Art/Auctions: Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie's New York May 8, 2013

Impressionist and Modern Art

Christie's New York

7 P.M., May 8, 2013

Sale 2782

Chef by Soutine

Lot 21, "Le Petit Patisserie," by Chaim Soutine, oil on canvas, 30 1/4 by 27 1/8 inches, circa 1927

By Carter B. Horsley

The Impressionist & Modern Art evening auction May 8, 2013 at Christie's New York is highlighted by some major works by Chaim Soutine, a great still life by Georges Braque, some good Picassos, two excellent paintings by André Derain, a very nice painting and a lovely sculpture by Henri Matisse, two pleasant Picassos, and a fine Berthe Morisot,

The cover illustration of the catalogue is Lot 21, "Le Petit Patissier," by Chaim Soutine (1893-1943). An oil on canvas, it measures 30 1/4 by 27 1/8 inches and was painted circa 1927.

It was once in the collection of Lee A. Ault of New York and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney F. Brody of Beverly Hills. It has been exhibited at the Phillips Memorial Gallery in Washington, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Jewish Museum in New York and it has been widely reproduced.

Detail of left sleeve of Lot 21

The catalogue entry for the lot, which is the cover illustration of the catalogue,notes that it was the last of six paintings he did of pastry chefs in Ceret starting in 1919 and this series represent the artist's first explorations of "the figure in uniform." The first in the series was acquired by Albert Barnes, along with 60 other Soutine works, and is in his foundation museum in Philadelphia. The lot has an estimate of $16,000,000 to $22,000,000. It sold for $18,043,750 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. The price was a world auction record for Soutine. According to an article entitled "Asian Bids Lift Art Sale at Christie's" by Kelly Crow in the May 9, 2013 edition of The Wall Street Journal it was bought by a "Chinese collector."

Of the 47 offered lots, 44, or 94 percent, sold for a total of $158,505,000. The pre-sale estimates were $131.4 million to $190.5 million.

Brooke Lampley, head of the Impressionist & Modern Department

Brooke Lampley, Christie's head of the Impressionist & Modern Art Department, taking bids on the phone during the auction

After the auction, Marc Porter, the chairman of Christie's America, said it was the strongest auction in terms of percentage of lots sold it had had since 2006 and Brooke Lampley, the chairman of the department said that the audience today was "really educated and intelligent and consisted of buyers from about 30 countries."

Andreas Rumbler, the auctioneer

Mr. Porter announced that Andreas Rumbler, the evening's auctioneer, "will be with us for the season." Mr. Rumbler, deputy chairman of Christie's Department of Impressionist & Modern Art in Zurich, conducted the auction with aplomb and a calm, but steady pace.

Lot 27, "Vue sur le village," by Chaim Soutine, oil on canvas, 28 5/8 by 39 inches, 1921-2

Lot 27 is a large and wild landscape by Soutine that is an oil on canvas that measures 28 5/8 by 39 inches. Entitled "Vue sur le village," it was painted 1921-2. A simpler but similar painting is in the collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art. This work has a modest estimate of $1,600,000 to $2,200,000. It sold for $1,803,750. According to the catalogue entry, "In April 1918, eager to escape the persistent German bombardment of Paris, Soutine and his friends Modigliani and Fougita, together with their dealer Leopole Zborowski, traveled to Cagnes-sur-Mer on the Cote d'Azur. Modigliani reportedly told their dealer, Zborowski that "In Soutine I'm leaving you a great artist." Soutine would spent almost three years in Ceret, a town known as "The Mecca of Cubism." The catalogue also noted that "American painters in the nascent movement of Abstract Expressionism - De Kooning, Pollock,Tworkov and Guston among others - discovered in Soutine a remarkable and prescient antecedent," and indeed this painting looks like it is only missing one of De Kooning's messed-up ladies.

Lot 39, "Les Glaieuls," by Chaim Soutine, oil on canvas, 31 1/2 by 23 3/8 inches, circa 1919

Lot 39 is a very striking flower still life by Soutine that is very dramatic for its redness and because it looks like it could have been painted by Vincent Van Gogh. An oil on canvas, it measures 31 1/2 by 23 3/8 inches and was painted circa 1919. It was once in the collection of The Barnes Foundation and also in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph F Colin. It has a modest estimate of $650,000 to $950,000. It sold for $963,750.

Lot 50, "La Lampe sur la table," by Georges Braque, oil and sand on canvas, 25 3/8 by 31 7/8 inches,1952

Lot 50 is a magnificent still life by Georges Braque (1882-1963) entitled "La Lampe sur la table." An oil and sand on canvas, it measures 25 3/8 by 31 7/8 inches and was painted in 1952. It has a very modest estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000.

Detail of Lot 50 by Braque

According to the catalogue, when Braque painted this work he was "at the height of the great late flowering in his work, when, as John Richardson has stated, he was creating paintings that were 'more explorative in their handling of space and more profound in their metaphysical concerns that anything else being done in Western Europe at the time."

Lot 35, "Mandoline et portée de musique," by Pablo Picasso, oil and sand on canvas, 38 1/4 by 51 1/4 inches, 1923

Another wonderful oil and sand on canvas still life is Lot 35, "Mandoine et portée de musique" bny Pablo Picasso. The 1923 work measures 38 1/4 by 51 1/4 inches and was once in the collection of G. David Thompson of Pittsburgh and Meshulam Riklis of New York, who died last year. It has been widely exhibited and has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $9,195,750 and the buyer, according to an article by Carol Vogel in the May 9, 2013 edition of The New York Times was Angela Neville, "a London art adviser."

Detail of Lot 35 by Picasso

The composition of palette and scratched lines are very strong in this work and it is an excellent composition. The catalogue entry notes that the sensation of the 1909 Salon d'Autuomne in Paris were a group of paintings by Corot including several with women with mandolines and Picasso would paint a great Cubist work of Fanny Teiller playing a Mandoline the following year. The catalogue quotes Richardson that "According to Braque, these were a revelation to Picasso, Derain and himself for their gravity and austerity, also for their studio settings 'They are paintings about painting,' he said." The catalogue also quotes Jean Cocteau as stating in 1917 "Long live Corot! Picasso speaks only of this master, who touches us more deeply than all the Italians obsessed with grandeur."

Lot 34, 'Voiliers à Collioure," by André Derain, oil on canvas, 25 7/8 by 32 inches, 1905

Lot 34 is a great oil on canvas sketch by André Derain (1880-1954) entitled "Voiliers à Collioure." It measures 25 7/8 by 32 inches and was painted in 1905. It was once in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Englehard Jr. of New Jersey. It has been widely published and exhibited. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It was withdrawn.

Lot 11, "Madame Matisse au kimono," by André Derain, oil on canvas, 31 3/4 by 25 3/8 inches, 1905

The rear cover illustration of the auction catalogue is Lot 11, "Madame Matisse au kimono," a luscious oil on canvas by André Derain. It measiures 31 3/4 by 25 3/8 inches and was painted in 1905. The blue patterning on the kimono is 'in motion," set off even more by the quite static and undetailed background. The work has been widely exhibited and published. It has an estimate of $15,000,000 to $20,000,000. It failed to sell and was passed at $13,000,000.

Lot 26, "Jeune Femme Assise en Robe Grise," by Henri Matisse, oil on canvas, 18 1/4 by 15 inches, 1942.

A fine and lovely companion piece to Derain's panting of Mrs. Matisse in a kimonto is Lot 26, "Jeune Femme Assise en Robe Grise" by Henri Matisse (1869-1954), an oil on canvas that measures 18 1/4 by 15 inches and was painted in 1942. It has a modest estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $4,939,750.

Lot 28, "Venus à la coquille," by Henri Matisse, bronze, 12 1/4 inches high

Lot 28 is a wonderful small bronze by Matisse entitled "Venus à la coquille." It is 12 1/4 inches high. It was conceived in 1930 and cast in 1951 and is numbered "HM 9." It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,143,750.

Lot 41, "La Diva," by Pablo Picasso, pastel on board, 20 3/8 by 14 1/8 inches, 1901

Lot 41 is an exquisite pastel on board by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) entitled "La Diva." It measures 20 3/8 by 14 1/8 inches. It was once in the collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbach of New York. It has an estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000. It sold for $2,587,750.

Lot 13, "Le Fumeur," by Pablo Picasso, pastel and colored wax crayons on paper, 20 1/4 by 9 5/8 inches, 1964

Lot 13 is a very colorful and good pastel and colored wax crayons on paper by Pablo Picasso entitled "Le Fumeur." It measures 20 1/4 by 9 5/8 inches and was created in 1964. It has a modest estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $1,083,750.

Lot 38, "Homme et femme," by Pablo Picasso, pastel and charcoal on paper, 41 1/4 by 29 1/8 inches, 1921

Lot 38 is a great and large pastel and charcoal on paper of a man and a woman by Pablo Picasso. It measures 31 1/4 by 29 1/8 inches and was painted in 1921. It was once in the collection of Douglas Cooper ofArgilliers. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $6,283.750.

Lot 45, "Dans la salle à manger," by Berthe Morisot, oil on canvas, 36 1/8 by 28 3/4 inches, 1880

Lot 45 is a very nice work by Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) entitled "Dans la salle à manger." An oil on canvas, it measures 36 1/8 by 28 3/4 inches and was painted in 1880. It has an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for a hammer price of $400,000.

Detail of Lot 45

"Keenly aware of her obsession withwhite, Morisot noted in her journal that by comparison , 'Everything selse seems indifferent," the catalogue entry observed.

"Morisoto's decision to portray the maid from behind serves both to heighten the sense of intimacy in the scene and to limit the role of expression or gesture. The human figure becaome just one more element in the orchestration of opalescent tones, no different from the bowl on the table or the dishes on the shelves," it continued.

The lot has a modest estimate of $500,000 to $700,000. It sold for $483,750.

Lot 37, "Selbstbidnis mit Modell (Fragment)," by Egon Schiele, oil on canvas, 27 3/4 by 95 inches,1913

Lot 37, "Selbstbidnis mit Modell (Fragment)," is a large oil on canvas by Egon Schiele (1890-1918). It measures 27 3/4 by 95 inches and was painted in 1913.

The catalogue provides the following commentary:

"Selbstbidnis mit Modell beongs to a series of bold religious allegories, in which Egon Schiele portrayed himself together with his lover and model, Valerie Walburga Neuzil, called 'Wally.' The present painting ranks among the most accomplished and ambitious of all of the artist's paintings."

The lot has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $7,000,000. It sold for $11,323,750.

Lot 14, 'Peinture," by Joan Miró, oil on canvas, 57 3/4 by 45 inches, 1933

Lot 14 is a large oil on canvas abstraction by Joan Miró (1893-1983). It measures 57 3/4 by 45 inches and was painted in 1933. It is one of 18 large works that he painted that year that were based on some collages he had made. It has an estimate of $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. It sold for $10,987,750.

Lot 40, Les trois acrobates," by Marc Chagall, oil on canvas, 45 3/4 by 34 7/8 inches, 1926

Lot 40 is a large oil on canvas of three acrobats by Marc Chagall (1887-1985). It measures 45 3/4 by 34 7/8 inches and was painted in 1926. It has an estimate of $6,000,000 to $9,000,000. It sold for $13,003,750.

Lot 29, "Pommiers en fleurs - Louveciennes," by Alfred Sisley, oil on canvas, 20 by 28 1/4 inches, 1873

Lot 29 is a very nice landscape with figures in Louveciennes by Alfred Sisley (1839-1899). An oil on canvas, it measures 20 by 28 1/4 inches and was painted in 1873. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,800,000. It sold for $2,363,750.

Lot 31, "Printemps à Venez," by Alfred Sisley, oil on canvas, 28 3/4 by 35 1/4 inches, 1880

Another very fine and lovely oil on canvas by Sisley is Lot 31, "Printemps à Venez." It measures 28 3/4 by 35 1/4 inches and was painted in 1880. It has an estimate of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. It sold for $3,259,750.

Lot 5, "Maisons sur un coteau, hiver, environs de Louveciennes,"by Camille Pissarro, oil on canvas, 12 1/4 by 18 1/8 inches, 1872

Lot 5 is a superb, small landscape of Louveciennes in winter by Camille Pissarro (1830-1903). An oil on canvas, it measures 12 1/4 by 18 1/8 inches and was painted in 1872. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,083,750.

See The City Review article on the Spring 2013 Impressionist & Modern Art evening auction at Sotheby's New York

See The City Review article on the Sotheby's evening auction May 10, 2000 of Impressionist & Modern Art

See The City Review article on the May 11, 2000 auction at Sotheby's of Impressionist & Modern Art, Part 2

See The City Review article on the Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Auction, Part I, Nov. 11, 1999

See The City Review article on Part Two of the Sotheby's auction November 11, 1999 of Impressionist & Modern Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 8, 1999 evening sale of Impressionist & Post Impressionist Art

See The City Review article on the morning auction Nov. 9, 1999 of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art at Christie's

See The City Review article on the afternoon auction Nov. 9, 1999 of Impressionist and Twentieth Century Works on Paper at Christie's

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 9, 1999 evening auction of Twentieth Century Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's Nov. 10, 1999 day auction of Twentieth Century Art

See The City Review analysis of Part 1 of the Sotheby's auction May 11, 1999 of Impressionist and Modern Art

See The City Review analysis of Part 2 of the Sotheby's May 12, 1999 auction of Impressionist and Modern Art

See The City Review article on the Christie's May 12, 1999 auction of Impressionist Art and 19th Century Art

See The City Review of the Christie's May 13, 1999 auction of 20th Century and Modern Art

Recap of the Spring 1998 Impressionist and Modern Auctions

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