Category: At The Auction with Vyna

Where To Buy Chinese Art

Asia Week New York – the nine-day Asian art extravaganza – ended on a stupendous note: $200 million in sales, exceeding last year’s number by $25 million. From the minute the 47 international galleries of Asia Week New York opened their doors on March 14, a whirlwind of activities invigorated the city. The annual event was celebrated with a magnificent reception at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 17, where the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed more than 600 collectors, curators and Asian art specialists. The event ignited excitement that burned for the entire week, and the Asian art world buzzed with exhibitions and record-breaking auctions that were thronged with international buyers from mainland China, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea and the United States.

“With an increase in overseas Chinese buyers, combined with many American museum curators and their patrons, Asia Week New York was a tremendous success this year,” says Carol Conover, chairman of Asia Week New York. “A record number of 47 galleries – saw steady and heavy traffic throughout the week, and the four major auction houses saw sales reach new highs.”

Allimageswere taken at Christie’s, New York.

   
Contemporary Chinese Art
Important Classical Chinese Furniture 
The ‘Min’ Fanglei
 Fat Lady from the Tang Dynasty
G. Ravinder Reddy
Vyna St. Phard, Asia Week New York, Christie’s
 
Images by High End Weekly™
All rights reserved

The Future Never Looked So Bright!

Giacomo Balla, Automobile in corsa, Painted in 1913
Estimate $12/18 million


“This is a treasure-trove of Modernism. Collections rarely explore a theme with such power and unity. Each work adds a distinct chapter, showing artists’ engagement with a radically transforming universe – mass communication, the automobile and airplane, technology, photography and cinema. Just as today’s world was born in those years, many more recent movements such as Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art and Abstraction also have their roots in the artists represented here.”
     Simon Shaw, Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art department in New York

The New York Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale is set for November 6 2013. It will open with a private collection of seminal works created between 1910 and 1930. Futur! Masterworks of the Avant-Garde features museum-quality examples by artists including Giacomo Balla, Joan Miró, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris. Together, these works tell a compelling story of the European avant-garde, from Cubism and Futurism, through Dada, Surrealism and Abstraction.


The fourteen pictures, estimated to sell for $67.2/95.1 million, represent perhaps the finest group of Modernist masterpieces to appear at auction since Sotheby’s landmark sale of the Malbin Collection in 1990. Sotheby’s will debut the collection in its London galleries from 12 – 17 October, before returning to New York for exhibition in its York Avenue galleries beginning 1 November. Highlights will also be shown in Hong Kong and Moscow this autumn.

Juan Gris, Tabac, journal et bouteille de vin rosé, Papier collé, oil and charcoal on canvas Painted in June 1914, Estimate $7/10 million


“These extraordinary selections reflect the vision of Alain Tarica, who helped form the collection during the late 1960s and early 70s, and is celebrated for creating the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and several others. M. Tarica explained how these remarkable works were brought together: “In the same way that the Italian Renaissance was an exceptionally rich period of radical cultural renewal, breaking with long-held traditions, the first half of the 20th Century in Europe also marked a major revitalization in the arts. This couple wanted to build a collection centered on the avant- garde of the first half of the 20th Century, when the artists were working, as they were during the Renaissance, as genuine innovators.”
Simon Shaw, Head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art department in New York

Futurist painting burst into the consciousness of the international art world with the opening of the exhibition Les Peintres futuristes italiens at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in Paris in February 1912, and the following month with a group exhibition at Herwarth Walden’s Galerie der Sturm in Berlin. Automobile in corsa, which dates from the movement’s crescendo in 1913-14, is one of the greatest examples of their aesthetic principles. It belongs to a groundbreaking group of works that Balla executed in 1913-14 on the theme of cars in movement, exploring the Futurist themes of dynamism, speed and light. This series took Futurism to the brink of Abstraction. Supremely rare, Automobile in corsa is one of the most spectacular of the series.

Top: Francis Picabia Volucelle II, Ripolin on canvas Painted in 1922. Estimate $6/8 million Bottom: Joan Miró Bonheur d’aimer ma brune, Oil on canvas

Painted in 1925. Estimate $9/12 million

Old World Splendor: The Michael Smith’s Sale at Christie’s

A Palladian Villa by Michael S. Smith
Photo via Christie’s

Classical Sensibility, Modern Context
The unbelievable art and furniture gathered together at the Palladian-style villa auction at Christie’s span the past 500 years. Going through the sale, it’s hard to imagine that such an extraordinary amount of art and design were put together for a single auction. But given that they’re from a private property that was designed by the Obamas’ White House interior designer, Michael S. Smith, it came at no surprise. There are over 450 lots of museum-quality pieces, including Asian art and antiques, Old Master paintings and historic European furniture. Walking through this “Palladian villa”, it became apparent why the designer is planning on bidding on some of the items that he himself have been putting together for this sale for the past five years.

Yes, the overall collection is old world, but the pieces offer an extraordinary level of comfort that one can easily live with in modern times. Further, what I also liked about this sale was that the estimated prices were quite varied, and they offer an excellent opportunity to bid between some of the fairly reasonable pieces to the most lavish ones. Michael is said to be so passionate about this sale, that he even wrote a book about it, “Building Beauty: The Alchemy of Design” (Rizzoli).
Vyna St. Phard, Christie’s 2013
Background: A group of five African masks from the Ivory Coast/Liberia/Democratic republic of Congo (including a Lega-style mask, a Guro mask, and two Dan masks)
Counting sheep: Francois-Xavier Lallane ‘Mouton De Pierre’ A pair of sheep, designed circa 1979, welcome visitors to the Palladian Villa Sale
Pair of sheep from Francois-Xavier Lalanne (1927-2008)

Dramatic: Background Painting – Fedele Fischetti (Naples 1732 – 1792) La toilette de Psyche, oil on canvas 
Christie’s presents a two-day sale of a Palladian Villa on April 23-24, 2013
A ‘Zanzibar’ mother-of-pear and pewter inlaid hardwood chest, late 19th/Early 20th century
Top: Two Bamileke Style masks, Cameron
A Chinese black-lacquered altar table
Top center: Chinese Scroll Fragments, in and color on silk, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
The first portrait of a scholar
Left: A pair of oak folding theater chairs, modern
Each with a padded back and seat, covered in suede leather. Right: An Irish Regency mahogany open armchair, circa 1815, attributed to Gillingtons
Top drawings: Pable Picasso (1881 – 1973), Alphabet anthropomorphe, signed ‘Picasso’ (on the fourth sheet) pencil on paper
Bottom: A pair of French oak dinning chairs, mid-20th century
Top: Sam Glankoff (1894-1982), Untitled, PP 2067, signed and dated “Glankoff 73” (lower right) ink and cassein on Japanese handmade paper
A pair of George III mahogany side chairs, circa 1780
Background painting: Leon Polk Smith (1906-1996), Correspondence Green, Signed, titled and dated
Laurence Fayard
Background painting: Sean Scully (b. 1945) signed “Scully” oil on two attached canvas. Executed in 1989
Left: A Chinese Rootwood Table, 19th Century
Top: Jean-Pierre Pincemin (b. 1944), Canto IV (Paris Generation Plus, collection Grand Format). A pair of George III Elm Ladderback Side Chairs, Late 18th/19th Century
Forefront: A circular marble table with baluster support, 19th century
Left: Central European silvered and cream painted side chairs, German or Northern Italian, circa 1780. Right: Follower of William Larkin, Portrait of a lady,
full-length, in black embroidered gown with lace collar
Left: A brass boat propeller sculpture, 20th century
Photos courtesy High End Weekly™

Wild & Beautiful: Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species at Sotheby’s

Majestic: Andy Warhol – Endangered Species, Bighorn ram
Sotheby’s London


COMPLETE SET OF ANDY WARHOL’S ‘ENDANGERED SPECIES’ PRINTS SERIES AT SOTHEBY’S IN LONDON IN MARCH 19, 2013

Only Andy Warhol can paint a ram and managed to make it look handsome! But I am not surprised at all since his love and appreciation for color embodied just about all of his creations. But tell me, have you ever seen one of the above pictured screenprint before? When I first came across the ram (and Warhol’s other 9 artworks), I was utterly smitten! And I suspect you will be too, if you have a serious interest for Andy Warhol‘s rare prints.

The complete set of ten screenprints of his Endangered Species will take center stage at Sotheby’s London in an auction of Old Master, Modern and Contemporary Prints on 19 March 2013.

The entire collection is estimated to bring between $370,000-450,000, the Endangered Species project was the result of a conversation between Warhol and Frayda and Ronald Feldman, his New York art dealers, concerning the ecological issue of beach erosion. With his interest and curiosity in animals, Warhol was keen to take on this project, proposed by the Feldmans. The vibrantly coloured screenprints, produced in 1983, were described as ‘animals in make-up’ by Warhol. They are all portrayed majestically yet betray a poignant resignation to their fate. Placed in isolation as individual prints, they are positioned on the same level of elevation as the artist’s illustrious screenprints of 20th-century luminaries, such as Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Muhammad Ali. Keep in mind that complete sets of Warhol prints are very rare to the market. To inquire about this sale, contact Sotheby’s directly.

Warhol – Endangered Species, Bald eagle
Warhol – Endangered Species, Giant panda
Warhol – Endangered Species, Black rhinoceros
Warhol – Endangered Species, Orangutan
Warhol – Endangered Species, African elephant
Warhol – Endangered Species, Pine barrens tree frog
Warhol – Endangered Species, Grevy’s zebra
Warhol – Endangered Species, San Francisco silverspot
Warhol – Endangered Species, Siberian tiger

Images courtesy Sotheby’s London
All rights reserved

15 Must Have Art Deco Pieces For Your Collection

TRAVAIL MODERNISTE. Paire de fauteuils à structure en métal tubulaire. Dossiers incurvés à côtés ajourés, assises écusson sur base trapézoïdale
In my view, there’s just too few art deco sales on the auction block this year. The big auction houses in NY will hold theirs presumably at the end of 2013. So I’m always on the hunt for some great pieces that will hold a sufficient amount of appeal, and add some real value to my clients’ collections. Over the pond, one of my favorite auction houses, Drouot, is holding a Sunday afternoon sale in Brussels. These 2 pieces that you’re seeing at the top, are among 15 of my TOP PICKS from their impressive collection.
Pierre CHAREAU (Attribué à) Lampadaire en chêne patiné acajou, à hauteurs variables. Fût à double jambage dont un à crémaillère permettant les différentes évolutions. A partie haute trois lames plates coudées enserrant des plaques (postérieures) en albâtre formant un éventail lumineux. Base quadrangulaire à doucine. Right: Miroir Infinitly Grand miroir en verre fumé sans teint, cadre en laiton à l’intérieur duquel se reflètent des diodes pour donner une impression de profondeur infinie
Art Deco Sale in Brussels on Sunday, March 3rd, 2013
Drouot Grand Sablon Forum in Brussels
Left: TRAVAIL DES ANNÉES 1960. Lampe en métal nickelé à abat-jour circulaire légèrement bombé, cache ampoule cornet traversé par un tube fixé sur la base. Right: ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE début XXe Portrait de Femme Huile sur toile Signé”Martin” et daté
Aimé HENRY DE FIGANIERES (1909-?). “Cache cache”, 1973 Huile sur toile 65 x 50 cm
Signé et daté en bas à droite
Claude CUNDA (Ne en 1915)
“Composition abstraite”, 1974 Huile sur toile 116 x 89 cm Signé en bas à droite et daté “1974”
Left: Travail des années 1940. Chaise de boudoir recouverte de tissu moiré passepoilé à dossier coquille animé de cordelettes dorées et orné en partie arrière basse d’une coquille laquée. JACQUES ADNET (1900-1984). Guéridon en placage de palissandre à deux plateaux soutenus et joints par deux montants pleins galbés.
JACQUES ADNET (1900-1984)
Important guéridon à base en bois verni noir. Fût cylindrique recouvert de plaques de miroirs juxtaposés. Plateau circulaire débordant à fond miroir orné au centre d’une 
ronde de lunules et cerclé d’une lame en médal chromé
Paul KISS (1885-1962)
Spectaculaire paravent à quatre vantaux en fer forgé. Structure à lames plates de section carrée à parties hautes galbées. Décor ajouré de gerbes de fleurs stylisées à enroulements ouverts et coudés. 
Du réceptacle à la base les lames parallèles ondulent
Travail Art Déco Deux tables gigognes en bois laqué de forme U inversé à décor de coquille d’oeuf sur la table supérieure, d’une bande asymétrique sur la table supérieure et d’une
fleur stylisée sur chaque montant plein.
Corradini Argenteria (Bologne)
Vase en cuivre martelé de style art déco figurant l’allégorie des beaux-arts. Cachet de la manufacture
Nikki de St Phalle (1930-2002) “Nana”, 1968 Plastique polychrome, édition Alvimar 
Signé et marques de l’éditeur.
Xavier PUIGMARTI (né en 1952)
“Milo II”, 1990 Technique mixte sur toile 162 x 130 cm Signé et daté au dos
Drouot Auction House, France

The Stately Home of Brooke Astor

“Brooke Astor’s enthusiasm for every detail pertaining to the furnishing and decorating of her rooms is charmingly  effective. No one can equal her gaiety of spirit, her joyous laughter, and her keen wit.”
     Albert Hadley, famed decorator who designed rooms for both Holly Hill and the Astors’ Park Avenue apartment
Brooke Astor’s property revealed a woman who was well travelled and had a keen eye for English and French pieces from both the 18th and early-19th centuries, as well as Chinese lacquer furniture primarily dating to the Qing dynasty. The beloved philanthropist and legendary figure in New York society also had a penchant for both Old Master drawings – including works by

Riches: Holly Hill, Staircase, The main staircase at Holly Hill, showing a selection of dog pictures. Courtesy Sotheby’s

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Canaletto and Nicolas Lancret – and Chinese export reverse-painted glass pieces. I must have looked at the Sotheby’s catalogue at least half a dozen times before I was able to choose a few items which I thought would be quite fitting for a “modern” interior.

The Park Avenue duplex apartment of Brooke Astor in the Rosario Candela designed building is on 73rd street. It is one of New York City’s most famous residences, and housed the iconic library that is one of the most photographed rooms in the history of American interior design
EDITOR’S TOP PICKS
Portrait of Brooke Astor by Sir Cecil Beaton, signed Beaton lower right, watercolor over pencil on paper
In The Mix: Louis XV style ormolu-mounted Chinese blue-glazed porcelain clock, 19th Century, The Dial
signed Balthazar A Paris
Mid 20th Century Art: James Montgomery Flagg, I Like It This Way, signed James Montgomery Flagg lower right
A pair of Louis XV/XVI transitional style carved beechwood
Bergères en gondole, 20th Century
For a completely different look, I would have these chairs upholstered in a Shagreen – pebbled surface cowhide (see below)
Image Courtesy Kick Shaw Productions
A George III style mahogany etagere
One is not enough. Etageres should come in twos, so I would have Rosini & Sons, my furniture maker, 
duplicate this snazzy piece of furniture.
A pair of Chinese Cizhou-type baluster vases, mounted as lamps from the Qing Dynasty, 
from the 19/20th Century
A pair of Chinese carved celadon-glazed brushpots from the Kangxi period (1662-1722)
The muted celadon is spot on for a modern look.
1 of 2 polychrome-painted and carved figures of sheep, Dan Falt, northeast harbor, 
Maine 20th Century
There’s no rule that says you cannot bring these painted sheep into your indoor space. I personally like a whimsical element in my decor, because it invigorates an interior and makes it that much more interesting
The Dog Show by Vicente Viudes, signed Vicente Viudes lower right (signed again and inscribed Madrid)
Mrs. Astor surrounded herself with objects she loved, and her gardens reflected her life and passions. Although the dogs were the center piece for this painting, the outdoors reference was a singular reminder. BTW: A multitude of her beloved dogs will form a significant selection in the September auction.
A view of the famed library at Mrs. Astor’s duplex Manhattan apartment
Mughal-style “chrysanthemum” gem-inlaid jade hand mirror from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
Every room should have a mirror, even if it is just a small one
Bon Voyage: A sixteen-piece T.Anthony red canvas luggage set comprised of thirteen suitcases and three handbags. Together with two similar handbags, All initialed B.R.A.
A modern, neoclassical style cream and green painted low table
One of the very few pieces from the sale which is estimated below $2,000. Sometimes you just have to mix the highs with the lows. And this lovely piece fits the bill
Three gold photo frames, Cartier, New York and another maker, Mid-20th Century
The September auction will include property from the Holly Hill, Westchester mansion. The estate was designed in 1927 by architect Paul William Delano
According to Sotheby’s “The sale will comprise fine and decorative art from Mrs. Astor’s Park Avenue apartment in New York City and her Westchester County estate, Holly Hill, as well as a selection of jewelry from her personal collection. The approximately 900 items in the sale will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 17 September.”
Rare and important pair of Japanese export black and gilt lacquer covered jars circa 1680-1700
La Sortie Des Six Metegrave; Tres from Raoul Dufy, circa 1935
Sir Cecil Beaton, Lilac, signed Beaton (twice)
An English or Dutch chinoiserie painted and embossed leather eight-panel screen mid 18th century
Images Courtesy Sotheby’s
All rights reserved

Picasso’s Madoura Years

Christie’s London June Sale

The fortunate few had their last chance of owning Picasso’s Madoura Collection last month at Christie’s June 25th Sale. Over 550 ceramic works were presented and they spanned a total of 24 years, between 1947 and 1971. Those were the years that the master spent with his second wife, Jacqueline Roque at the Madoura Pottery in Valluris. According to Christie’s, this coveted collection was the last opportunity for collectors to purchase them directly from where they were made.

Pictured: Pablo Picasso at the Madoura Pottery in Vallauris, France

Madoura Ceramic
Pablo Picasso with his wife, Jacqueline Roque (directly from his left)
Madoura Ceramic from Picasso
Fantastical Form and Shape
Rare Bird 
Madoura Ceramics from Christie’s June 2012 Sale
Pablo Picasso at work on one of his Madoura Ceramics
Picasso was a lover of nature, animals, and of people too
Madoura Ceramics
Pablo Picasso
Form As Fantasy
The conventional shapes and faces of the figures formed a fantasy. This was Picasso at one of his best periods. Experimenting with a new medium and making it work – his way, of course.
Photos courtesy Christie’s
All rights reserved

More images of Picasso’s Madoura Ceramics can be found at our Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/highendweekly.

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Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale








Salvador Dali’s Printemps nécrophilique will be part of Sotheby’s evening sale this coming Wednesday evening. It has not appeared on the market in nearly 15 years. This work was painted by the master at the height of his most creative years in Paris. The canvas exemplifies Dali’s unique aesthetic at its most refined and sensational.

Legends & Icons – Vyna’s Top Picks
Prolific
Andy Warhol, Double Elvis [Ferus Type], 1963
Estimation: $30/50 Million

This is the first Double Elvis to appear on the market since 1995. This is a seminal piece from the iconic series devoted to the singer and actor that was first seen at the Ferus gallery in Los Angeles that very same year. The celebrities of Warhol’s portraits – Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, among others – were presented as glamorous and powerful icons whose image was imprinted on the public consciousness.
Iconic Beauty
Roy Lichenstein, Sleeping Girl, 1964, Oil and Magna on canvas, Painted between 1961 and 1965
Signed and Dated
Estimated $30/40 Million
The beautiful women of Roy Lichenstein’s comic book series are not only one of the most instantly recognizable icons of the Pop Art movement but continue the long, rich tradition of artists’ celebrations of the sleeping female form. Paintings from this series are featured in teh collections of major institutions throughout the world such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sleeping Girl has not appeared in the market since 1964.
Honoré Daumier, Ratapoil, Bronze
conceived in 1850, and cast circa 1892
Daumier was a prolific draftsman who produced well over 100 sculptures, and thousands of other paintings, lithographs, drawings and engravings. He was perhaps best known for his caricatures of political figures and satires on the behavior of his French countrymen.
 Francis Bacon, Self Portrait, and Alexander Calder White Discs on a Pyramid
Painted metal and wire standing mobile, Executed in 1965
Sotheby’s will auction off Francis Bacon’s Figure Writing Reflected In Mirror (which will talk about later on this blog). I particular liked this self portrait of his (pictured in the left). Along with the Figure Writing Reflected In Reflected Mirror, this one was also included in the legendary 1977 exhibition at Galerie Claude Bernard, in Paris.
Collections sometimes reflect the collectors in some way. The work that they choose to put around them show the power, reflection, the confidence that they themselves manifest in their lives. Surrealism is an area which is very hot in the current market right now. It’s probably the last of the great ism of 20th century art that is truly appreciated. Maybe it’s because it crosses over very effectively from the beginning to the end of the 20th century. The great painters, René Magritte and Salvador Dali are two artists that are incredibly desirable. Dali’s best work is from his prime period – the late 1920s to the 1930s. The Printemps Nécrophilique is a rare find for any auction house. It will take a long post to talk about all of the beautiful art that is up on the auction block at Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day and Evening Sale this coming Wednesday, May 2nd, but for the sake of brevity, I will only talk about one of Dali’s masterpiece. Look for other posts regarding the sale, at a later time on this blog.
Marc Chagall, Le Peintre en Jaune, circa 1978
Pastel, gouache, watercolor and oil on paper
Stamped with Signature Marc Chagall
Russian-French artist Marc Chagall was best known for several major artistic styles, was one of the most successful artists of the 20th century. His avant-garde paintings set him apart as an early modernist.
 Willem De Kooning, Seated Woman, Executed 1969/1980
De Kooning was part of a group of artists that came to be known as the New York School. Other painters in this group included Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell, Philip Guston and Clyfford Still. The Seated Woman is one of his most extraordinary sculpture. A similar work, Seated Woman on a Bench, from 1972 (cast 1976), is at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
René Magritte, oil on canvas
Margritte was a Surrealist giant. His body of work challenged observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality. His work displayed a collection of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things. Regarding the way he arranged seemingly unrelated objects together in juxtaposition, he once said “It is a union that suggests the essential mystery of the world. Art for me is not an end in itself, but a means of evoking that mystery.”

Alexander Calder Sculptures
Roy Lichenstein, Sailboats III, Oil and Magna on canvas
Executed in 1974
Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale
After a design by Fernand Léger (1881-1955), La Femme au Perroquet
Mosaic executed by Heidi Melano after an original work by Fernand Léger
Property Of A Royal Collection
Diego Giacometti, Man Bust
Diego Giacometti (1902-1985)
Bronze, Tabouret en x a pair, 
Each stamped Diego and with the artist’s monogram
Salvador Dali, Printemps Nécrophilique, 1936
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), ELLES, Executed in 1896
Signed on the cover, each with the publisher’s stamp.
Property from the Estate of Theodore J. Forstmann
Photos courtesy High End Weekly™
All rights reserved
Printemps Nécrophilique is from 1936, and it is one of the finest paintings on the market today. This piece doesn’t have some of the disturbing elements that you often get from Dali’s paintings. It is a beautiful image of a woman whose head is adorned in flowers, and the young boy on her side is a self portrait alter ego of Dali. They seem to be separated by this cypress tree, which is another element from Dali’s recurring paintings.  The scale of the picture is unusual, perhaps because to find one that is quite as large from the 1930s is extremely rare. Salvador Dali is unbelievably brave in his use of space. Only the great Dali could say that I am going to paint this in a minimalistic, porcelain-like way, and leave the right part of this painting totally empty. Only Dali could do such a thing. During the press conference for this sale, one of the curators explained how the first owner of this work was a very interesting individual. She was an Italian couturier called Elsa Schiaparelli – the subject of an upcoming show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Elsa was an important figure in the 1920s and 1930s in Paris who collaborated with Dali quite allot. She made a version of this dress which represented what is fabric and what is flesh merged together as one. Printemps Nécrophilique is estimated between $8-10 Million. 

Why does Tamara de Lempicka still matters?


Her avant-garde paintings have been collected by celebrities like Madonna, and Barbara Streisand. It could be because both of these alpha females are well known for their progressive thinking, and at times, been viewed as feminists. Tamara de Lempicka was certainly a pioneering artist whom such women (and men) would be attracted to. Her work occupied an important position in the “Roaring Twenties” Paris. Her aesthetic embodied the spirit of the Art Deco era and its sense of style and modernity. When she completed the Nu adossé I in 1925, she was just establishing herself as a painter of serious consideration. On the evening of May 2nd 2012, Sotheby’s New York will be auctioning Nu adossé I, a work which most art historians have thought to be lost since the 1920s. The last time anyone have seen this painting in public was more than 85 years ago!

Striking Beauty
Tamara de Lempicka, Nu adossé I, Painted in 1925
Est. $3/5 million

Photo of 1925 Exhibition
Alain Blondel, Tamara de Lempicka, Catalogue raisonné 1921-1979, Lausanne, 1999,
no. 73, illustrated p. 26

Photos courtesy Sotheby’s

It is a classic example of the artist’s elegant and sensuous aesthetic and was included in her groundbreaking solo exhibition at Milan’s Bottega di Poesia gallery in 1925, the same year it was painted. Following that exhibition, the painting effectively disappeared from view until Sotheby’s was contacted by the owner late last year. The work will be shown in London, prior to exhibition and sale in New York this spring. The whereabouts of Nu adossé I have been unknown for most of its recorded history. The catalogue raisonné for the artist, published in 1999, included an image of the present work (pictured above) taken at the Milan exhibition in 1925, and listed it as “location unknown.” In an era of modernity, de Lempicka still matters, and Nu adossé I was an exciting discovery, which fills an important art historical gap in the artist’s work.

Contemporary Art Sales at Sotheby’s, New York

Iconic Post-War American Art
Roy Lichtenstein’s Sleeping Girl, 1964
36″ x 36″
Estimate: $30 – $40 Million
“Sleeping Girl is one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century, counting iconic depictions of women by Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi and Amedeo Modigliani among its peers,” commented Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art.



Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #21
Estimate: $150,000 – $200,000
Untitled Film Still #21 is perhaps one of the most profound images that grew out of the second wave of the feminist movement. The 1950’s working girl has been transformed into a confident 1970’s businesswoman ready to assert herself upon the metropolis that surrounds her. Throughout the Untitled Film Stills series Sherman charts the evolution of the role of women from damsels in distress to women in control of their destiny. Nowhere is this transformation more clearly felt than in Untitled Film Still #21.
Gerhard Richter
The Cindy Sherman Film Still will lead Sotheby’s Mid-Season Contemporary Art Sale which is scheduled for Friday, March 9th. The celebrated series sees the artist cast herself as a modern 1970s businesswoman surrounded by the urban jungle. Sherman is widely recognized as one of the most important female artists of her generation and Untitled Film Still #21 appears at Sotheby’s as a major retrospective of the artist’s work that will go on view at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. All works in the sale go on view at the auction house this Saturday, March 3.
On Wednesday, May 9th, Sotheby’s will hold another important evening sale, which will highlight one of my favorites Roy Lichtenstein’s work – Sleeping Girl from 1964. The sexy blonde women of the comic book series are not only one of the most instantly recognizable icons of the Pop Art movement but continue the long, rich tradition of artists’ celebrations of the sleeping female form. Paintings from this series are featured in the collections of major institutions throughout the world such as the Museum of Modern Art, New York and this work has remained in private hands for the past 48 years. Like Picasso, Lichtenstein was fascinated by women but in contrast to the modern master, works like Sleeping Girl are a vehicle for his innovation and contribution to 20th century art history, rather than homage to specific women.