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Posts Tagged ‘sotheby’s’

UNPUBLISHED SKETCH LEAF FOR EMPEROR CONCERTO AT SOTHEBY’S

Saturday, September 24th, 2016

An unpublished sketch-leaf for Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto. UPDATE: THIS MADE £377,000

A previously undocumented and unpublished sketch-leaf for Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto comes up at Sotheby’s in London on October 20. Offered on the open market for the first time in a sale entitled “The Library of an English Bibliophile, Part VI”, this sketch-leaf is one of the earliest for this great work, possibly containing Beethoven’s first draft of its famous themes. Most of the surviving drafts for the Fifth Piano Concerto are in two sketch-books in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin.

Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto in E Flat Major, Op. 73 is dedicated to Archduke Rudolf of Austria (1788-1831), the brother of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor and Beethoven’s great friend, patron and pupil. The Archduke began taking lessons from Beethoven aged 15 or 16 and he was the only pupil that Beethoven taught composition to. It is estimated at £150,000-200,000. UPDATE: IT SOLD FOR £377,000

Tags: Emperor Concerto, Ludwig van Beethoven, sotheby's
Posted in AUCTIONS, COLLECTIBLES | No Comments »

BORGHESE WINDSOR CABINET MAKES AUCTION RECORD PRICE

Wednesday, September 21st, 2016

The Borghese Windsor cabinet.

The Borghese-Windsor Cabinet – the most important Roman cabinet ever to have come onto the market – sold for 2,499,000 euro at Sotheby’s in Paris last night. It was bought by the J. Paul Getty Museum in what was a world auction record price for a piece of Roman furniture. Made in Rome circa 1620, this exceptional gilt-bronze mounted silver, ebony and hard stone cabinet boasts exceptional provenance. It belonged to Pope Paul V Borghese (1605-1621), before being acquired in 1824 by King George IV who displayed it in Windsor Castle. The cabinet remained in the Royal Collection until 1959, when it was bought by Aladar de Balkany, on the advice of his son who was passionate about architecture.

International collectors were out in force to testify the extraordinary eye and taste of the great French collector Robert de Balkany (1931-2015). In the first of three sales at Sotheby’s in Paris, collectors, art dealers and institutions from across the globe (including the US, Europe, Russia, Asia and the Middle East) registered their intention to bid on masterpieces of Decorative Arts and Old Masters paintings from Robert de Balkany’s Paris residence, the Hôtel de Feuquières in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The sale had been preceded by an exhibition which attracted over 3,000 visitors. Among the top ten lots sold was night was George Stubbs portrait of Viscount Gormanston’s White Dog, which made 459,000.

Mario Tavella, Président-Directeur Général, Sotheby’s France and Chairman, Sotheby’s Europe said: “The two top lots of this evening – the Borghese-Windsor Cabinet and Charles Clay’s organ clock – are testament to Robert de Balkany’s eye and passion for hardstone furniture and exceptional timepieces – the most important categories of his collection. Both of these exceptional pieces went to major art institutions the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement, Utrecht and for me, this is the best tribute to my friend Robert. It was an honour to have been entrusted with the sale of the masterpieces in his collection which he jealously kept in Paris. ”

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for November 12, 2010)

Tags: Borghese-Windsor Cabinet, J. Paul Getty Museum, Robert de Balkany, sotheby's
Posted in AUCTIONS, FURNITURE | No Comments »

GRAPHICS BY MUNCH AT SOTHEBY’S PRINTS SALE

Monday, September 19th, 2016

Graphic works by Edvard Munch Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones and Self-Portrait, both acquired directly from the artist, come up at Sotheby’s sale of Prints and Multiples in London on September 27. Self-Portrait is from a private Norwegian collection and was originally owned by Olaf Schou, the Norwegian industrialist and art patron; Two Human Beings. The Lonely Ones was purchased directly from Munch in 1942 by Harald Holst Halvorsen. They are never been at auction before and are estimated respectively at £50,000-70,000 and £400,000-600,000.

Lucy Rosenburgh, Sotheby’s Prints Specialist, said: “Schou and Halvorsen were two of Munch’s most important patrons, with whom he enjoyed an equally strong friendship. The notable provenance of these prints makes their appearance on the market all the more appealing to collectors.”

Edvard Munch – The Lonely Ones (£400,000-600,000)

Edvard Munch – Self-Portrait (£50,000-70,000)

Tags: Edvard Munch, sotheby's
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KIRCHNER PRINTS AND SOTHEBY’S

Wednesday, September 14th, 2016

An important group of prints by German Expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner will come up at Sotheby’s sale of Prints and Multiples in London on September 27. The six works, which have a combined total estimate of £406,000-598,000, come to sale from a distinguished European collection. Covering the Dresden period of Die Brücke, Kirchner’s subsequent stay in Berlin, and the years he spent living in Davos in the Swiss Alps, the collection brings together woodcuts, lithographs and an etching from key stages in the artist’s career.

Lucy Rosenburgh, Sotheby’s Prints specialist, said: “Kirchner pushed printmaking to its limits and this stunning group is a superb showcase for his range and virtuosity.”

Augustfeuer (£6,000-8,000)

Zwei Frauen (£100,000-150,000)

Drei Badende, Moritzburg (£80,000-120,000)

Akte auf einem Teppich (£60,000-80,000.

Tags: Kirchner, sotheby's
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PAINTING GIFTED BY WILLIAM CROZIER TO MUSIC THEATRE WALES

Sunday, September 11th, 2016

William Crozier – Letters of a Love Betrayed UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

A painting gifted by artist William Crozier (1930-2011) to contemporary opera company Music Theatre Wales comes up at Sotheby’s Irish sale in London on September 13. The artist created Letters of a Love Betrayed in 2009 in response to the world premier of Eleanor Alberga’s opera of the same name. This was in turn based on a short story by Isabel Allende. Crozier, an opera lover, gifted the canvas so that Music Theatre Wales could benefit from its sale at auction.

He told the artistic director of Music Theatre Wales, Michael McCarthy: “This is the first picture I have ever painted which does not have its origin in something I have seen. The image is borrowed from a similar scorching landscape I knew when I lived in the mountains of Andalusia. I was led, too, by the scenario of the opera and the imaginary landscapes of Allende and other Latin American novelists and poets – Marquez and Neruda chief among them”. The work is estimated at £15,000-20,000.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for August 27, 2016)

Tags: Music Theatre Wales, sotheby's, William Crozier
Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | No Comments »

JAMES ENSOR PRINTS AT SOTHEBY’S

Monday, September 5th, 2016

ensor A private collection of 78 prints by Belgian artist James Ensor, one of the most comprehensive of its kind ever at auction, will come up at Sotheby’s in London on September 27. The sale precedes Intrigue: James Ensor by Luc Tuymans, an upcoming exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts from October 29 to January 29. This will present the first major showing of Ensor’s work to be held in the UK in 20 years. Ensor’s reputation as a painter of carnivals and crowds – “the painter of masks” – has perhaps overshadowed his extraordinary achievements in printmaking. The broad range of subject matter encompasses delicate landscapes, townscapes and seascapes, celebrated self-portraits and sardonic portraits of politicians, religious and fantastical scenes. It is estimated to make a combined total in excess of £300,000 in Sotheby’s sale of Prints and Multiples.

Tags: James Ensor, sotheby's
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ANYA HINDMARCH CURATES AT SOTHEBY’S IN LONDON

Tuesday, August 30th, 2016

Fashion accessories designer Anya Hindmarch will guest curate an exhibition and auction of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s in London next month. The exhibition will run from September 16-19 to coincide with London Fashion Week, with the auction on September 20. A passionate advocate of British design and arts, Anya is a trustee of both the Royal Academy of Arts and the Design Museum. Anya’s passion for the arts runs through all that she does, from outstanding craftsmanship to witty and creative interpretations of Pop Art. Handpicking the works that inspire her as both a designer and art-collector, she presents a range of artworks by leading contemporary artists including Keith Haring, Andreas Gursky, Tracy Emin and Yayoi Kusama. Here is a small selection: UPDATE: DRIVEN BY AN INFLUX OF FIRST TIME COLLECTORS THE SALE MADE £1.8 MILLION

Keith Haring – Untitled 1982 (£200,000-300,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £413,000

Wolfgang Tillmanns – Lighter Blue Concave III 2010 (£18,000-25,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £32,500

Anish Kapoor – Untitled 2001 (£10,000-15,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £16,250

Anya Hindmarch

Tags: Anish Kapoor, Anya Hindmarsh, Contemporary art, Keith Haring, sotheby's
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AN INNOCENT CHILD CAUGHT UP IN WAR

Saturday, August 27th, 2016

The Disasters of War 47 by Gottfried Helnwein (£30,000-50,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR 115,000

An innocent child caught up in war is the peculiarly appropriate focus of a work by the artist Gottfried Helnwein entitled The Disasters of War at Sotheby’s Irish art sale in London on September 13. The painting is not about Syria, it is about humankind. The work of Helnwein, who lives and works at Gurteen Castle in Co. Tipperary, is informed by his upbringing in post war Austria where World War 2 cast a horrifying shadow. This innocent child in this photo realist work bears the scars of adulthood’s violence and corruptibility. Helnwein, whose works are in major public collections, moved to Ireland in 1997. His work was exhibited in Kilkenny (2001), at the Crawford in Cork (2004) and in Waterford (2008)

An international platform like Sotheby’s is an important springboard for Irish art. Over the years and through booms and busts the auction house has found new buyers from countries around the world for our artists. Modern and contemporary Irish art is to take centre stage again in London on September 13. The roll call of artists in the sale includes Sir William Orpen, Paul Henry, Gerard Dillon, Mary Swanzy, Colin Middleton, F.E. MacWilliam, Rowan Gillespie and Gottfried Helnwein.

Highlights from the auction, which features important work by stalwarts like Lavery, Yeats and O’Conor as well as more contemporary artists like Elizabeth Magill, Melita Denaro, Eilis O’Connell, John Doherty and Rita Duffy, will be on view at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin next week. Viewing at the RHA is from 10 am to 5 pm on September 1, 2 and 3 and from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday September 4. The Irish viewing will include four Irish art works from David Bowie’s collection to be sold in November, Sleep Sound by Yeats, a watercolour entitled James Joyce by le Brocquy and two works by William Scott, Girl Seated at a Table and Winter Still Life No. 2.

Lazy Lady by Rowan Gillespie (£12,000-18,000) UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £32,500

Mary Borden and her family at Bisham Abbey by Sir John Lavery (£150,000-250,000) UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

Tags: David Bowie, Gottfried Helnwein, Sir John Lavery, sotheby's
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SLEEP SOUND BY YEATS FROM THE COLLECTION OF DAVID BOWIE

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016

Sleep Sound by Jack B. Yeats from the collection of David Bowie.

Sleep Sound, a 1955 painting by Jack B. Yeats from the collection of David Bowie, comes up at Sotheby’s in November. It is one of about 400 lots from the Bowie collection to be sold. Now estimated at around £180,000 it was bought at Sotheby’s by Bowie in 1993 for £45,500. Sotheby’s will tour to Bowie Collection to New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. It will be on display at New Bond St. in London form November 1-10.

Yeats, who is Ireland’s best know artist on the international stage, was a modernist and expressionist whose art frequently expresses the essence of its subject. Under these circumstances it is hardly surprising that the artistic Bowie was numbered among his fans.

(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for July 14, 2016)

Tags: David Bowie, Jack B. Yeats, sotheby's
Posted in ART, AUCTIONS | No Comments »

SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG AUTUMN SALES TO TEMPT COLLECTORS

Wednesday, August 10th, 2016

From Ming furniture and Chateau Petrus to exceptional Chinese ceramics and classical Asian art the autumn sale series at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong from October 1-5 offers much to tempt the collector. In the weeks leading up to the sales selected highlights will travel to Jakarta, Singaport, Seoul and Taipei. Here is a selection of some highlights: