Picasso artwork owned by Gianni Versace,assassinated in 1997 by serial killer of five men,Andrew Cunanan,will be auctioned off, expected to fetch at least $15M
Joe1orbit
As all of you should know, Gianni Versace was an EXTREMELY wealthy and famous
celebrity. He was probably one of the top three high fashion designers in the
ENTIRE world, when SERIAL killer Andrew Cunanan topped off his fascinating 1997
murder spree, by ASSASSINATING Gianni in broad daylight, just outside of ONE of
his mansions, in Florida. Andrew successfully FLED the scene after carrying out
this assassination, which resulted in one of the most massive police manhunts
in USA history being launched. He WAS finally spotted and trapped on a nearby
houseboat, about 10 DAYS after the assassination, and chose to commit suicide
at that time. It was his FINAL murder, the last of FIVE, that of Gianni, which
TRULY did qualify as an assassination, that catapulted Andrew into the top tier
of infamous amerikkkan killers of the 20th century.
Two entire books have already been written about Andrew, and WHENEVER the
name of Gianni Versace is mentioned, the name of his assassin always lurks in
the background. Andrew literally has become FAMOUS, in his own right, SOLELY
due to the unique CHOICE he made, to try and assassinate Gianni, along with the
fact that he WAS able to pull the killing off, successfully.
We learn below that Gianni was TRULY a rich man, quite YOUNG too, only
50years old. An auction of the Pablo Picasso paintings that Gianni owned, gets
underway today. The 25 paintings are estimated to fetch at LEAST $13,000,000.00
buckeroos at auction, probably a LOT more, given how loose most rich
amerikkkans are with their money these days. Not exactly chump change, folks.
Isn't life amazing, this multi-millionaire celebrity had his existence
extinguished, solely because ONE other man, a young and enraged serial killer,
decided the time had come to top off his killing spree by harvesting a
celebrity, and he specifically CHOSE Gianni, who conveniently made himself an
easy victim by WALKING around in public, with no bodyguards. He probably never
would have guessed that a complete STRANGER would CHOOSE to assassinate him,
not for money, but for the PERSONAL pleasure and true crime historical infamy,
that his murder would provide to his killer. But that's life, you never know
who might be plotting your death, at any given moment.
And now Gianni's relatives are getting rich, reaping the fruits of his
wealth, no longer belonging to him because he has ceased to exist. I don't
think any serial killer fans will be buying these Picasso paintings. Only
"real" art lovers. Because they are just too expensive for a person who wants
to honor Andrew Cunanan, to buy.
You can view a cool facial photo of Gianni, along with a pic of one of the
very expensive paintings up for auction, over at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/newsid_553000/553820.stm
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of today's Associated Press news wire:
Versace's Picassos Go On Sale
By CAROLINE BYRNE
LONDON (AP) - In a rare auction, 25 Pablo Picasso works owned by murdered
fashion designer Gianni Versace and valued at $13 million go on sale Tuesday.
Also under the hammer at the Sotheby's sale were three impressionist works,
including Paul Cezanne's ``Bouilloire et fruits,'' stolen in the United States
in 1978 and recovered this year.
Cezanne's still life of fruit with a pewter pitcher, expected to fetch up to
$19.4 million, was stolen from two Massachusetts pediatricians, the late Dr.
Harry Bakwin and his wife, Ruth. It was recovered after an insurer contacted
the London-based Art Loss Register.
The London auction follows Sotheby's impressionist and modern art sale in New
York in November, which took in $242.6 million over two days.
``The market is very strong and people are prepared to pay top prices for
highly collectable work,'' said Helena Newman, Sotheby's senior director and
specialist in impressionist and modernist art.
For collectors, Tuesday's auction has the extra appeal of buying a Picasso work
once owned by a famous collector and designer, Newman said.
Versace's collection includes five oils and 20 drawings from 1902 to the
1960's, including a rare nude self-portrait, drawn when Picasso was 21 years
old.
The two key works are 1938 oil portraits.
``Woman Sitting in a Chair'' is Picasso's portrait of his mistress Dora Maar,
expected to sell for up to $9.7 million. ``Young Girl with Boat'' features the
painter's eldest daughter Maya holding a model boat, and valued at $3.2 million
to $4.8 million.
Versace, killed in 1997 at his Mediterranean-style palazzo in Miami Beach, was
an avid collector of paintings and antique furniture. He was shot twice in the
head by suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan, who later committed suicide.
The designer's family is selling the Picassos to trim an enormous estate, not
because of financial problems, spokesman Lou Colasuonno said.
After the Picassos, the Cezanne painting, circa 1888-90, and two Vincent Van
Gogh works go on sale with other modern and impressionist art.
The French impressionist's work was stolen from the Bakwins' Lenox, Mass.,
home, along with other, less valuable paintings.
Insurers and police say the investigation into the theft continues and
authorities have not identified a suspect or said what happened to the painting
during the two decades it was missing.
``It hasn't suffered at all. It is in beautiful condition. It is amazing to see
it again,'' Newman said.
Van Gogh works include the 1889 ``Oliviers avec les alpilles au fond,'' an ink
drawing of olive trees, expected to go for up to $3.2 million.
His 1887 painting, ``A Park In Spring,'' is being sold from the private
collection of a Dutch family and is expected to fetch up to $6.5 million.
AP-NY-12-07-99
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The following appears courtesy of the 12/7/99 British Broadcasting
Corporation news wire:
Tuesday, 7 December, 1999
Versace's Picasso auction
More than 20 works by the artist Pablo Picasso are to go under the hammer at an
auction of possessions belonging to the late fashion designer Gianni Versace.
The collection of five oils and 20 drawings by the Spanish artist will form the
centrepiece of the sale at Sotheby's in London on Tuesday.
The auction house expects the pieces to fetch more than £8m.
Versace was murdered at his home in 1997
"The group spans Picasso's entire career and is particularly rich in works
dating from the artist's Blue and Rose periods," said a spokesperson.
The best known among the pictures on offer is a 1938 oil called Young Girl with
Boat, featuring Picasso's eldest daughter Maya dressed in a sailor's suit and
holding a model boat.
Another familiar oil is Woman Sitting on a Chair, a portrait of the artist's
mistress Dora Maar.
Versace - who was gunned down, aged 50, on 15 July 1997 outside his house in
Miami Beach, Florida - was throughout his life an avid purchaser of
impressionist and contemporary art.
His set of Picassos, mostly acquired in the 1980s, represent only a small
proportion of his whole collection which also includes works by Henri Matisee,
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Julian Schnabel.
Woman on a Chair was a portrait of Picasso's mistress
The Versace family say they are being sold to slim down the size of the
multi-millionaire's huge estate.
"I think it would be unreasonable to expect the family to keep everything that
Gianni collected over his lifetime," said family spokesman Lou Colasuonno.
The auction of the Italian designer's Miami mansion is also being handled by
Sotheby's. The asking price for the 12-bedroomed beachfront Mediterranean-style
palazzo is said to be £14.3m.
Suspected serial killer Andrew Cunanan shot Versace twice in the head at the
gate to the house two years ago.
A search for Cunanan, who was wanted for the murders of four other men, ended
nine days later when he was found dead. It is thought he killed himself.
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