Christie’s 234

Art stories to feed the mind and soul



‘One of the finest painters of the 20th century’ — the life and art of Robert Motherwell



Decoding the mysteries of a 500-year-old Buddhist painting gifted by the Ming court


‘
‘I don’t want people to feel at ease’ — Lord Snowdon and the images that sealed his notoriety



40 galleries, 4,000 years of art history and one trailblazing online collaboration



Swirling petticoats, the Parisian demi-monde and the rise of Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters



‘I just like beautiful things’ — inside a splendid collection that reflects the best of French taste


More stories

Editor’s picks





In Virgil’s Aeneid, a breastplate is awarded as a prize to be worn with ‘pride and protection in battle’. These boxing gloves, signed by Muhammad Ali, are both ornament and tool of defence — simultaneously pop icons and symbols of Ali’s sporting prowess

Estimate: $2,000-3,000
until 17 September, Online






This ruby and diamond pendantfrom French jeweller Lucien Gautrait dates to around 1900, the pinnacle of Art Nouveau. Its sinuous lines, floral motifs and enamel work echo the designs of René Lalique, the movement’s leading exponent

Estimate: $1,000-2,000
until 22 September, Online






The Bauhaus alumnus and polymath Max Bill was a key figure in the constructivist Allianz group, as well as a leading theorist and practitioner of graphic design. His colourful, geometric abstractions, such as zerstrahlung von grün, are striking examples of the Swiss designer’s pioneering style

Estimate: CHF 30,000-40,000
until 29 September, Online






Commissioned by Catherine the Great, the legendary Orloff dinner service was gifted to its namesake, the empress’s lover. This soup tureen is a magnificent example from the 3,000-piece service, regarded as the earliest expression of the Neo-Classical style in silver

Estimate: €800,000-1,200,000
15 September, Paris










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Portrait of Robert Motherwell in his Provincetown Studio. Robert Motherwell Papers, Dedalus Foundation Archives // An important imperial painting of Chakrasamvara, China, dated to the 13th year of Chenghua, corresponding to 1477 (detail). Estimate: $300,000-500,000. Offered in Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art on 24 September 2020 at Christie’s in New York // Photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, in 1958 (detail). Photo: Tom Blau / Camera Press // Hans Hartung, P1973-A36, 1973. Offered in La Biennale Paris, 24 September-8 October, Online. Artwork: © Hans Hartung, DACS 2020 // Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), La Reine de Joie (detail). Estimate: $20,000-30,000. Offered in The Collection of A. Jerrold Perenchio Chartwell: An Henri Samuel Commission, 1-16 September 2020, Online // Portrait of Commandant Paul-Louis Weiller (detail). Photo: © François Lochon/Gamma-Rapho/via Getty Images

 

I have the 1992 sales catalog showing the Ortloff tureen. The estimate then was slightly higher than it is now. (Don't have the sale results.)