Jon in Baltimore Sun article
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth
the Jon mention:
A bit of Baltimore going, going, gone; Auction: Nearly 140 pieces from
Haussner's art collection were sold by Sotheby's, bringing more than
$10 million.
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NEW YORK -- The paintings that in the minds of Baltimoreans will
forever be associated with the dumplings, knackwurst and crab cakes of
Haussner's restaurant sold yesterday for $10.1 million -- at least $3
million more than experts at Sotheby's auction house had estimated.
Several paintings in the collection, which for decades covered nearly
every inch of wall space in the Highlandtown restaurant, brought record
amounts for works by the artists. Among them were two paintings by
British artist Arthur John Elsley and one by Dutch painter Josef I.
Israels.
The highest bid -- $1.4 million -- was by a private collector from the
Middle East for painter Jean-Leon Gerome's "After the Bath." Initially
valued at about $700,000, it depicts three voluptuous nudes, the white
of their skin set off against the white marble of the walls in a
Turkish bath by brightly colored fruit and jewel- mosaic.
Estimates by Sotheby's had set the total proceeds from the auction at
around $7 million. Earnings from last night's auction do not include
prices for a handful of paintings that did not sell, including a large
work by John William Godward titled "A Roman Patron" that was expected
to bring in just under $400,000. The Haussner collection, which was
amassed by restaurant founders William Henry and Frances Wilke
Haussner, hung in the landmark dining establishment until it closed in
September. The Haussners' daughter and current owner of the collection,
Francie Haussner George, is selling her art in a series of auctions at
Sotheby's and in Baltimore.
"I thought it was great fun," said George, who did not attend the
auction but listened to the results by phone from Baltimore. "And Rod
Stewart was there, waving his umbrella, whoever he is. Who is he?"
Subdued excitement
A discreet hum filled the auction room as dark-suited men and women
vied sedately for the 136 19th century European and American paintings
by flicking pens, gently waving blue auction paddles or merely arching
their eyebrows. The hum dropped to an excited hush as bidding for "The
Venetian Flower Vendor" by Eugene de'Blaas -- the first painting
purchased by the Haussners -- rose to $805,500, the second highest
amount paid for a single work last night.
As the paintings were sold one by one, Kimberly George-Brune,
granddaughter of the collectors, watched intently. "I adore these
paintings, every one. I love them," she said. "I think I'm almost
numb."
Accompanied by her husband, Craig Brune, George-Brune had come in her
mother's stead to oversee the proceedings. In the last two days the
couple had attended a round of parties held by Sotheby's to mark the
occasion -- festivities that made the event exciting but no less
emotional, she said. "I grew up with these. I'm used to seeing them all
together, all on top of each other, stacked up," George-Brune said.
As a child, she invented nicknames for the paintings. For example,
Elsley's "I'se Biggest!" which was purchased by an American private
collector for $673,500, the third highest sum, was known as "Izzie."
For years, "Heinrich Heine and the Muse of Poetry," by Georges Moreau
de Tours, terrified her. In it, a gossamer-robed woman appears to be
haunting a man as he sits in a dimly lighted parlor. "Then I realized
the man was just dreaming, and I wasn't scared any more." Henceforth
the painting, which was purchased last night by Rod Stewart for more
than $100,000, was known to the family as "Dreamer."
"I was woken up at 4 this morning by a collector calling from Tel Aviv
who wanted to talk about `Bashful Love,' a painting by Dutch artist
Israels," said Benjamin F. Doller, Sotheby's worldwide director of 19th
century European paintings, drawings and sculpture, who was also the
auctioneer. "I don't mind being woken up for that."
The work, a moody scene of two young lovers in a field, with an
estimated value of $100,000 to $150,000, was sold for $145,500, a
record amount for a work by the artist.
Worldwide attraction
Earlier in the day, an exhibition of the paintings drew about 100 would-
be owners and dealers from around the world, including rock star <b>Jon
Bon Jovi,</b> who prowled the galleries clutching a Haussner's catalog.
--
Regards,
Mary Beth :-)
~Blessed are those who have nothing to say and cannot be persuaded to sa
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
cyndithe...@my-deja.com
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth <mcdl...@aol.com> wrote:
> From the November 2, 1999 Baltimore Sun -- read down to the bottom for
> the Jon mention:
>
> A bit of Baltimore going, going, gone; Auction: Nearly 140 pieces from
> Haussner's art collection were sold by Sotheby's, bringing more than
> $10 million.
>
How profound. How interesting. How totally relevant. I hope Johnny
takes the kids to the next Giants game so that you can provide us with a
complete history of football.
Cyndi :-)
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth
Oh, go fuck yourself. What do you want when there's nothing going on?
--
Regards,
Mary Beth :-)
~Blessed are those who have nothing to say and cannot be persuaded to sa
Timo Stork
something like this... does this also count for you?
Timo
--
Bon Jovi fan central: http://www.bonjovi.de
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth schrieb in Nachricht
<80hucc$a0k$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth
>I remember your signature "Make sure you IQ is higher than you shoe size" or
>something like this... does this also count for you?
>
>Timo
>
So I had a bad day on Friday and couldn't think of anything witty, okay? I've
got a cold and my head feels like it's stuffed with cotton (even more so than
normal).
Regards,
Mary Beth
~*~ Blessed are those who have nothing to say and who cannot be persuaded to
say it ~*~
Please make sure your IQ is higher than your shoe size before you mail me!
cyndithe...@my-deja.com
excuses, excuses. I see you're finally showing your true colors.
Little Miss Full of Herself needed to be knocked off her high horse and
I was just the person to do it
meow,
cyndi :-)
Wild Wonderful Mary Beth
>excuses, excuses. I see you're finally showing your true colors.
>Little Miss Full of Herself needed to be knocked off her high horse and
>I was just the person to do it
>
>meow,
>cyndi :-)
>
Hardly, my dear. You're not even an effective troll.
*Plonk*
Welcome to my killfile . . .