Despite the noticeable lack of an enormous single-owner auction (aka Krugier, Taubman etc.) the sales this term look pretty strong, with good depth to all fields: from the early Impressionists through to the bleeding edge Contemporary. There are notable highlights in every sale in the season and I have duly listed all the sales with links below.
At Sotheby’s Impressionist auctions my three top pieces are a fabulous Claude Monet (1840-1926) Charing Cross Bridge which is the iconic image of his time in London, painted from his Ritz hotel window; The Gustave Caillebotte Richard Gallo et son chien Dick, au Petit-Gennevilliers which is simply a marvellous flaneur-like composition and the most sumptuous of Edgar Degas’s (1834-1917) Bathers: Femme prenant au tub that simply glows from his amazing use of pastel.
Over at Christie’s my favourite sculpture of the week is Umberto Boccioni’s (1882-1916) Unique Forms of Continuity in Space which is the key Futurist bronze in Art History. Despite the late cast this is a very important sculpture and not one to be missed. I admired the Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) of 1949 which is a rare, colourful piece depicting his lover Francoise Gilot (the only lover and muse that actually left the great Pablo!). Christie’s are offering a choice assortment of great Rene Magritte (1898-1967) and a wonderful early Yves Tanguy Sans titre (1900-1955) that, in my view, is about 1m USD below its rightful estimate range.
The contemporary sales are superb with Sotheby’s offering a great Mark Rothko (1903-1970) Blue over Red of 1953, a 1977 Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) and a multitude of stunning post war works: from Hockney’s pop to a Clifford Still of the highest calibre. Christie’s sale includes a seminal Ed Ruscha (b. 1937) Hurting the radio #2 which may take him into Hockney price-territory, a vast and wonderful Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) Ocean park #108 and an infamous Andy Warhol (1928-1987) Big Electric Chair. This is a season of great works – let’s see if the prices can match the quality! Do use an advisor when considering a major investment, as mistakes in auction-buying can be made all too easily by the uninitiated.
Monday 11th November:
Christie’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale: 7pm
Tuesday 12th November:
Christie’s Impressionist and Modern Art Works on paper Sale: 10am
Christie’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale: 2pm
Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale: 7pm
Wednesday 13th November:
Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Day Sale: 10am & 2pm
Phillips 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale Morning Session: 10am
Phillips 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale Afternoon Session: 2pm
Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale: 7pm
Thursday 14th November:
Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Day Sale Morning: 10am
Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary Day Sale Afternoon: 2pm
Phillips 20th Century & Contemporary Art Evening Sale: 5pm
Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale: 7pm
Friday 15th November: