Masterworks
The Collection of A. Alfred Taubman
Sotheby's
New York
7 PM, November 4,
2015
Sale 9430
Lot
42, "Mlle. Matisse en Manteau Ecossais," by Henri Matisse, oil on
canvas, 29 by 21 3/8 inches, 1918
By
Carter B. Horsley
The
opening major auction of the fall season at Sotheby's New York is
"Masterworks: The Collection of A. Alfred Taubman," the shopping center
magnate who became the former chairman of Sotheby's and died April 17,
2015.
There
are 77 lots in the auction, which is the first of several this season
devoted to his collection and it is far and away the most impressive
with very major works by Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rothko, Picasso,
Bacon, Still, de Kooning, Kline and Munch. Mr.
Taubman established the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American
Institutions at Brown University in 1984 and the A. Alfred Taubman
School of Architecture and Urban Planning and the A. Alfred Taubman
Biomedical Science Research Building at the University of Michigan in
1999 and 2011, respectively.
In
an essay in the catalogue, Leslie Wexner, the head of The Limited
stores, recalled received a call from Mr. Taubman in 1983 asking him if
he wanted to join him in buying Sotheby's. He did and later
he
got a package from Mr. Taubman, a large painting by Kenneth Noland that
Mr. Taubman said he should hang in his office, which he did.
He
asked Mr. Taubman why and was told "because in the future I want you to
have something to remember me by. You are my
friend."
Mr.
Wexner observed that Mr. Taubman loved "works of art that were
challenging." That is certainly accurate based on many of the
works in this auction, but there are also some works that are just
wonderful such as Lot 42, "Mlle. Matisse en Manteau Ecossais."
The oil on canvas, which measures 29 by 21 3/8
inches, was
painted by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in 1918 and was acquired by Mr.
Taubman in 1986 from Henry Ford II, a fellow Detroiter. A
portrait of the artist's daughter, it has been exhibited at the
National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New
York, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and the Center National
d'art and de culture Georges Pompidou in Paris. It has a very
modest estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000.It sold for $13,690,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article.
An article in the November 4, 2015 edition of The Wall Street Journal
by Kelly Crow said that Mr. Taubman's three sons by his first wife
asked both Sotheby's and Christie's to compete for the consignment and
that Sotheby's eventually won it when if offered to "guarantee the
estate for slightly over $500 million, the auction house's largest
offer ever."
The sale total was $377,034,000 and was 89.6 percent sold by lot.The pre-sale low estimate was $374,800,000 and the pre-sale high estimate was $536,500,000.
The auction was very lavish with a pre-sale buffet with a selection of very good wines and all the staff in "black tie."
Lot
68, "La Clownesse Cha-u-Kao," by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, peinture à
l'essence on board, 31 7/8 by 23 1/2 inches, 1895
Another
sketchy but very fine portrait of a female important to the artist is
Lot 68, "La Clownesse Cha-u-Kao" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
(1864-1901). A peinture à l'essence [diluted oil paint used
to
create the feathery appearance of pastel] on board, it measures 31 7/8
by 23 1/2 inches and was painted in 1895. It was
acquired
in 1985 at Sotheby's from the estate of FlorenceJ. Gould of Cannes.
It has been very widely exhibited at 10 major art museums.
It has a very modest estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It sold for $12,010,000.
Lot 24,
'Femme Assise Sur Une Chaise," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 49 by
34 1/4 inches, 1938
Lot
24 is a large oil on canvas by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) of Dora Maar
in a chair. It measures 49 by 34 1/4 inches and was painted
in
1938. Mr. Taubman acquired it at Sotheby's in London December
7,
1999 where it had been consiged by Gianni Versace. A somewhat
more detailed version sold at Sotheby's New York May 3, 2006 for
$95,216,000. This lot has an estiimate of $25,000,000 to
$35,000,000. It sold for $20,074,000.
Lot 47,
"Portrait de femme," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 29 by 23 3/4
inches, 1937
Another
Picasso is Lot 47, "Portrait de femme," an oil on canvas that measures
29 by 23 3/4 inches. It was painted in 1937. It was
acquired by Mr. Taubman at Sotheby's in London, June 23, 2014.
It
is one of a series of portraits in which he placed the figure in front
of a striped background. The figure here is Marie-Thérèse.
It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $8,650,000.
Lot 45, "Man with Arm Raised," by Francis Bacon, oil on canvas, 40 by 25 inches, 1960
Lot
45, "Man with Arm Raised," is a strong oil on canvas by Francis Bacon
(1909-1992). It measures 40 by 25 inches and was painted in 1960.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"With significant transitional paintings like Man with Arm Raised,
Bacon's subjects burst into movement. Here we see the beginnings
of Bacon's twisted, mobile figures: the attenuated arm extends
and bends around the door frame as an anatomically unrealistic
appendage, while the thick impastoed surface of his face suggests
captured motion."
It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $10,330,000.
Lot 70, Two Studies for Portrait of Clive Barker," by Francis Bacon, oil on canvas, each of the two parts 14 by 12 inches, 1978
Lot
70, "Two Studies for Portrait of Clive Barker," is another Bacon.
Each of the two parts is an oil on canvas that measures 14 by 12
inches. They were painted in 1978. The lot has an estimate
of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,842,000.
Lot 15, "Untitled XXI," by Willem de Kooning, oil on canvas, 80 by 70 inches, 1976
Lot
15 is a major oil on canvas by Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) that is
entitled "Untitled XXI." It measures 80 by 70 inches and was
painted in 1976.
The catalogue provides the following commentary:
"With
the unparalleled Untitled XXI of 1976, the artist reached his formal
climax in the clear brilliance of the painting's electric color palette
and the ripe opulence of his brushwork. Through each visceral
swathe, smear, drip and flow, the artist here asserts his total mastery
of his medium."
The lot has an estimate of $25,000,000 to $35,000,000. It sold for $24,890,000.
Lot 41k, "PH-218," by Clyfford Still, oil on canvas, 63 by 40 inches, 1947
Lot
41 is a strong and fine oil on canvas by Clyfford Still (1904-1980).
It is entitled "PH-218" and it mesaures 63 by 40 inches. It
was painted in 1947.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"PH-218
is a masterful realization of Still's distinctive vision, presenting
its viewer with a glimpse into the depths of the artist's innovative
aesthetic and existing as a true measure of his irrefutable artistic
magnitude. Still was a towering figure of unwavering
commitment to creative originality and aesthetic freedom. At the
forefront of American Abstract Expressionism, Still's role cnannot be
overstated as one examines the impact of his paintings when first seen
in the New Yorik art world in 1946, just one year before he
painted PH-218....PH-218 is a critical early touchstone of Still's
practice and was exhibited in two of his first major solo museum
exhibitions, at the Albright Art Gallery in Bufffalo in 1959 and at the
Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia in 1963. Still's
masterful paint applications are on full display in the seemingly
aspontaneous, yet utterly cohevisve, abstract forms that stride across
the surrface of the present work."
The lot has a modest estimate of $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. It sold for $14,810,000.
Lot 19, "Elizabeth," by Franz Kline, oil on canvas, 67 by 72 inches, 1958
Lot
19 is an excellent oil on canvas by Franz Kline (1910-1962) entitled
"Elizabeth." It measures 67 by 72 inches and was painted in 1958.
It was once owned by Vincent Scully, the architectural historian,
and Mr. Taubman brought it from the Newspace Gallery in Los Angles in
1977.
The catalogue entry provides the following commentary:
"A
stunning portrait of intimacy, Elizabeth is named for Kline's wife, the
ballet dancer Elizabeth Parsons, who, like the famous Russian dancer,
Nijinksky, suffered from schizophrenia. As such the painting is
exemplary of the rich connotations inherent in the artist's most
renowned works, all roooted in the plasticity of the paint and the
purity of his unadulterated coloristic counterpoints in conjunction
with absolute subjectivity and personal experience....Here the kinetic
gestures of Kline's brush evoke a figures's movement in space.."
The lot has a very modest estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $4,842,000.
Lot 33, "Untitled (Lavender and Green)," by Mark Rothko, oil on canvas, 67 5/8 by 44 1/2 inches, 1952
Lot
33 is a sublime oil on canvas by Mark Rothko (1903-1970) entitled
"Untitled (Lavender and Green)." It measures 67 5/8 by 44 1/2
inches. It was painted in 1952. Mr. Taubman acquired it in
1978. The catalogue entry maintains that in its "equipose,
radiant intensity and extraordinary colorism," the painting is "a
superb statement of Rothko's inimitable idiom at its most assured."
The lost has a modest estimate of $20,000,000 to $30,000,000. It sold for 20,410,000.
Lot 34, "Four Soldiers," by David Smith, steel, 25 by 58 1/4 by 12 3/4 inches, 1950-1
Lot
34 is a fine steel sculpture by David Smith (1906-1965) entitled "Four
Soldiers." It measures 25 by 58 1/4 by 12 3/4 inches. It
was created in 1950-1. Mr. Taubman acquired it in 1981 at
Christie's New York from a descendant of Hon. Mrs. Michael Astor of
London. It has been widely published. It has a modest
estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,290,000.
Lot 72, "Kragberg in Spring," by Edvard Munch, oil on canvas, 38 3/4 by 37 1/2 inches, 1929
Lot
72 is a very fine landscape by Edvard Munch (1863-1944) entitled
"Kragberg in Spring." An oil on canvas, it measures 38 3/4 by 37
1/2 inches. It was painted in 1929. It was acquired by Mr.
Taubman at Sotheby's in London in 2012. It has a very modest
estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,330,000.
Lot 63, "Ployemark (Ploughed Field)," by Edvard Munch, oil on canvas, 26 3/8 by 35 5/8 inches, 1916
Another
Munch oil on canvas is Lot 63, "Ployemark (Ploughed Field)." It
measures 26 3/8 by 35 5/8 inches and was painted in 1916. It was
acquired by Mr. Taubman at Sotheby's in London in 2007. It has a
modest estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.It sold for $1,990,000.
Lot 16,"Evening Autumn Sea," by Emil Nolde, oil on canvas, 27 by 34 3/4 inches, 1951
Lot
16 is a large Turnesque oil on canvas by Emil Nolde (1867-1956)
entitled "Evening Autumn Sea." It measures 27 by 34 3/4 inches
and was painted in 1951. It has a modest estimate of $1,500,000
to $2,000,000. It sold for $2,170,000.
Lot 65, "Disappearance I," by Jasper Johns, encaustic and canvas collage on canvas, 40 inches square, 1960
Lot
65 is a 40-inch-square encaustic and canvas collage on canvas by Jasper
Johns (b. 1930) entitled "Disappearance I." It was painted in
1960. It has an estimate of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It was passed at $10,500,000.
Lot 38, "Black and White Painting III," by Jackson Pollock, enamel on canvas, 56 1/4 by 49 inches, circa 1951
Lot
38 is an enamel on canvas by Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) that is
entitled "Black and White Painting III." It measures 56 1/4 by 49
inches. It was painted circa 1951. It has an estimate of
$5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $5,178,000.
Lot
18, "Studio per 'Mercurio che passa davanti al sole visto dal
cannocchiale.'" by Giacomo Balla, gouache on paper, 32 by 24 inches,
1914
Lot
18 is a very vibrant and fine study for a large work by Giacomo Balla
(1871-1958) entitled "Studio per 'Mercurio che passa davanti al sole
visto dal cannoncchiale" that is the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris
and another in the Museum Moderner Kunst, Stiftung Ludwig in Vienna.
This work is a gouache on paper that measures 32 by 24 inches and
was painted in 1914. It has a modest estimate of $2,500,000 to
$3,500,000. It sold for $1,690,000.
Lot
40, "Folla + Paesaggio (Crowd + Landscape)," by Giacomo Balla, collage
of painted papers amd tissue paper mounted on canvas, laid down on
board, 60 by 26 1/4 inches, 1915
Lot
40 is an impressive Futurist work by Balla entitled "Crowd +
Landscape," A collage of painted papers and tissue paper mounted
on canvas and laid down on board, it measures 60 by 26 1/4 inches.
It was created in 1915. It has been widely exhibited and
published. It has a modest estimate of $2,500,000 to $3,500,000. It was passed at $1,400,000.
Lot
61, "Study, On the Cliffs (early attempt at Cubist form)," by
Lyonel Feininger, oil on canvas, 18 by 23 3/4 inches, 1912
Lot
61 is a very good oil on canvas by Lyonel Feininger (1871-1956)
entitled "Study, On the Cliffs (early attempt at Cubist Form)."
It measures 18 by 23 3/4 inches and was created in 1912. It
has been widely exhibited. It has a modest estimate of $1,200,000
to $1,800,000. It sold for $1,090,000.
Lot 37, "La Porte (objet)," by Joan Miró, painted wood, metals, turkey feathers and other found objects, 36 1/2 by 23 1/2 inches, 1931
Lot
37 is a large collage of found objects, turkey feathers, metals and
painted wood by Joan Miró (1893-1983). It is entitled "La Porte
(objet)" and it measures 36 1/2 by 23 1/2 inches. It was created
in 1931. It has been exhibited three times at the Museum of
Modern Art in New York and widely published. It has an estimate
of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It sold for $13,410,000.
Lot 11, "Pink and Green (Pink Pastelle)," by Georgia O'Keeffe, pastel on linen, 16 by 14 inches, 1922
Lot
11 is a pleasant plastel on linen by Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986)
entitled "Pink and Green (Pink Pastelle)." It measures 16 by 12
inches and was painted in 1922. It has been exhibited at the
Brooklyn Museum in 1927 and the Whitney Museum of American Art in
2009-2010. It has an estimate of $1,200,000 to $1,800,000. It sold for $2,530,000.
Lot 27, "In Charge of Baby," by Winslow Homer, watercolor on paper, 8 1/2 by 13 1/2 inches, 1873
Lot
27 is a good watercolor on paper by Winslow Homer (1836-1910) entitled
"In Charge of Baby." It measures 8 1/2 by 13 1/2 inches. It
was painted in 1873. It has been widely exhibited and published.
It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $2,650,000.
