Christieโs annual auction of Important Americana in New York has exceeded all expectations, totaling an impressive $9,294,784. This figure marks a significant milestone, more than doubling last yearโs total, and surpassing the low estimate by a striking 122%. With 80% of lots sold, the auction showcased the robust demand for Americana collectibles. Notably, over 25% of buyers and bidders were new to the category at Christieโs, indicating a growing interest in this niche market.
A rare oil painting by the Russian artist Vasily Dmitrievich Polenov (1844-1927), part of a series titled ‘The Life of Christ,’ will take center stage at Bonhams’ upcoming 19th-century and British Impressionist Art Sale on March 20 at New Bond Street in London. Entitled ‘And she went and told them that she had been with Him as they mourned and wept,’ the artwork is expected to fetch between ยฃ400,000 and ยฃ600,000. Another painting from the same series, ‘There were also women looking from afar off,’ achieved a price of over ยฃ1.5 million at Bonhams last year.
It is considered to be one of Vladimir Tretchikoffโs great masterpieces and is one of the best-known and most reproduced of his works. Yet for years his Lost Orchid was itself considered lost. Having not been seen in public since it was acquired from the artist in 1955, the painting has finally re-emerged and will now be offered at Bonhamsโ Modern and Contemporary African Art sale on 27 March at New Bond Street, London. It has an estimate of ยฃ150,000 – 200,000.
In a riveting event at the Ceramic Masterpieces sale in Paris on Tuesday, December 6, 2023, a Footed bowl by Lucie Rie (1902-1995) stole the spotlight, executed circa 1980 with inlaid pink radiating lines, turquoise, and manganese bands. The intense bidding war that ensued saw the bowl fetching an astonishing โฌ406,800, nearly 10 times its initial estimate of โฌ40,000-60,000, setting a new world auction record for the renowned artist.
In a dazzling spectacle of high-stakes bidding, the illustrious collection of the late Dutch connoisseur-collector Cornelis Paulus van Pauwvliet took center stage at Bonhams New Bond Street on Tuesday, November 21. The auction, a crescendo of anticipation, saw a remarkable total of ยฃ2.86 million change hands as passionate art enthusiasts vied for a piece of cultural history.
In a groundbreaking Christie’s auction on November 9, 2023, Richard Diebenkorn’s seminal artwork, “Recollections of a Visit to Leningrad,” achieved a record-setting price of $46,410,000 US. Painted in 1965, this monumental canvas, measuring 181.3 x 211.1 cm, stands as a testament to Diebenkorn’s transformative encounter with the works of Henri Matisse during a rare trip to the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Diebenkorn’s journey to the Soviet Union was part of a cultural exchange initiated by President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. During his visit, the artist immersed himself in Matisse’s masterpieces, particularly those housed in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow and the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). This experience had a profound impact on Diebenkorn, inspiring a shift in his artistic approach towards abstracted planes of rich and vibrant color.
In a groundbreaking auction at Christie’s on November 9, 2023, Claude Monet’s masterpiece, “Le bassin aux nymphรฉas,” achieved a record-setting sale of USD 74,010,000. The iconic painting, dating from 1917-1919 and measuring 100.1 x 200.6 cm, surpassed all expectations, becoming one of the most expensive Monet artworks ever sold. Widely celebrated as a landmark of late Impressionism, “Le bassin aux nymphรฉas” captures the essence of Monet’s famed gardens at Giverny. The large-scale canvas showcases the artist’s signature play of impasto and vibrant brushwork, offering a mesmerizing portrayal of the flowing planes of flowers and the expansive lily pond.
A selection of 15 exceptional ceramics by Hans Coper, Lucie Rie, Jennifer Lee, Ewen Henderson, Colin Pearson, Duncan Ross and Walter Keeler from a private French collection will be offered at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris on Wednesday 6 December 2023. Hans Coper (1920-1981) was a leading figure in the field of studio pottery โ the production of unique ceramic wares made by individual artist-potters in small batches. Together with Lucie Rie (1902-1995), he was instrumental in revolutionising British ceramics, adopting a style which was increasingly sculptural.
Following the success of the first CoBrA sale last year in Copenhagen, where several records were set, notably for Corneille and Stephen Gilbert, the Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen, part of the Bonhams network, presents a new CoBrA sale on 5 December at its new premises in Lyngby. A touring exhibition featuring a selection of paintings will begin in Amsterdam from 14 to 15 November, then travel to Brussels from 17 to 19 November at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr, before concluding in Copenhagen with the auction on 5 December. An online sale will take place from 29 November to 12 December.
The Helen and David Milling Collection, featuring the finest British and American art pottery and glass from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will be showcased at Bonhams this December. Over the span of half a century, the Michigan couple meticulously assembled an exceptional collection from some of the era’s most renowned potters, designers, and artists. This distinguished assortment comprises more than 350 lots, to be presented across three sales this December: 20th Century Decorative Arts and Ceramics on December 5 in London, Modern Decorative Art & Design on December 12 in New York, and the dedicated Helen and David Milling Online auction from December 8โ18 at Bonhams Skinner.
