“Eventually all these objects which have brought so much pleasure to Peggy and me will go out into the world and will again be available to other caretakers who, hopefully, will derive the same satisfaction and joy from them as we have over these past several decades.” — David Rockefeller 1992
Last weekend I enjoyed an early Mother’s Day weekend in New York with a scrumptious dinner at La Gouloe, breakfast overlooking Central Park at the Metropolitan Club, lunch at Nello, and a tour of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller curated by our own in-house tour guide Abby Bisbee! Our family is blessed to be affiliated with the Christie’s brand both with the auction house and with Christie’s International Real Estate!
Claude Monet (1840-1926) Extérieur de la gare Saint-Lazare, effet de soleil, Painted in Paris, 1877. 24 1/8 x 31 ¾ in. (61.3 x 80.7 cm.) Sold for USD 32,937,500
Running from May 8 – May 11, the auction of The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller is poised to set an all-time record of selling for over $1 billion (a mark never before crossed) at Christie’s in NY. All of the proceeds from the sale will be going to selected charities that Peggy and David Rockefeller supported throughout their lifetime. Christie’s highlights that “today, through numerous philanthropic and civic endeavors, the Rockefellers continue to promote research, sustainability, and development throughout the Asian continent and around the world.”
Georges Seurat (1859-1891), La rade de Grandcamp (Le port de Grandcamp), painted in the summer of 1885. Oil on canvas. 25¾ x 32 in (65.4 x 81.2 cm). Sold for $34,062,500
Gathered from treasures handed down from previous generations as well as an unparalleled assemblage acquired over a lifetime, the collection reflects the Rockefellers’ passion for art ranging from Impressionism, American and Asian art; English and European decorative art; and Chinese, Japanese, Korean and European porcelain. Artists represented include Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Gilbert Stuart, Edward Hopper and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Pomme, Painted in 1914 (Gift from the artist to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Paris in December 1914). 5 3/8 x 7 in. (13.5 x 17.7 cm.) Provenance
Last night’s opening evening of the sale brought enormous interest and resulted in new world auction records set for some of the most celebrated artists of the modern age. According to Christie’s, “the top price of the sale was achieved with Picasso’s Fillette à la corbeille fleurie from 1905, which realised $115,000,000 (including buyer’s commission) — the artist’s second highest at auction.”
Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), Fleurs dans un vase, Painted in 1886-1887 and 1893-1895, 23 7/8 x 28 7/8 in. (60.7 x 73.9 cm.) Sold for USD 19,437,500
Joan Miro (1893-1983), Mural I, Mural II, Mural III, (3)Each painted in December 1933, Each: 21 ¾ x 98 3/8 in. (55.2 x 249.8 cm.), Sold for USD 20,000,000
To view the lots or watch the sale, please visit Christie’s website. It is breathtaking to zoom into each artwork and see the individual brushstrokes used to create each masterpiece!
