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BACON TOPS CHRISTIE’S POST WAR AND CONTEMPORARY EVENING SALE

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Francis Bacon (1909-1992) Study for a Portrait made £17,961,250. (Click on image to enlarge). Copyright Christie's.

Study for a Portrait by Irish born Francis Bacon was the top lot at Christie’s Post War and Contemporary Art evening auction on June 28. It made £17,961,250. Bought by an anonymous telephone bidder it had been estimated to make around £11 million.

The work was previously owned by Rodrigo Moynihan, a pioneer of abstract painting in the 1930’s, and the Irish artist Louis Le Brocquy.

An untitled work by Damien Hirst executed in 1996 of butterflies and household gloss paint on canvas sold for £601,250.

Damien Hirst (b. 1965) Untitled made £601,250 at Christie's. (Click on image to enlarge), Copyright Christie's Images.

The sale realised £78,817,050. This was the second highest total for the category. A total of 19 lots sold for over £1 million (25 over $1 million). Buyers came from 16 different countries and the breakdown was 59% Europe including UK, 26% Americas and 15% Asia. Artist records were set for Juan Muñoz, Ron Mueck, Paula Rego, Domenico Gnoli and Miquel Barceló, who set a record for any living Spanish artist.

Red Boat (Imaginary Boys), 2003-04, by Peter Doig (b.1959) sold for £6,201,250; Faena de muleta, 1990, by Miquel Barceló (b.1957) sold for £3,961,250 and seven works from the collection of Kay Saatchi sold for a total of £3,992,750.

See antiquesandartireland.com posts for June 27, May 24 and March 31.

Tags: bacon, Christie's, contemporary
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Exceptional 18th Century Chinese Vases at Christie’s

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

: 18th century Daoist vases at Christie’s. (Click on image to enlarge). Copyright Christie’s Images. UPDATE: THE SELLING PRICE FOR THESE WAS

THIS set of four 18th century Chinese porcelain vases, mounted in the early 19th century with French ormolu, feature at Christie’s on July 7. Over four feet tall they were acquired by either the 3rd Duchess of Buccleuch or her grandson, the 5th Duke. The only known parallels in form, scale, magnificence and style are the vases acquired around the same time by the Prince Regent, later George IV, now at Buckingham Palace, London. The ‘Daoist vases’ are an example of the Chinese taste for auspicious imagery. The presence of numerous bats in flight conveys happiness and prosperity – bats being a homophone in Chinese for a word meaning ‘happiness’, whilst the Eight Buddhist and Daoist Emblems, which take a central importance on these vases, are believed to bring blessings and harmony. The vases are expected to realise between £600,000 and £1 million.

They form part of the Exceptional Sale. This comprises just 52 works and is expected to realise £18 million.

UPDATE: THE SALE REALISED £28,781,000. The four vases were bought by US casino owner Steve Wynn for his Macau Resort Hotel.

: This silver chandelier is a masterpiece of Palladian design. (Click on image to enlarge). Copyright, Christie’s Images. UPDATE: THIS MADE

The Givenchy Royal Hanover Chandelier is a masterpiece of 18th century Palladian design. The German silver eight-light chandelier was conceived by the celebrated architect and designer William Kent for King George II of Great Britain as Elector of Hanover (r.1727-1760). Kent’s inspired design was realised by the Hanover court goldsmith Balthasar Friedrich Behrens and was delivered to the Hanover palace on September 13, 1736. It later graced Windsor Castle and was most recently sold from the collection of the renowned designer Hubert de Givenchy in Christie’s Monaco in 1994. The estimate is £2.6 million to £3.6 million.

Robert Copley, international head of furniture and decorative art at Christie’s said: “For The Exceptional Sale 2011 we have extended the parameters to include pieces from all of the decorative arts which will give the market the opportunity to bid for some of the rarest and finest works of art to come to auction, many of which are offered for the first time.”

Tags: Christie's, Decorative Arts
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ANDY WARHOL’S MAO A HIGHLIGHT AT CHRISTIE’S

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) Mao, signed and dated 'Andy Warhol 73', is estimated at £6-8 million. (Click on image to enlarge). Copyright Christie's Images. UPDATE: IT MADE £6,985,250

Andy Warhol’s Mao is one of a number of highlights of Christie’s Post War and Contemporary art evening auction in London on June 28. The sale of 67 works is expected to realised a combined total of £55.8-77.6 milion.

The iconic large scale Mao (1973) was shown at the first exhibition of Mao paintings at Musée Galliera, Paris in 1974. Other highlights are Warhol’s vivid emerald green Little Electric Chair (1964), Miquel Barceló’s Faena de muleta (1990), the largest and most important example of the artist’s celebrated bullfight paintings ever to come to auction and Juan Muñoz’s Esquina positiva (1992), first unveiled to great acclaim at the landmark Documenta IV in Kassel in 1992, which launched the artist’s international career.

Francis Outred, European Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, said: “At a time when the global art world unites to celebrate the Venice Biennale, Christie’s is delighted to bring together works from 14 countries for this June’s Post War and Contemporary Art auction. At the heart of the forthcoming season is one of the finest groups of British Art ever to be assembled at auction, spanning from the early 1940s to the present day. Looking across the generations, one begins to see continuities between the inky-blue washes of paint in Francis Bacon’s landmark Study for a Portrait (1953) and Peter Doig’s liquid application of the medium in Red Boat (Imaginary Boys) (2003-04), undoubtedly one of his best paintings this century. Indeed the drive to depict real, physical presence is equally apparent in Lucian Freud’s pivotal painting Woman Smiling (1958-59) as in Ron Mueck’s mesmerising, hyper-real Big Baby (1996). Assembled from a variety of collections including that of Kay Saatchi, we are delighted to have brought together such a cohesive group of masterworks.”

UPDATE: IT MADE £6,985,250

See antiquesandartireland.com post for March 31.

Tags: Christie's, London, Warhol
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PICASSO MASTERPIECE MAKES £13.48 MILLION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT CHRISTIE’S

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Picasso Jeune fille endormie. (Click on image to enlarge)

An important and rarely-seen masterpiece by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) Jeune fille endormie made £13,481,250 at Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Evening Sale on June 21.

The intimate portrait of the artist’s lover Marie-Thérèse Walter, subject of many of Picasso’s most celebrated pictures, had been expected to realize £9 million to £12 million.

Having resided in just two private collections since it was painted, Jeune fille endormie was given to the University of Sydney in 2010 by an anonymous donor on condition that it would be sold and that the University would dedicate the proceeds to scientific research. It was acquired by an anonymous bidder.

The auction brought in £140,019,200 and sold 87% by lot and 80% by value. This is the third highest total for the category at Christie’s in London. Buyers were 54% from Europe, 42% from the Americas and 4% from Asia.

The top three prices were paid for portraits of three different lovers of Picasso, led by Femme assise, robe bleue, a portrait of Dora Maar, which made £17,961,250 over a top estimate of £8 million. Buste de Françoise, a 1946 portrait of Picasso’s lover Françoise Gilot made £10,681,250.

See antiquesandartireland.com post for April 27.

Tags: Christie's, Picasso
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MASTERPIECES FROM CHRISTIE’S SUMMER SEASON IN LONDON

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Gimcrack by Stubbs. (click on image to enlarge)

A curated exhibition showcasing highlights from one of Christie’s most exciting auction seasons is on display at King St. in London from June 13 to June 15. Museum quality works by artists including Michelangelo, Gainsborough, Goya, Stubbs, Monet, Picasso and Renoir, exceptional furniture and medieval manuscripts are included in a disiplay of over 100 works entitled Masterpieces. Most will be offered at auction during the next four weeks in a season expected to realise more than £250 million.

Jussi Pylkkänen, President & Chairman of Christie’s, Europe, Middle East, Russia & India said: “This year we have curated an exhibition for the public of extraordinary quality. The Masterpieces show will include Michelangelo’s beautiful study for the “The Battle of Cascina”, which has been seen in public only once since it was executed, Pablo Picasso’s voluptuous portrait of Marie-Therèse, which was last exhibited in 1941, Thomas Gainsborough’s mesmerising portrait of Miss Read, unseen in public since 1936 and last but not least an astonishing 17th Century sculpture by Adriaen de Vreis which has never been exhibited in public and is one of the great Christie’s discoveries of this generation.”

Gimcrack on Newmarket Heath, with a Trainer, a Stable- Lad, and a Jockey by George Stubbs (1724-1806) is one of the most valuable Old Master paintings offered at auction. From the Woolavington Collection it is expected to realise in excess of £20 million on July 5.

A further highlight is The Duke of Portland’s copy of the original edition of John James Audubon’s masterpiece, The Birds of America. This will be offered in New York on January 20, 2012 and is estimated at $7-10 million.

Tags: Christie's, masterpieces
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AL CAPONE’S .38 REVOLVER AT CHRISTIE’S

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Al Capone's revolver. (click on image to enlarge)

Al Capone’s .38 revolver leads Christie’s arms and armour sale at South Kensington, London on June 22. The .38 (Special) ‘Police Positive” nickel plated six-shot double action revolver was manufactured by Colt. It has chequered walnut grips and retains nearly all its original nickel-plated finish. The serial number is 384221.

Al Capone (1899 –1947) is one of the most famous American gangsters. The stereotypical mobster image – blue pinstripe suit, tilted fedora – is based upon photographs of Capone, and his personality has been used as a template for copious fictional criminal masterminds. He once observed that: “You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone”.

The revolver is accompanied by a copy of an affidavit sworn on March 25,1990 by Madeleine Capone Morichetti, widow of Ralph Capone. This states that: “Ralph Capone became the custodian and owner of a certain Colt Police Positive .38 Special Revolver, serial no. 384221, being nickel plates with a wood handle, which revolver was acquired from and was the property of his brother Al Capone”. The affidavit also states that, according to Ralph’s wishes, upon his death the revolver was to be passed to one Edmund Koeski which it was in 1976.

Estimated at £50,000-70,000 it will be sold with a further 209 lots, dating from the 10th century to the 20th century with individual estimates from £300 to £85,000.

UPDATE: The revolver sold for £67,250. It was the top lot in a sale which realised £634,825.

Tags: arms, Capone, Christie's
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IRISH ART SEASON BRINGS IN 6 MILLION AND A TALE OF THREE HENRY’S

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

The value of Irish art which has changed hands in the current season of sales amounts to around 6 million euro. James Adam brought in around 1.1 million on June 1, Whyte’s and de Veres brought in 700,000 and 400,000 respectively in May, the Irish artists at Christie’s sale of British and Irish art on May 26 (including Sir John Lavery and William Scott) accounted for another 1.3 million euro and Sotheby’s annual Irish sale at the end of March brought in 2.1 million euro. These bigger players achieved around 5.6 million.

To this total must be added the achievements of smaller auction houses like Morgan O’Driscoll and Dolans which hold dedicated art sales and tend to deal in names that are less stellar. In addition Irish art is a latter day mainstay of antique auctions around the country and features to a greater or lesser extent at most sales. All this increases the overall total. The six million euro figure is probably slightly conservative.

Christie's

Whyte's

Adams

These not dissimilar West of Ireland landscapes by Paul Henry boosted results at Christie’s, Whytes and Adams where they sold for £79,250, 106,000 euro and 110,000 euro respectively.

Christie’s sold the single most expensive Irish artwork to change hands at auction thus far in 2011 when they achieved £657,250 for Sir John Lavery’s Played!! Sotheby’s achieved the highest total for any Irish sale over the past two years. Roderic O’Conor’s Landscape, Cassis was the top lot at Sotheby’s where it made £337,250.

This website will make two comments on these results. The first is that these totals are highly respectable given that Ireland continues to be in deep recession. The second is that the Irish art market urgently needs to find new ways of promoting in the salesrooms more contemporary Irish art. The best of Paul Henry, along with Yeats, Orpen, Lavery, O’Conor, Osborne , le Brocquy et all, is highly bankable, especially in recession. But these are not the only Irish artists who deserve an outlet in the salesrooms. There is no shortage in Ireland of available quality work by contemporary artists. Many more are waiting in the wings for the recognition that is properly their due. The focus of the Irish art market is too narrow. This problem needs to be addressed by everyone involved in the art market in an effective way if stagnation is to be avoided in the salesrooms.

See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for May 29, May 28, May 27, May 20, May 19 and March 29.

Tags: adams, Christie's, de Veres, Irish art, sotheby's, Whyte's
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MICHELANGELO DRAWING AT CHRISTIE’S

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

A rarely seen drawing by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) features at Christie’s Old Masters and British Paintings sale on July 5 in London.

The preparatory study is one of only 24 sheets related to his lost commission of The Battle of Cascina – and the last to remain in private hands. Michelangelo was pitched directly alongside his elder rival Leonardo da Vinci who was commissioned to paint The Battle of Cascina on the opposite wall of the newly-built Sala del Gran Consiglio in Florence’s Palazzo della Signoria.

The drawing has been seen in public only once before at the exhibition of the artist’s drawings at the Albertina, Vienna, in 2010.

In the same collection for over 30 years it is being offered at auction for the first time. It is expected to realise £3 million to £5 million.

UPDATE: IT MADE £3,177,250

Tags: Christie's, Michelangelo
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LAVERY LEADS IRISH ART AT CHRISTIE’S SALE IN LONDON

Friday, May 27th, 2011

Paul Henry's West of Ireland Cottages made £79,250 at Christie's on May 26.

Paul Henry's An Old Man from Connacht made £34,850 at Christies.

THE leading Irish artwork at Christie’s sale in London was Sir John Lavery’s Played !! which made £657,250. Another Lavery, Mary in Black, sold for £61,250.

: Sir John Lavery’s Played!! made £657,250.; (Click on image to enlarge)

Paul Henry’s West of Ireland cottages made £79,250 over an estimate of £30,000-50,000. Other works by Paul Henry, R.H.A. (1876-1958) sold were An Old Man from Connacht which made £34,850 and An Old Woman which sold for £34,850.

Portrait of Dorelia by Augustus John made £15,000 .

A Still Life by William Scott made £337,250 and Untitled 1961 by William Scott made £12,500. Portraits of Miss Joanna Yorke and Miss Lisa Yorke by Louis le Brocquy made £16,500.

The 20^th Century British & Irish Art sale realised £17,877,500, the highest total ever achieved for the category. (See antiquesandartireland.com post for May 26)

CHRISTIE’S BIENNALE APP

Christie’s has created the first ever complete app guide to the Venice Art Biennale and are happy to offer it for free to any art lover. They say Christie’s Biennale App will revolutionise the way visitors experience the Venice Art Biennale this summer. The 54th International Art Exhibition runs from June 4 to November 27 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and venues around Venice.

For your free download go to:

www.christies.com/on-the-go/mobile/iphone.aspx#biennale

Tags: Christie's, Irish art, Lavery
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NEW WORLD RECORD FOR L.S. LOWRY AT CHRISTIE’S

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

The Football Match by Laurence Stephen Lowry (1949) made a new world record price for the artist at Christies. (Click on image to enlarge)

There was a new world record for the artist L.S. Lowry at Christie’s in London on May 29. The Football Match, which dates from 1949, made £5,641,250, against a pre-sale estimate of £3.5million to 4.5 million. This is the highest price ever paid in the 20th Century British Art category. It went to a European private buyer.

The previous record for the artist was set at Christie’s in 2007 with Good Friday, Daisy Nook , 1946. It made £3,772,000 and a then record for 20th century British art.

At the same sale a tennis painting by Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A. (1856-1941) entitled Played!! made £657,250 against an estimate of £600,000-800,000. It was bought by a UK private bidder. The painting was last sold at Christie’s Irish Sale in 2001, when it made £575,750.

A 1951 work by William Scott (1913-1989) entitled Still Life made £337,250 against an estimate of £300,000 – 500,000.

Tags: Christie's, L.S. Lowry
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Posts Tagged ‘Christie’s’

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