Auction Preview: Phillips - Modern Masters
Phillips is a powerhouse when it comes to 20th Century Design, and this sale Modern Masters, as well as it’s sister sale Design feature some absolute treasures. Let me take you through some of my favorites:
Lot 202: Gio Ponti, Distex Armchair (model #807), accompanied by a rare footstool. £30,000 - £40,000
This set is absolutely beautiful. The teal tones in the fabric are throughly indicative of Ponti’s mid century preferences (this set was completed in 1954). The swooping angles of the foot stool and chair reflect off of each other in a way that is truly stunning. It almost seems as though Evil Kneivel could launch himself off of the foot stool and up over the chair. The set is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
Lot 205: Carlo Mollino, Pair of Conference Room Chairs from the Lattes Publishing House. £160,000 - £220,000
I am so, so comfortable just looking at these chairs, made in 1951. There is something about the sense of tension in Mollino’s chairs that make them look so harsh but so welcoming at the same time, and these two really capture that je ne sais quoi. The tension of the bent wood give this chair a sense of restrained movement, but yet you still want to sit on them. These two chairs were part of a set of 12, originally designed for the Lattes Publishing House, an institution with which Mollino had close ties. Additionally, they have a clear provenance having been in the possession of a descendant of a publishing house employee. I could easily see these selling for well past the low estimate, as an individual, but slightly different chair sold at Sotheby’s in December for $336,500.
Lot 207: Jean Royère, Important Trèfle Sideboard £70,000 - £90,000
This sideboard is a prime example of the playfulness that Royère explored throughout his career. Completed circa 1942, this sideboard’s red, curving panels, like many of Royère’s mid-century pieces, bring to mind something fun and colorful, if not toy-like. Despite the ways in which Royère’s aesthetic is now sometimes seen as kitchy or unsophisticated, the red leather covered panels on this sideboard are just too beautiful to pass up.
Lot 210: Emile - Jacques Ruhlmann, Rare & Important Ceiling Light (Model #3542NR) £120,000 - £150,000
I have always absolutely loved Ruhlmann. He was a master cabinet maker and had a way with wood unlike anyone else. It is always a pleasant surprise to see a Ruhlmann piece that is so throughly of the moment, such as this. While Ruhlmann used exotic woods for his cabinets, tables, and chairs, he frequently experimented with other materials when creating lighting. By 1930, when this ceiling fixture was made, there was a tension in the design community. While some, like Ruhlmann were wedded to the idea of using traditional materials, such as wood, others, like Charlotte Perriand, were pushing furniture making forward with the use of metal. Here, Ruhlmann expertly blends what was a thoroughly and completely modern metal structure with beautiful pieces of alabaster. This ceiling fixture is so perfectly Art Deco, while also being stunningly beautiful. I could see this going towards the high estimate, as the Ruhlmann market is always competitive and a piece such as this one, which is both rare and exceedingly beautiful, creates the kind of bidding wars auction houses dream of. This is by far my favorite piece in this sale.
Lot 213: Alberto Giacometti Tete de Femme table lamp. £100,000 - £150,000
This example of Alberto Giacometti’s Tete de Femme lamps, cast in bronze, features a more rare dark patina. This darkness, adds to the beauty of the femme, as she now appears sullen and mysterious, a quality that does not come through with lighter bronze and plaster examples. In addition to being a great example of one of Giacometti’s signature styles, this lamp was in the personal collection of Lauren Bacall, an actress from the golden age of Hollywood. This particular lamp was sold in December of 2015 at Bonham’s for $112,500, and as the Giacometti market has continued to explode in the months since, it is very possible that because of both the provenance and unusual color that this lamp will sell for a fairly high price. It is also registered with the Giacometti Committee and is accompanied by an original copy of their authenticity letter.
Lot 218: A.A. Rateau Dining Set from hôtel particulier Thalheimer, Paris. £1,000,000 - £1,500,000.
These chairs, executed in 1931, show the ways in which Rateau’s work in wood was vastly different from what he completed in bronze. His bronze works were heavy, highly ornamented interpretations of Classical forms, while his work using wood was more subdued, and shows less of the individualistic traits that Rateau is now known for. Rateau has always been classified by scholars as someone who operated within the circles of other Art Deco masters, but who truly created his own unique style. While that is thoroughly true for his work in bronze, such as the pool chairs from the Blumental apartment in New York, you can see here that his work with wood, out of all of his creations, is what most clearly shows his influences from the trends of the time. The legs of the chairs however, show the ornamentation and curving lines that Rateau favored. While Rateau’s pieces can fetch incredible prices both at auction and in galleries, his work in wood tends to sell for considerably less. Additionally, most people who buy Rateau pieces are highly focused Rateau collectors. They own multiple pieces of his work. Because this is the only Rateau piece in this sale, I see it as possible that this lot receives no bids at all. Despite being culturally significant and beautiful, at times it can be tough for an auction house to sell Rateau pieces, especially ones in this price range.
Lot 225: Jean Prouvé 6x9 Demountable House with Pyrobal Fireplace. £700,000 - £900,000
By far the most ambitious lot in this auction is lot 225, one of Jean Prouvé’s Demountable Houses, consigned by Galerie Patrick Seguin, who has been featuring a wonderful series of timelapse video’s of the house’s construction on their Instagram page. Commissioned by the French government in the aftermath of the Second World War, these houses were meant to be easily transported and assembled. At this time, there was a huge need for housing for refugees and other homeless victims of the war. This particular lot is a prime example of what Prouvé created for the state. The parts were manufactured to be standardized, and also to reduce the use of steal, a scarce resource in the postwar era. While this lot is clearly of huge significance, one cannot help but wonder what someone would do after purchasing this. While I think the estimate is not far off if there are bids, I feel that the only shot of selling this lot is for it to be purchased by a gallery or museum. Perhaps there is a very wealthy, very enthusiastic Prouvé collector who needs to put the cherry on top of their collection, but that seems a bit doubtful to me. As someone who has spent a lot of time coordinating fine art shipments, I can’t even imagine the cost of shipping this lot.
30 Berkeley Square, London
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