Sotheby’s Contemporary Art evening sale to be headlined by Lucian Freud’s Boy’s Head of 1952

LONDON.- Sotheby’s London announced that its Contemporary Art Evening Auction on Thursday, October 13, 2011, will be headlined by Boy’s Head of 1952 by Lucian Freud (1922-2011) depicting Charlie Lumley, one of Freud’s most immediatelyrecognisable subjects from this seminal early period in his oeuvre. This oil on canvas transmits a remarkable psychological intensity that is exemplary of the artist’s sensational powers of observation and is estimated at £3-4 million. The work measures 21.6cm by 15.9cm and comes to market from a private [...]

Summer’s finest estate offerings are ready to harvest at Nest Egg’s Sept. 24 Antiques Auction

MERIDIEN, CONN.- Over the summer months, Ryan Brechlin’s team at Nest Egg Auctions has had the opportunity to visit numerous estates and collections around New England, with contents ranging from Modern art to American political and historical ephemera. On Saturday, Sept. 24, the Connecticut-based company will conduct a mixed Estate & Antiques Auction featuring a premier selection gathered from those various sources. Among the strongest categories to be offered is historical and military memorabilia. A key lot consists of a red and yellow [...]

Sotheby’s Beyond Limits 2011: New works by Hirst, Quinn and Kusama at Chatsworth selling exhibition

LONDON.- Sotheby’s London will unveil the line-up for Beyond Limits, its annual selling exhibition of monumental sculpture, to be staged within the historic grounds of the ancestral home of the Dukes of Devonshire at Chatsworth from 16th September to 30th October 2011. This magnificent location provides a unique opportunity for the presentation and sale of monumental sculpture. The juxtaposition of works by artists as diverse as René Magritte and Takashi Murakami makes this year’s show an exciting destination exhibition for collectors and [...]

A private German collection and the Gabrielle Keiller collection lead Christie’s antiquities sale in London

LONDON.- As the demand for ancient art continues to grow, Christie’s announces the upcoming Antiquities sale on 6 October 2011. The auction will feature 252 lots, with items dating from 4th millennium B.C. to the 15th century A.D.. Offering a broad spectrum of quality pieces from Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire and the Near East at a wide range of prices, the auction will include several important pieces over £100,000. The sale as a whole is expected to realize between £2.8 million and [...]

Christie’s New York announces the auction of a major selection of the remarkable Peter Norton Collection

NEW YORK, N.Y.- Christie‘s announces the auction of a major selection of the remarkable Peter Norton Collection of contemporary art, assembled over more than two decades by one of the world‘s most pioneering collectors, entrepreneurs and philanthropists. A Single Owner grouping of 60 lots will be offered throughout the Evening and the Day Sales, November 8th and 9th, and is expected to achieve in excess of $25 million. Many of the works represent the leading artists of the contemporary art world that [...]

Sculptures and a large-scale installation by Mike Kelley at Gagosian Gallery Britannia Street

LONDON.- Gagosian Gallery presents sculptures and a large-scale installation by Mike Kelley. The Kandors series, which Kelley initiated in 1999, are sculptural depictions of Superman’s birthplace Kandor. The popular Superman story recounts the adventures of an alien being sent to Earth as a baby to escape the total destruction of his home planet Krypton. However, it turns out that Kandor was not, in fact, destroyed. Shrunk and bottled by a villain, the futuristic city was later rescued by Superman and protected under [...]

Snap up an iconic work by Banksy or Shepard Fairey at Bonhams Urban Art sale

LONDON.- Several works by the renowned graffiti artist Banksy are to be sold at Bonhams, New Bond Street, as part of its Urban Art sale on 21 September 2011. Leading the way is a work featuring one of Banksy’s most iconic images, the monkey, entitled Monkey Detonator, which has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £70,000 – 90,000. Executed in 2000, this canvas displays the typically dark sense of humour which has endeared Banksy to both art collectors and the general public. Other [...]

Sotheby’s announces first dedicated sale of fine Classical Chinese paintings in New York

NEW YORK, N.Y.- On Tuesday 13 September 2011 Sotheby’s will present Fine Classical Chinese Paintings, the first dedicated New York auction in this category for over a decade. The sale is made up of 80 diverse works from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as a small selection of modern and contemporary works that were executed clearly in the classical manner. The pre-sale exhibition opens on Friday 9 September. The sale is led by Running Script Transcription of an Epitaph, written for [...]

Sotheby’s London to sell an exceptional private collection of 20th century Italian art

LONDON.- Sotheby’s announces that it will offer for sale an exceptional private collection of Italian Art that spans the whole of the 20th century. The collection, Italian Identity, which will be offered in Sotheby’s annual 20th Century Italian Art Sale on Thursday, October 13, 2011, represents all of the major developments in Italian Avant-garde art and is highlighted by the most comprehensive group of ‘Arte Povera’ ever to come to the open market. The collection, which includes pieces by Giorgio de Chirico, [...]

Sotheby’s London to offer two landmark portraits by Johann Zoffany of the celebrated actor David Garrick

LONDON.- Sotheby’s announced the sale of the two most important works by Johann Zoffany to appear on the market in recent years. Both commissioned by David Garrick, Britain’s greatest actor, they depict him with his family and friends in the garden of his house on the banks of the river Thames at Hampton. Painted in 1762 they have only appeared once on the open market, when they were sold in 1823 from Garrick’s estate, and have descended in the family of a [...]

Bonhams offers a rare and unique Zand Dynasty 18th century Persian gilded celestial Globe

LONDON.- Bonhams is to auction a rare and unique Zand Dynasty (1751-1794) gilded celestial Globe dated 1190AH/1776AD at its next sale of Indian and Islamic art on October 4th in New Bond Street. It is estimated to sell for £40,000 to £60,000. Passed down through a private English family, the finely engraved globe contains the position of 83 stars and their Persian names as well as the Persian names for the North and South Poles. The only known dated example securely attributable [...]

Modern and Contemporary South Asian paintings sale announced at Sotheby’s in New York

NEW YORK, N.Y.- On 15 September 2011 Sotheby’s will present Modern and Contemporary South Asian Art including Indian Miniature Paintings as part of the week of Asian art auctions. The sale offers approximately 90 works dating from 18th century miniatures to paintings and sculpture from some of the leading names in Indian Modern art. Among the many highlights of the sale is The Cobweb Cloud by Jehangir Sabavala, one of the most important paintings by the artist ever to appear at auction (est. [...]

Christie’s announces important American furniture, folk art & decorative arts sale

NEW YORK, N.Y.- On September 28, Christie’s presents the sale of Important American Furniture, Folk Art & Decorative Arts. This sale features over 90 exceptionally rare and diverse examples of American art and craftsmanship from the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries, including pieces from outstanding private collections and public institutions. This carefully edited sale is expected to realize in excess of $3 million. Leading an outstanding selection of 17th Century furniture is a Joined and Painted Oak and Pine Chest with Drawer, Ipswich, [...]

Bonhams offers two masterpieces by celebrated Russian painter Vasili Polenov, unseen for 80 years

LONDON.- Two rare works by the celebrated Russian artist Vasili Polenov are amongst the highlights of the Russian sale taking place on the 30th November at Bonhams, New Bond Street. Considered masterpieces of the golden age of 19th century Russian painting, the two works entitled “He that is Without Sin” (est. £1.2 – 1.8million) and “He is Guilty of Death” (est. £600,000 – 800,000) are new to the market and have never been seen at auction before. Both works are part of [...]

Sotheby’s London biannual sale of old master, modern and contemporary prints announced

LONDON.- On Tuesday, 27 September, 2011 Sotheby’s London will present its biannual auction of Old Master, Modern and Contemporary Prints. The sale will present an exciting opportunity to acquire important and rare-to-market works in a variety of categories by a range of artists. Works by Dürer, including two of the most important engravings he made, and some outstanding Rembrandts will highlight the Old Masters section. Desirable Modern and Contemporary works by Miró, Degas, Picasso and Warhol, among others, which will also be featured, [...]