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    • Posts Tagged ‘Christie’s’

    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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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    MICHELANGELO DRAWING AT CHRISTIE’S

    Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

    Michelangelo drawing. © Christie’s Images Limited 2011. (Click on image to enlarge) UPDATE: IT MADE £3,177,250

    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

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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)

    © Christie’s Images Limited 2011

    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 20th 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

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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.

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    BACON ONCE OWNED BY LE BROCQUY COULD MAKE £11 MILLION AT CHRISTIE’S

    Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

    Francis Bacon Study for A Portrait, 1953. (click on image to enlarge)

    A painting by Francis Bacon (1909-1992) once owned by his friend Louis le Brocquy could make £11 million at Christie’s.  Study for a Portrait, 1953 will be a highlight of Christie’s Post War and Contemporary Art sale in London on June 28.

    It has previously been owned by two of Francis Bacon’s contemporaries: Rodrigo Moynihan, a pioneer of abstract painting in the 1930’s who was Professor of Painting at the Royal College of Art and le Brocquy.
    This was one of the last paintings Bacon made in his studio at the Royal College of Art rented from Rodrigo Moynihan from 1951 to 1953.  He created some of his greatest landmark works here including the definitive series of Popes and his first portrait triptych.
    Le Brocquy acquired the painting from Moynihan.  The Irish artist in turn sold it to Marlborough Fine Art.  Never sold at auction, it has been in private hands since. In 1984 it was bought from Marlborough by the Swiss entrepreneur and wine producer Donald M Hess, one of the world’s top art collectors.
    Francis Bacon’s work is among the most popular 20th century art sold at auction. His Three Studies for Self Portrait, 1974 made $25,282,500 / £15,422,325 at Christie’s New York earlier this month.  Another Bacon, Untitled (Crouching Nude on Rail), 1952, made $9,602,500 / £5,857,525 at the same sale.
    UPDATE:  IT made £17,961,250

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    A Parisian Café by Ilya Repin and Fabergé at Christie’s

    Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
    A Parisian Café by Ilya Repin will lead Christie’s Russian sale on June 6 in London. Painted in 1875, the work depicts a lively French café scene and represents a daring deviation from Repin’s celebrated Russian subjects. The picture was exhibited at the 1875 Parisian salon and is extensively recorded in the literature on the artist. It was acquired in 1916 by the present owner’s grandfather, who knew Repin.  On the market for the first time in almost a century it is estimated at £3-5 million.
    The afternoon session of the sale is devoted to Russian works of art.  It features more than 40 works by Fabergé, many with Russian Imperial provenance. Leading the selection is a three-colour gold and guilloché enamel Imperial presentation snuff-box by Fabergé (estimate £300,000-500,000).  This was given to Charles Robert Carrington in 1894 to commemorate his attendance at the funeral of Emperor Alexander III and the wedding of Emperor Nicholas II.
    UPDATE: Christie’s achieved the highest price for a painting ever sold in a Russian sale by an international auction house with Repin’s A Parisian Café . The picture session was 92% sold by value. Fabergé was sold 96% by value.  Christie’s say their strategy continues to prioritise quality over quantity; “with this in mind we look forward to our next sale in November.”

    A Parisian Café by Ilya Repin. UPDATE: THIS WAS SOLD FOR £4.5 MILLION, A NEW WORLD RECORD FOR THE ARTIST.

    Imperial presentation snuff-box by Fabergé. UPDATE: THIS WAS ACQUIRED BY AN AMERICAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR FOR £385,250.

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    WARHOL TOPS STELLAR CHRISTIE’S CONTEMPORARY SALE

    Thursday, May 12th, 2011

    The Andy Warhol self-portrait from 1963-64. (click on image to enlarge).

    FOUR photo booth images of Andy Warhol in blue

    The re-discovered Rothko from a private collection. (click on image to enlarge)

    made a record $38.4 million over a high estimate of $30 million at Christie’s post-war and contemporary sale in New York on May 11.

    The sale total of  $301,683,000 was the biggest tally for a New York evening contemporary sale since May 2008.  No less than 62 of the 65 lots on offer found buyers.  There were records for Cy Twombly and Richard Diebenkorn while a Cindy Sherman at $3.9 million fetched the highest price ever for a photograph at auction.

    The photo-booth style Warhol Self-Portrait, 1963-64 was the top lot and a new record for a Warhol self portrait.  At the same sale Warhol’s 1986 self portrait – the one with spiky hair – made  $27,522,500.
    A re-discovered Mark Rothko work, Untitled No. 17, signed and dated 1961, made $33,682,500.

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