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CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK

 

 

THE PAUL G. ALLEN COLLECTION AT CHRISTIE'S TOTALS $1.62 BILLION

 

MOST VALUABLE COLLECTION OF ALL TIME

WITH 5 WORKS SELLING FOR MORE THAN $100 MILLION 

100% SOLD

A LANDMARK PHILANTHROPIC EVENT

WITH GLOBAL BIDDING FROM 32 COUNTRIES

27 ARTIST RECORDS SET INCLUDING GEORGES SEURAT, PAUL CEZANNE, VINCENT VAN GOGH, DIEGO RIVERA, EDWARD STEICHEN, BARBARA HEPWORTH, ANDREW WYETH, JASPER JOHNS, MILDRED THOMPSON, CLAES OLDENBURG

 

New York – On Thursday, November 10, 2022, Christie’s concluded Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection, a landmark philanthropic event. Visionary comprised 155 masterpiece objects spanning 500 years of art history. It was sold over a two-day series of auctions. In total, the collection realized $1,622,249,500, well in excess of the total high estimate. It was 100% sold. The regional breakdown by value was 33% Americas, 28% APAC, and 39% EMEA. There was great strength and depth in bidding across the collection, with an average of 5.6 bidders competing for each lot. Of all the registrants for the sales, nearly 15% were new to Christie’s.

Jody Allen, Executor of the Paul G. Allen Estate, commented, “To Paul, art was both analytical and emotional. He believed that art expressed a unique view of reality – combining the artist’s inner state and inner eye – in a way that can inspire us all. His collection reflects the diversity of his interests, with their own mystique and beauty. These works mean so much to so many, and I know that Christie’s will ensure their respectful dispersal to generate tremendous value for philanthropic pursuits in accordance with Paul’s wishes.”

A visionary and innovator, Paul G. Allen collected art of the finest caliber, acquiring superb pieces by the world’s most iconic artists. The collection reflects the pioneering work of artistic visionaries through their expression of paint, light, portraiture, and place.

Guillaume Cerutti, CEO, Christie’s, said, “The Paul G. Allen collection attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Christie’s galleries around the world, and has now made history, setting the record for the most valuable auction sale ever. This resounding success can be attributed to the unique combination of the intrinsic quality of the art works, the inspiring and visionary figure of Paul G. Allen, and the philanthropic endeavors underpinning the sale. Christie’s is deeply honored to have been entrusted with the sale of this collection.”

    Bonnie Brennan, President, Christie’s Americas, said, “What a week we’ve had at Christie’s in New York City. We share Mr. Allen’s belief in transformative philanthropy and make this belief a central part of all we do. This year alone, Christie’s will have raised an estimated $2 billion for philanthropic causes, and that has inspired us as we do all we can for the generous collectors we work with. Christie’s has, and certainly continues to be, the undisputed house for top collections. We’ve sold eight of the 10 most valuable of all time and set the standard this year, with the sales of Paul G. Allen, Ann and Gordon Getty, Thomas and Doris Ammann, and Anne Bass."

     

    A GLOBAL PHENOMENON

    Highlights of The Paul G. Allen Collection embarked on a worldwide tour of Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taipei, London, Paris, and Los Angeles with thousands of visitors. The tour culminated in New York, drawing crowds of art lovers  to  Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries where many queued for as long as two hours to experience the exhibition. (photo above)

    Photo ©2022 Visko Hatfield

    Part I | Evening Sale

    The first evening was a historic event, achieving more than $1.5 billion over the course of the 60-lot sale. This was the first auction ever to sell five works above $100 million. The sale established twenty records in a variety of collecting categories including Impressionist and Modern, Post-War and Contemporary, and Latin American paintings. Georges Seurat’s Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version) led the sale at $149,240,000.

    Photo ©2022 Visko Hatfield

    Part II | Day Sale

    Day two of the sale began with a strong showing of artwork spanning all genres and mediums. In total, the sale generated an additional $115,863,500. The top lot of the sale was Oldenburg and Van Bruggen’s monumental sculpture Typewriter Eraser, Scale X which realized $8,405,000. An additional six artist records were set, including a record for Mildred Thompson, whose String Theory 4 sold for $138,600. The two-part event was livestreamed to more than 4 million viewers.

     

    RECORDS

    Part I

    Georges Seurat, Les Poseuses Ensemble (Petite version) – $149,240,000

    Paul Cézanne, La montagne Sainte-Victoire – $137,790,000

    Vincent Van Gogh, Verger avec cypres – $117,180,000

    Paul Gauguin, Maternite II – $105,730,000

    Gustav Klimt, Birch Forest – $104,585,000

    Lucian Freud, Large Interior, W11 (After Watteau) – $86,265,000

    Jasper Johns, Small False Start - $55,350,000

    Paul Signac, Concarneau, calm de matin - $39,320,000

    Max Ernst, Le roi jouant avec la reine - $24,435,000

    Andrew Wyeth, Day Dream - $23,290,000

    Diego Rivera, The Rivals - $14,130,000

    Sam Francis, Composition in Blue and Black - $13,557,500

    Edward Steichen, The Flatiron - $11,840,000

    Henri-Edmond Cross, Rio San Trovaso, Venise - $9,550,000

    Jan Brueghel The Younger, The Five Senses - $8,634,000

    Barbara Hepworth, Elegy III - $8,634,000

    Thomas Hart Benton, Nashaquitsa - $5,580,000

    Henri Le Sidaner, La Serenade Venise - $2,100,000

    John Singer Sargent, The Façade of La Salute, Venice - $3,660,000 – for work on paper

    Paul Klee, Bunte Landschaft - $4,860,000 – for work on paper

       

      Part II

      Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen, Typewriter Eraser, Scale X - $8,405,000

      Joseph Kosuth, ‘Titled (A.A.I.A.I.)’ [text-context] - $289,8000 – for work on paper

      Jacques Lipchitz, Figure - $4,380,000

      Nancy Rubins, Study – $23,940

      Mildred Thompson, String Theory 4 – $138,600

      Alden Mason, Sweet Encounter – $189,000

      Guillermo Kuitca, Diarios – $567,000

       

       

    PAUL GAUGUIN (1848-1903)

    Maternité II

    oil on burlap

    37¼ x 24 in. (94.7 x 61 cm.)

    Painted in Tahiti in 1899

    Price Realized: $105,730,000

     

     

    PAUL CÉZANNE (1839-1906)

    La montagne Sainte-Victoire

    oil on canvas

    25 5/8 x 31 7/8 in.(65.1 x 81 cm.)

    Painted in 1888-1890

    Price Realized: $137,790,000

     

     

    GUSTAV KLIMT (1862-1918)

    Birch Forest

    oil on canvas

    43 3/8 x 43 1/4 in. (110.1 x 109.8 cm.)

    Painted in 1903

    Price Realized: $104,585,000

     

     

    LUCIAN FREUD (1922-2011)

    Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau)

    oil on canvas

    72 ¼ x 78 in. (185.4 x 198.1 cm.)

    Painted in 1981-1983

    Price Realized: $86,265,000

     

     

    VINCENT VAN GOGH (1853-1890)

    Verger avec cyprès

    oil on canvas

    25 3/4 x 31 7/8 in. (65.2 x 80.2 cm.)

    Painted in Arles in April 1888

    Price Realized: $117,180,000

     

     

    JASPER JOHNS (B. 1930)

    Small False Start

    signed, titled and dated 'J. Johns 1960 FALSE START'

    (on the reverse)

    encaustic, acrylic and paper collage on fiberboard

    21 7/8 x 18 1/4 in.

    Price Realized: $55,350,000

     


    CLAUDE MONET (1840-1926)

    Waterloo Bridge, soleil voilé

    oil on canvas

    25 3/4 x 39 1/2 in. (65.4 x 100 cm.)

    Painted in1899-1903

    Price Realized: $64,510,000

     

     

    EDOUARD MANET (1832-1883)

    Le Grand Canal à Venise

    oil on canvas

    221/2 x 18 3/4 in. (57.2 x 47.6 cm.)

    Painted in fall 1874

    Price Realized: $51,915,000 

     

     

    Image

    GEORGES SEURAT (1859-1891)

    Les Poseuses, Ensemble (Petite version)

    oil on canvas

    15.1/2 x 19.3/4 in.(39.3 x 50 cm.)

    Painted in 1888

    Price Realized: $149,240,000

     

     

    PAUL SIGNAC (1863-1935)

    Concarneau, calme du matin (Opus no. 219, larghetto)

    oil on canvas

    25 7/8 x 32 in. (65.7 x 81.3 cm.)

    Painted in 1891

    Price Realized: $39,320,000

     

     

    GEORGIA O'KEEFFE (1887-1986)

    White Rose with Larkspur No. 1

    oil on canvas

    36 x 30 in. (91.4 x 76.2 cm.)

    Painted in 1927

    Price Realized: $26,725,000

     

     

    ALESSANDRO FILIPEPI, CALLED SANDRO BOTTICELLI (1445-1510)

    The Madonna of the Magnificat

    tempera on panel, a tondo

    Diameter: 24 3/4 in. (62.9 cm.)

    Price Realized: $48,480,000

     

     

    JAN BRUEGHEL THE YOUNGER (1601-1678) Set of Five Panels ** | The Five Senses: Sight oil on panel panel: 27 5/8 x 44 5/8 in. (70.2 x 113.3 cm.) [**Note:  above represents one of the five panels)

    Price Realized: $8,634,000

     

     

     

    PHILANTHROPIST AND INNOVATOR

    PAUL G. ALLEN (1953 – 2018)

    Portrait of Paul G. Allen. Photo: ©Béatrice de Géa. Courtesy of Vulcan

    From co-founding Microsoft in 1975 to starting his first charitable foundation in 1986, from creating the acclaimed Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in 2000 to launching the Allen Institute in 2003 with its game-changing scientific breakthroughs across brain science, cell science, and immunology, Paul G. Allen lived a life motivated by a love of ideas and making the world a better place.

    An avid art collector for decades, Allen began publicly sharing pieces from his collection in the late 1990s through dozens of often anonymous loans to museums around the world. In addition, he mounted exhibitions that shared highlights of his collection with the public, including the renowned Seeing Nature exhibit that toured nationally in 2016. It showcased 39 iconic landscape paintings that demonstrated the natural world and highlighted key moments in the development of the landscape genre.

    “You have to be doing it because you just love the works… and you know that all these works are going to outlast you,” Allen reflected in an interview for Seeing Nature. “You’re only a temporary custodian of them.”

    In 2010, Allen was an early signer of the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute the majority of one’s wealth to charitable causes, and in 2015, he was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for dedicating his private wealth to public good. He remarked “…one of my core goals is to accelerate discovery and provide some of the world’s brightest minds with the resources to solve some of the world’s thorniest challenges.”

    His philanthropic contributions of more than $2.65 billion during his lifetime deepened our understanding of bioscience, shared art, music, and film with the world, tackled epidemics, helped save endangered species, explored the ocean floor, and invested in more vibrant and resilient communities. Many called Allen a polymath, whose knowledge and skills spanned a wide range of disciplines.

    Allen passed away in October 2018, but the breadth and depth of his generosity, and his desire to continue improving the lives of people around the world even after his death, will create impact for generations to come.

     

    About Christie’s

    Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai). Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvador Mundi, 2017), for a 20th century artwork (Andy Warhol’s Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 2022) and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019). Christie's is also recognised as a reference for prestigious single owner collections, having auctioned 8 of the 10 most important collections in history.

     Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.

    Recent innovations at Christie’s include groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple’s Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including the use of hologram technology to tour life-size 3D objects around the world, and the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats. Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change. 

    Browse, bid, discover, and join us for the best of art and luxury at: www.christies.com or by downloading Christie’s apps.

      CREDIT TO CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2022

    *Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price - see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.

    *Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees.

     

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