There has been a sense of excitement at the major auction houses this April, with the successful sale of wonderful art work and pieces from private collections.
Fine Art
Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art Online Sale (7-14 April), was led by an exuberant floral painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jeté de fleurs. This sold for nearly twice its estimate to achieve £176,400. Marc Chagall’s Le bouquet sold for £107,100. The auction also provided a good buying opportunity for Pablo Picasso collectors. A number of ‘In the Studio: Unique Works from the Collection of Marina Picasso’were included as part of the sale.
At Bonhams London, major art auctions included Old Master Paintings (15 April) and Contemporary Art (27 April). Carmen Herrera’s work Untitled, from 2013, was one of the star-lots of the sale and sold for £187,730 (including buyers premium). Other highlights included Tracey Emin, Passion Passion, 2010 and Tschabalala Self, Wash N’ Set (Yellow), 2019.
Significant art sales continue into May. Highlights include:
13 May Christie’s New York 20th Century Evening Sale
Christie’s newly imagined 20th Century Evening Sale will emphasise the radical nature of art made from the 1880s to the 1980s and will pioneer a holistic view that promotes dialogue between modern art movements for the first time. Christie’s promises “Titans of Impressionism will connect with champions of Abstract Expressionism and Pablo Picasso’s muses will meet Andy Warhol’s stars”.
13 May Bonhams New York Impressionist & Modern Art
Pablo Picasso’s, Femme au berét mauve,(1937), comes to auction with an estimate of £ 7,200,000 – 11,000,000. The painting captures his ‘golden muse,’ Marie-Thérèse Walter, in a rainbow of vibrantly rich colours and bold, volumetric shapes. As lover, model and mother to Picasso’s eldest daughter, Marie-Thérèse had an intoxicating effect on Picasso, inspiring the artist’s most glorious outpourings of his career. The sale includes a works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Raoul Dufy, Henri Matisse and more.
20 May Sotheby’s London (Women) Artists
Sotheby’s inaugural (Women) Artists auction celebrates contributions by women to art history across 400 years. Featuring a stand-out selection of works by the likes of Dorothea Tanning, Rachel Ruysch, Dame Elisabeth Frink, Dame Laura Knight and Helen Frankenthaler among others, the auction will offer original perspectives, initiate innovative dialogues and generate fresh appreciation for works presented.
Collections
Christie’s London was host to the live auction of The Collection of Mrs. Henry Ford II: Eaton Square and Turville Grange on the 15th April. This sale followed on from part I of the collection sale from Mrs Ford’s mansion at Palm Beach, Florida offered by Christie’s New York in March. The London sale included important Impressionist work by Edouard Vuillard, acquired by Henry Ford II in the 1950s & 1960s, modern British pictures, English, European and American furniture, silver, porcelain services, carpets, lighting and decorative furnishings.
More personal items comprised engraved silver from Henry Ford II’s yacht Santa Maria and Henry Ford II’s desk from his study at Turville Grange, as well as a small group of Kathleen Ford’s handbags by makers such as Chanel and Hermès. The sale reached a total of GBP £ 3,988,938.
Auctions from Private Collections to look out for in May:
5 May Bonhams London Entertainment Memorabilia
This auction includes property from the private collection of Harvey Goldsmith the world renowned music producer and promoter. Lots range from vintage film prints to a multi-signed Les Paul Gold Top Guitar, signed at Bob Dylan’s The 30th Anniversary Concert (Estimate £10,000 – 15,000).
19 May Christie’s London The Collector: Live
The Collector brings together the finest European and English furniture, works of art, ceramics, silver, gold boxes and clocks from the 17th to the 19th century. Presented over two sessions, the live sale in London showcases pieces selected for their distinctive craftsmanship and provenance.
At Smith Greenfield, we are experts in arranging insurance for collectors of fine art and valuable objects. To discuss specialist insurance for your collection please contact our Premier Client Adviser, Imran Moideen, via email imran.moideen@smithgreenfield.co.uk or telephone 020 8603 3730.
Photo: Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jeté de fleurs (fragment). © Sotheby’s