Christie's Impressionism-Modern Auction Failure
Relana Colleen Pinkerton
Regarding the Christie's Auction of Impressionist and Modern Art:
Does anyone have information on why this sale was considered a
"failure" at $50 million?
What did and did not sell?
Who and what is/was Maurice de Vlaminck that something (what?) of
his sold for $6.8 million and where might his works be seen in
Washington DC or Chicago?
Dale Adler (using a friend's account)
Laura Mars
rc...@darwin.clas.Virginia.EDU (Relana Colleen Pinkerton) writes:
<Who and what is/was Maurice de Vlaminck that something (what?) of
<his sold for $6.8 million and where might his works be seen in
<Washington DC or Chicago?
Vlaminick is was part of the Fauve school of art......"the wild beasts" using
bright complementary colors to show the landscape. You might see his work in
the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, I would imagine there is
something on collection at the National Gallery in D.C. and you could check
with the Art Institute in Chicago. They must have at least one. Vlaminick is
a very MAJOR artist of that period.
Laur...@Aol.com
MH5300
rc...@darwin.clas.Virginia.EDU (Relana Colleen Pinkerton) writes:
Hi, regarding your question about the May 10 Christie's Impressionist
and Modern Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture Part I, the reason
partially that the sale is perceived to have been a failure is that
only 28 of the 55 or so paintings offered were sold. Not only were so
few sold, the ones that did sell only averaged I would say around the
low estimates. I was there that evening in New York and the state of
the market unfortunately was not quite yet back to where many dealers
in New York and Christie's (of course) had hoped it would be. Not to
mention at one point the auctioneer even got a little testy with a
bidder. Some of the works that sold that are worth mentioning are: A
Sisley from 1888 sold for$1,652,500 (that's with the Buyer's premium)
a lovely painting that had an estimate of $900,000 - $1,200,000. One
of the few successes of the evening. A nice Renoir sold for $662,500
titled Tete de Gabrielle painted in 1895. A Cezanne titled Nature
Morte au tiroir ouvert,12 x 15 1/2 in. painted around 1880 did not
sell with a $4-5 million estimate which was a shame because I believe
it is a lovely painting which now is burned because of a high
estimate or conversely a high reserve by a seller who expected too
much from a slowly recovering market. Anyway, the large Monet, Le
Palais da Mula painted in Venice in 1908 sold for $4,182,500 and a
winter scene by Paul Gaugin sold for $2,532,500 another Cezanne
still life that was offered did sell at $1,047,500 it is titled
Fleurs dans un vase, circa 1879. There was a large Severini offered
that failed to sell, a small Picasso still life with fried eggs a
knife and fork and some bread from the 20's that also did not sell. A
Matisse painted in Nice in the 20's that sold for $1,157,500. Another
Picasso that did not sell which in my opinion had an irresponsible
estimate was a painting from 1941, rather large, titled Femme assise
dans fauteil. It had an estimate of $1,400,000 -$1,800,000.
The Chagalls all sold pretty well. He seems to be holding his own in
this strange market condition. Now to answer your question about the
Vlaminck that sold for $6,822,500. Vlaminck is categorized as a Fauve
painter. He painted with Derain and Matisse. This painting, Paysage
de banlieue, was estimated to sell between $3-4 million. Great
painting ! Great attention to detail for a fauve. There was another
painting at Sotheby's by Vlaminck also very nice but, obviously not
considered as "major" as the other offered although it was close to
the same size a little bit smaller, that sold for , $1.9 million(w/o
B.P) I hope I have enlightened you somewhat as to what happened 2
weeks ago anything else write back. (hope it wasn't too long).
NCH-SRQ. Respond: MH5300