Spanning 19th century and Old Master paintings to fine furniture, clocks, porcelain, silver, soft-furnishings and lighting, An Opulent Aesthetic: An Important Private Collection from an English Country House is a live auction to be held at Christie’s London saleroom on 9 February.
The sale – which comprises 266 lots with many coming from important English, European and American collections such as that of Alberto Bruni Tedeschi and those of the Lords Hesketh at Easton Neston and the Sackville family at Knole – will present an opulent reinterpretation of the traditional country house style, the collector’s notable connoisseurship and taste evident in the distinctive mise-en-scène they created. The impression is of a house that provided a luxurious retreat from the city, where friends were entertained on a grand scale.
Highlights of the sale include The Return by Alfred de Dreux, 1859 (estimate: £400,000-600,000), The wounded hound by Richard Ansdell, 1847 (estimate: £200,000-300,000), John Constable’s Flatford Mill from the tow path (estimate: £80,000-120,000) and Sir Joshua Reynolds’s half-length Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Mrs. Elizabeth Sheridan (estimate: £50,000-80,000).
Among the rich array of Decorative Arts offered are a Louis XV ormolu-mounted Japanese lacquer bombe commode, attributed to Jacques Dubois, mid-18th century (estimate: £70,000-100,000); a set of three Charles II silver-gilt furnishing vases and covers, circa 1670-80 (estimate: £70,000-100,000); a pair of ormolumounted brule-parfums, circa 1785-1790 (estimate: £40,000-60,000) and a Louis XIV savonnerie carpet fragment, late 17th century, commissioned by Louis XIV to furnish the Grand Galerie au bord de l’eau at the Palais du Louvre (estimate: £40,000-60,000).
Adrian Hume-Sayer, Christie’s, Director, Head of Sale, commented: “This sale provides an inspiring opportunity for collectors and interior decorators alike to acquire unique works of art, from this opulent collection, many with notable provenances.The collector created fascinating interiors which were a colourful modern interpretation of the traditional English country house style. The works they collected were carefully chosen for their quality and rarity, with the interiors providing the perfect backdrop. I recommend readers take a look at the full collection online on christies.com.”
An Opulent Aesthetic: An Important Private Collection from an English Country House takes place at Christie’s on 9 February 2023. The pre-sale public exhibition will be on view from 3 to 8 February.
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Image: An Opulent Aesthetic: An Important Private Collection from an English Country House takes place at Christie’s, London on 9 February. Photo © Christie’s Images Limited 2023