Art/Auctions/Impressionist & Modern Art auction at Christie's, May 6, 2014

Lot 8, "Nymphéas," by Claude Monet, oil on canvas, 39 3/8 by 32 inches, 1907

By Carter B. Horsley

The May 6, 2014 auction of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie's New York is highlighted by three wonderful works by Pierre Auguste Renoir, a good waterlily painting by Claude Monet, a very fine work by Amedeo Modigliani, numerous works by Pablo Picasso, and good examples by Wassily Kandinsky, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti and Joan Miró.

Lot 8, "Nymphéas," is an oil on canvas by Claude Monet (1840-1926) that measures 39 3/8 by 32 inches and was painted in 1907. It was being sold by the estate of Huguette Clark, one of two daughters of W. A. Clark, the "copper king" who was United States Senator from Montana from 1901 to 1907. Much of his art collection was given to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., and his widow and Huguette moved to 907 Fifth Avenue after his death. Huguette died in 2011 at the age of 104. The painting, one of more than 100 waterlily scenes by Monet, has an estimate of $25,000,000 to $35,000,000. It sold for $27,045,000 including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. The buyer was "Asian private."

The sale sold 47 of 53 offered lots - 89 percent - for $285,879,000, Christie's highest total in this category since May, 2010. The high percentage of sold lots was very encouraging given the poor performance of the auction houses in recent years in terms of the high number of buy-ins. The pre-sale low estimate was $243,700,000 and the pre-sale high estimate was $359,100,000. After the sale, Brooke Lampley, the head of the department, said that "Christie's was very pleased with the sale" and that it was "clearly a testament to interest in the field" that people from 36 countries had registered to bid. Most lots sold at the low end of their estimate.

Lot 17, "Stranszene," by Wassily Kandinsky, oil on board, 20 3/4 by 26 1/8 inches, 1909

Lot 17 is a good landscape by Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) entitled "Stranszene." An oil on board, it measures 20 3/4 by 26 1/8 inches and was painted in 1909. It comes from the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection and has been widely exhibited. It has an estimate of $16,000,000 to $22,000,000. It sold for $17,189,000.

Lot 4, "Pointes noires," by Wassily Kandinsky, oil on canvas, 39 1/8 by 31 3/4 inches, 1937

Lot 4 is a strong abstraction by Wassily Kandinsky, entitled "Pointes noires." An oil on canvas, it measures 39 1/8 by 31 3/4 inches and was painted in 1937. It has been widely exhibited and published. It has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $5,765,000.

Lot 5, "Jeune homme roux assis," by Amedeo Modigliani, oil on canvas, 39 1/2 by 25 5/8 inches, 1919

Lot 5 is an excellent oil on canvas of a seated young man by Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920). It measures 39 1/2 by 25 5/8 inchs and was painted in 1919. It was once by Robert C. Guccione of New York and was subsequently sold at Sotheby's New York November 5, 2002 when it had a conservative estimate of $6,000,000 to $8,000,000 and sold for $8,479,500. Mr. Guccione bought the painting at Sotheby's in 1984 for about $1,900,000. It has been widely published and exhibited. It sold for $17,637,200 at this auction.

Lot 15, "Femme nue couchée au collier," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 16 inches square, 1932

Lot 15, "Femme nue couchée au collier," by Pablo Picasso is an oil on canvas that is 16 inches square. The catalogue notes that it "belongs to a rhapsodic sequence of some ten paintings of similar composition and dimensions executed between March and August 1932" depicting the artist's sleeping mistress, Marie-Thérèse Walter. It once belonged to Evelyn Sharp of New York and was exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1978. It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $11,365,000.

Lot 29, "Portrait of femme (Dora Maar),"by Pablo Picasso, oil on panel, 39 1/8 by 31 3/4 inches, 1942

Lot 29 is a oil portrait on panel of Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso. It measures 39 1/8 by 31 3/4 inches and was painted in 1942. It is from the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection. It has an estimate of $25.000,.000 to $35,000,000. It sold for $22,500,000.

Lot 21, "Mangeuse de pastèque et homme écrivant," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 51 1/8 by 63 3/8 inches,1965

Lot 21 is a large and bold oil on canvas by Picasso entitled "Mangeuse de pastèque et homme écrivant (watermelon eater and man writing)." It measures 51 1/8 by 63 3/8 inches and was painted in 1965. It is property of Edgar M. Bronfman. It has an estimate o $7,000,000 to $10,000,000. It sold for $8,005,000.

Lot 42, "Deux Femmes et enfant," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 74 3/8 by 50 5/8 inches, 1922

Lot 42, "Deux Femmes et enfant," is a lovely oil sketch on canvas by Pablo Picasso. It measures 74 3/8 by 50 5/8 inches and was painted in 1922. It was once owned by Mrs. Charles Suydam Cutting, Justin K. Thannhauser and the Newark Museum. It has an estimate of $12,000,000 to $18,000,000. It sold for $13,045,000.

Lot 1, "Composition: Nu sur la plage," by Pablo Picasso, watercolor, brush and pen and India ink on paper, 15 1/4 by 19 1/4 inches, 1933

Lot 1 is a pleasant watercolor by Picasso entitled "Composition: Nu sur la Plage." It measures 15 1/4 by 19 1/4 inches and was executed in 1933. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $2,517,000.

Lot 32, "Tete d'homme," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 28 3/4 by 23 3/4 inches,1972

Lot 32 is a strong head of a man by Picasso that was painted in 1932. An oil on canvas, it measures 28 3/4 by 23 3/4 inches. It has an estimate of $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. It sold for $4,869,800.

Lot 27, "Nature morte au filet depeche," by Pablo Picasso, oil on canvas, 38 1/2 by 32 1/4 inches, 1925

Lot 27 is a strong still life with fruit and a fishnet by Pablo Picasso. An oil on canvas, it measures 38 1/2 by 32 1/4 inches. It was painted in 1925. It is from the Viktor and Marianne Langen Collection. It has an estimate of $6,000,000 to $9,000,000. It sold for $9,013,000.

Lot 10, "Jeune filles jouant au volant," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, oil on canvas, 21 1/2 by 25 5/8 inches, circa 1887

Lot 10, "Jeune filles jouant au volant," is a charming and very fine oil on canvas by Renoir. An oil on canvas, it was painted circa 1887 and measures 21 1/2 by 25 5/8 inches. Two of the five girls are playing badminton. It is part of what Christie's calls "the Clark Family Treasures." It has been widely exhibited and published. It has an estimate of $10,000,000 to $15,000,000. It sold for $11,365,000.

Lot 11, "Chrysanthèmes," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, oil on canvas, 25 1/4 by 21 1/4 inches, circa 1875-1880

Another "Clark Family Treasure" is Lot 11, "Chrysanthèmes," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. A sparkling oil on canvas, it measures 25 1/4 by 21 1/4 inches and was painted circa 1875-1880. It has an estimate of $3,500,000 to $5,500,000. It was passed at $2,600,000.

Lot 7, "Les deux soeurs," by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, oil on canvas, 21 3/4 by 18 1/4 inches, circa 1890-5

Lot 7, "Les deux soeurs," is a very fine and very charming oil on canvas by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919). It measures 21 3/4 by 18 1/4 inches and was painted circa 1890-5. It is more painterly and colorful than a very similar composition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The catalogue entry suggests that the brunette in the picture was Julie, the daughter of Berthe Morisot and her husband Eugene Manet.

Detail of Lot 7

The lot has an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000. It sold for $8,005,000.

Sculpture of a man and painting by Giacometti

Two views of Lot 33, "Femme de Venise IV," by Alberto Giacometti, bronze, 45 1/2 inches high, cast in 1957 and numbered 2 of 6

Lot 33 is a 45 1/2-inch-high bronze statue of a woman by Alberto Giacometti that is entitled "Femme de Venise IV. It was cast in 1957 and is number 2/6. It has an estimate of $10,000,000 to $18,000,000. It sold for $12,709,000.

Lot 14, "Le Modèle," by Georges Braque, oil and sand on canvas, 39 1/8 by 39 1/2 inches, 1939

Lot 14 is a lovely and very fine oil and sand on canvas by Georges Braque (1882-1963) entitled Le Modèle." It measures 39 1/8 by 39 1/2 inches and was painted in 1939. It has an estimate of $8,000,000 to $12,000,000. It sold for $9,125,000.

Lot 35, "Le Fenetre," by Marc Chagall, oil and sawdust on canvas, 59 by 47 1/8 inches, 1959

Lot 35, "Le Fenetre," is an excellent work by Marc Chagall (1887-1985). An oil and sawdust on canvas, it measures 59 by 47 1/8 inches and was painted in 1959. It has an estimate of $1,400,000 to $1,800,00. It sold for $2,133,000.

Lot 38, "L'étoile insaissable," by Joan Miro, oil on canvas, 76 3/4 by 51 1/8 inches, 1968

Lot 38 is an excellent abstraction by Joan Miro (1893-1983) entitled "L'étoile insaissable" An oil on canvas, it measures 76 3/4 by 51 1/8 inches and was painted in 1968. It was once owned by Helly Nahmad, who was senteced this month for gambling. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. Mr. Nahmad attended the auction. It sold for $3,637,000.

Lot 47, "Tangotee," by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil on canvas, 27 3/4 by 31 5/8 inches, 1921

Lot 47, "Tangotee," is an oil on canvas by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938). It measures 27 3/4 by 31 5/8 inches and was painted in 1921. It has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $2,045,000.

Lot 2, "Constructeurs, échelle et roue," by Fernand Léger, oil, gouache and brush and India ink on paper, 41 1/4 by 28 1/8 inches, 1950

Lot 2 is a fine oil, gouache and brush and India ink on paper entitled "Constructeurs, échelle et roue," by Fernand Léger (1881-1955). It measures 41 1/4 by 28 1/8 inches and was painted in 1950. The catalogue notes that it is one of five "half-scale" canvases that were studies for the large finished painting at the Musée Fernand Léger in Biot, France. The catalogue also said that the series "is Léger's paean to the working class, both within French Society and in the increasingly industrialized world at large, and moreover as a universal symbol of homo faber, man the maker and builder, a tribute which appplies to architects and planners as well," The lot has an estimate of $1,000,000 to $1,500,000. It sold for $1,565,000.

Lot 16, "Le Baisir," by Constantin Brancusi, plaster, 14 1/4 inches high, this unique plaster cast in 1946

Lot 16 is a unique 1946 plaster case of a stone sculpture of 1925 by Constantin Brancusi (1867-1957). It is 14 1/4 inches high. It has an estimate of $5,000,000 to $8,000,000. It sold for $8,565,000.

See The City Review article on the Spring 2014 Impressionist & Modern Art auction at Sotheby's New York
See The City Review article on the Fall 2013 Impressionist & Modern Art auction at Sotheby's New York
See The City Review article on the Spring 2013 Impressionist & Modern Art auction at Christie's New York
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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