since James Christie first opened his doors for business in 1766, in St James’s London, where the headquarters remain today, Christie’s has championed British art and artists. Both Reynolds and Gainsborough were among the regular visitors to these salerooms.   Orlando Rock, Chairman, Christie’s UK said:  “A celebration of Britain’s artistic achievements, the Defining British Art Loan Exhibition and Evening Sale will break new ground for Christie’s, charting the evolution of British art over the last 400 years. A fitting launch to Christie’s 250th Anniversary celebrations in London and inspired by James Christie’s own innovative spirit, the sale and exhibition will create dynamic juxtapositions and, we hope, inspire artists and collectors of the future. Open to all, I would like to encourage not only those who are already friends of Christie’s but also those we have yet to welcome, to share in these celebrations and become part of our next chapter, looking ahead to the next 250 years and beyond.”

    LUCIAN FREUD (1922–2011) Ib and her husband (estimate c£18 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2018.

    LUCIAN FREUD (1922–2011)
    Ib and her husband (estimate c£18 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2018.

    Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A. (1830-1896) Golden Hours (£3-5 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A. (1830-1896)
    Golden Hours (£3-5 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016

    Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (1723-1792) Portrait of Lucy Long, Mrs George Hardinge (£2-3 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (1723-1792)
    Portrait of Lucy Long, Mrs George Hardinge (£2-3 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016

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    AMERICAN MODERNISTS AND 19TH CENTURY MASTERS AT CHRISTIE’S

    Wednesday, April 27th, 2016

    Major American modernists and 19th century master will feature at the spring sale of American art at Christie’s in New York on May 19.  There are 98 lots with artists ranging from Georgia O’Keeffe, Arthur Dove, and Max Weber, to 19th century  artists Frederic Edwin Church, John Singer Sargent, and James McNeill Whistler.  The Western section is led by Alfred Jacob Millier’s Pawnee Running a Buffalo painted in 1854.  Here is a small selection:

    Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900) A New England Lake courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900)
    A New England Lake courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016

    Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874) Pawnee Running a Buffalo courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Alfred Jacob Miller (1810-1874)
    Pawnee Running a Buffalo courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016 UPDATE: THIS MADE $1,565,000

    Max Weber (1881-1961) New York courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Max Weber (1881-1961)
    New York courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016  UPDATE: THIS MADE $1.925,000

    John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) François Flameng and Paul Helleu courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)
    François Flameng and Paul Helleu courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016  UPDATE: THIS MADE $1,325,000

     

     

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    MONET, PICASSO, MODIGLIANI, KAHLO AT CHRISTIE’S IN MAY

    Tuesday, April 19th, 2016

    An exceptional selection of 52 works will feature at Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art evening sale in New York on May 12. Led by outstanding paintings by Monet, Picasso, and Modigliani, many of which have not been on the market for decades, the sale will feature several estates and private collections including The H.O. Havemeyer Collection, The Collection of Kenneth and Susan Kaiserman, The Ducommun Family Collection, and A Distinguished American Collection offering Frida Kahlo’s dream like love scene of Dos Desnudos en el bosque.

    Brooke Lampley, Christie’s Head of Impressionist and Modern Art, New York,  remarked: “This season we tailored our sale to meet current collector demand for iconic examples from the most celebrated artists of the period. The two Monets, Modigliani portrait, Picasso mousquetaire and Braque still life are all of unmatched quality and come with distinguished provenance.”

    Claude Monet (1840-1926) Le bassin aux nymphéas ($25-35 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Claude Monet (1840-1926)
    Le bassin aux nymphéas ($25-35 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016  UPDATE: SOLD FOR $27,045,000

    Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Homme assis ($12-18 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd, 2016

    Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
    Homme assis ($12-18 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd, 2016  UPDATE: SOLD FOR $8,005,000

    Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) Jeune femme à la rose (Margherita) Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016. ($12-18 million)

    Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920)
    Jeune femme à la rose (Margherita) Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016. ($12-18 million)  UPDATE: SOLD FOR $12,765,000

    Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) Dos desnudos en el bosque (La tierra misma) ($8-12 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016.

    Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
    Dos desnudos en el bosque (La tierra misma) ($8-12 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016. UPDATE: SOLD FOR $8,005,000, A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR ANY LATIN AMERICAN ARTIST

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    BASQUIAT TOUR DE FORCE AT CHRISTIE’S

    Thursday, April 14th, 2016
    Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) Untitled Acrylic on canvas Painted in 1982 © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat / ADAGP, Paris / ARS, New York 2016.

    Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) Untitled
    Acrylic on canvas
    Painted in 1982
    © The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat / ADAGP, Paris / ARS, New York 2016.

    Jean-Michel Basquiat’s explosive tour de force, Untitled, 1982, will lead Christie’s sale of post war and contemporary art in New York on May 10.  It is estimated to make more than of $40 million. Executed in Modena, Italy this is an epic painting, with its monumental size and visceral energy marking it as one of the artist’s most seminal works. As well as having been chosen for the cover of the artist’s Catalogue Raisonné, Untitled has been included in every major Basquiat retrospective and contains Basquiat’s heroic portrait of himself as a fiery black devil rising amidst an explosion of paint that has been thrown onto the canvas in the manner of Jackson Pollock. It is the dynamism and spontaneity with which Basquiat constructs his painterly surface that distinguishes this work as a masterpiece, especially considering this ambitious work was painted when the artist was only 22 years old.

    Brett Gorvy, Christie’s International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, remarked: “We are very proud to lead our evening sale with this truly exceptional work by Basquiat. Untitled is a remarkably powerful canvas, which instantly engulfs any viewer standing in its monumental presence. Untitled is among the top three paintings from the tremendously important body of work that the artist executed in 1982 while in Modena, Italy, which would go on to shape the rest of his career”.

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    A TIME CAPSULE OF CALDER IN INDIA IN 1955

    Wednesday, April 13th, 2016

    A time-capsule collection of sculptures by Alexander Calder (1898-1976) created before and during his three-month visit to India in 1955 will be among the highlights at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art evening auction in New York on May 10. Created before and during his three-month visit to India in 1955 the works capture Calder’s special relationship with the Sarabhai family, who hosted the artist for three weeks at their home in Ahmedabad.  At auction for the first time they testify not only to Calder’s ability at the height of his powers, but also to the extraordinary cultural dialogue fostered by the architect Gira Sarabhai and her family following the Indian Independence Act of 1947.

    Alexander Calder (1898-1976) - Frangi-Pani ($2.5-3.5 million).

    Alexander Calder (1898-1976) – Frangi-Pani ($2.5-3.5 million).

    Alexander Calder (1898-1976) -Sumac 17 ($4-6 million)

    Alexander Calder (1898-1976) -Sumac 17 ($4-6 million)

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    A BLUE ROTHKO FROM 1957 AT CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK

    Saturday, April 2nd, 2016
    Mark Rothko (1903-1970) No. 17 (c) 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Mark Rothko (1903-1970)
    No. 17 (c) 1998 Kate Rothko Prizel & Christopher Rothko / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016

    Mark Rothko’s pivotal 1957 canvas No. 17  will lead Christie’s evening sale of  Post-War & Contemporary Art in New York on May 10.  It is estimated at $30-40 million.  One of the artist’s rare “blue” canvases, this work belongs to a select group that marked the culmination of a short period during which he executed a number of brightly hued works.  This was just a few months before he embarked on the Seagram Murals which have been at the Tate Gallery, London since 1970, the year of Rothko’s suicide.

    It was featured in the 1961-1963 Rothko retrospective which championed the cause of Abstract Expressionism in Europe in a variety of different venues. The  first stop was the Whitechapel Gallery in London.  Afterwards it travelled to Amsterdam, Brussels, Basel, Rome before finishing at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in January 1963.

    After the retrospective No. 17 went into a private Italian collection and remained unseen by the public for the next several decades. In 2001 it was the central part of an exhibition at the Fondation Beyeler near Basel in Switzerland.  After that exhibition it went into another private collection, where it has remained until now.

    Brett Gorvy, International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, at Christie’s said: “No. 17, is a strikingly beautiful canvas that comes with an exhibition history that places it within the canon of Rothko’s most important paintings of the late 1950’s. We are particularly pleased to be presenting this work to the marketplace at a time when there is such tremendous demand for examples by Rothko of this remarkable quality. With its vibrant, enveloping surface, and its freshness to the auction market, we are confident that No. 17 will appeal to a broad global audience.”

    No. 17 is being sold on the heels of the tremendously successful sale of Rothko’s 1958 painting, No. 10, which realized $81,925,000 against a high estimate of $60 million at Christie’s New York, in May 2015. No. 10’s strength at auction demonstrated the tremendous demand for works of this quality by Rothko in the global marketplace, which continues to exist in full force today.

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    THE LARGEST FANCY VIVID BLUE DIAMOND EVER OFFERED AT AUCTION

    Thursday, March 31st, 2016

    blue diamondThe Oppenheimer Blue, the largest and finest Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ever offered at auction, comes up at Christie’s in Geneva on May 18. Weighing 14.62 carats and named in honor of its previous owner Sir Philip Oppenheimer, it is estimated at US$38-45 million.

    Sir Philip Oppenheimer, who began working at the family business at De Beers in 1934, controlled the Diamond Syndicate in London.  He was head of the Central Selling Organisation for 45 years and served as chairman of the diamond trading company branch.  He oversaw a diamond trade cartel set up by De Beers to keep strict control over diamond supply worldwide.

    Today he is remembered as a master negotiator and the foremost architect of stability in the international diamond industry.  The extreme scarcity of strongly coloured blue diamonds means that records continue to be broken each year. Last November a 12 carat fancy vivid blue diamond sold for $48.5 million at Sotheby’s in Geneva.

    UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR US$57.5 MILLION

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for November 12, 2015)

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    THE JEWELS OF PRINCESS GABRIELA ZU LEININGEN AT CHRISTIE’S

    Wednesday, March 30th, 2016

    Superb jewels from the collection of Princess Gabriela zu Leiningen will be offered by Christie’s in Geneva on May 18.  The 46 lots headed by the 36.09 carat Pohl diamond are expected to realise more than US$15 million.  The Princess hails from a successful German entrepreneurial and philanthropic family. A qualified lawyer, she was married to Prince Karl-Emich zu Leiningen for seven years, and became a consultant for UNESCO in Paris, advising on equality and women’s rights.  In May 1998, Princess Gabriela married His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, 49th Imam of the Ismaili community, international entrepreneur, horse-breeder and founder of the Aga Khan Development Network. During their 16-year marriage, the Princess held the title Begum Inaara Aga Khan and received superb and unique jewels from her then husband, a great art connoisseur, furthering her already extensive collection. Several of them are to be presented in the Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction in May.  Here is a selection from the sale:

    UPDATE: The collection made a total of US$22.5 million and was 100% sold.

    The Pohl diamond (US$3.8-5.5 million).

    The Pohl diamond (US$3.8-5.5 million).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $4,415,885

    A five strand natural pearl and diamond necklace ($350,000-500,000).

    A five strand natural pearl and diamond necklace ($350,000-500,000).  UPDATE; this made $435,552

    An emerald and diamond necklace by Cartier ($2.5-3.5 million)

    An emerald and diamond necklace by Cartier ($2.5-3.5 million)  UPDATE: THIS MADE $2,895,074

    A ruby and diamond novelty brooch by Cartier ($10,000-15,000).

    A ruby and diamond novelty brooch by Cartier ($10,000-15,000).  UPDATE: THIS MADE $275,673

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    ARMCHAIRS BY DIEGO GIACOMETTI ONCE OWNED BY COCO CHANEL

    Thursday, March 24th, 2016
    The armchairs in patinated bronze by Diego Giacometti.

    The armchairs in patinated bronze by Diego Giacometti.

    A pair of armchairs by Diego Giacometti once in the collection of Coco Chanel will come up at Christie’s in Paris on May 25.  Made in 1963 and gifted by Chanel to her doctor they are estimated at 120,000-180,000.  The armchairs are in patinated bronze.  After the Libération Coco Chanel fled to Switzerland and settled near Lausanne, on the edge of the Lac Leman.  She lived there for nearly ten years, occasionally travelling to Paris. At the Valmont Clinic, which she attended, she offered the chairs to her doctor in gratitude for the medical care received. They have stayed in his family until now.

    Paule de Smedt, director of the decorative arts and design department at Christie’s in Paris said:  “We are glad to present this beautiful pair of armchairs in our next evening sale. It gathers all the required criteria of the actual art market: works of art of high quality, in very good condition and from a prestigious provenance”.

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    A LANDMARK SALE OF SHAKESPEARE’S FIRST FOLIOS AT CHRISTIE’S

    Friday, March 18th, 2016
    Shakespeare - The First Editions

    Shakespeare – The First Editions

    A landmark sale of the first four folios, the first four editions of Shakespeare’s  collected works takes place at Christie’s in London in May. The Folios will be offered in a four-lot auction commemorating 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) on May 25.  The sale is led by an unrecorded copy of the First Folio, the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, widely considered the most important literary publication in the English language. The First Folio contains 36 plays, 18 of which had not previously been printed and would have otherwise been lost forever. It is estimated at £800,000-1.2 million.

    The plays of Shakespeare, preserved for posterity in these volumes, define our knowledge of Shakespeare the man, the playwright, the poet and the actor. The Four Folios will tour to New York from 1 to 8 April 1 to April 8 and go on public display in London from April 20 to 28 April to celebrate Shakespeare’s 400thanniversary on April 23.

    Margaret Ford, International Head of Books & Manuscripts, says: “The universality and timelessness of Shakespeare’s insight into human nature continues to engage and enthrall audiences the world over. Even four centuries after his death, his plays touch and transform lives and continue to be read and performed from Albania to Zambia. It is deeply moving to handle the first printed record of his collected plays and to be reminded of their tremendous impact. Especially exhilarating is bringing a newly recorded copy of the First Folio to public attention, and to be able to offer a set of the Four Folios in this important anniversary year.”

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