Christie's Has $10m Kandinsky Improvisation for Fall

Christie's announced yesterday that it would be selling the 180 object collection of a French couple across multiple sales in New York, Paris, and Geneva.

The Modern and Post-War works of art were assembled with the guidance of renowned advisor Alain Tarica, who also advised Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé as well as Hubertus and Renate Wald for their collections. This collection is led by Wassily Kandinsky’s Improvisation mit Pferden (Studie für Improvisation 20) which is estimated between $10,000,000 and 15,000,000, and executed in 1911. The group encompasses works by artists including, Marcel Duchamp,  Francis Picabia, Man Ray, Gino Severini, van Doesburg, Henri Laurens, amongst others, a unique grouping of masterpieces, all executed in those crucial few years between 1911 and 1920. …The collection also comprises ten works of Contemporary Art. In this section, connoisseurs will discover pieces by Dan Flavin and an  Yves Klein Monogold executed in 1959 and estimated at $1,200,000-1,800,000.

Artelligence

Berkshire Museum Looks to Raise $40-60m with Sales of Rockwell, Calder & Church: The Berkshire Museum has decided to shift its focus to natural history and will be selling some valuable art to increase the endowment by $40m and fund $20m in upgrades to the physical plant. Sales at Sotheby's of two Rockwells and assorted other works are expected to go a long way toward meeting those financial goals. Read More>>>> …

Who Knew Philip Johnson Was Such a Julian Schnabel Fan? The Connecticut Post reveals that Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan has several of its eight Schnabel works on view at the historic home and museum. Turns out the arch-modernist had great enthusiasm for Schnabel's work in the eighties. Read More>>>> …

Kara Walker Talks to NPR About the High Museum's Acquisition of Her Work: The High now has acquired one of Kara Walker's pieces she talks with local NPR host Lois Reitzes about her childhood in nearby Stone Mountain and her work. Listen here>>>> …

Christie's Promotes Stone and Zonars: Christie's issued a press release yesterday announcing that "Jonathan Stone and Tina Zonars have been appointed Co-Chairmen of the Asian Art department. Stone has also been appointed Deputy Chairman for Asia, reporting to Fran?ois Curiel, Chairman of Christie’s Europe and Asia. In their new roles, Mr. Stone and Ms. Zonars will focus on business-getting, working with top collectors in Asia and in Americas and Europe, respectively."

Alice Cooper Finds Warhol Electric Chair in the Attic

The Guardian publishes a great shaggy dog story about how Alice Cooper came to discover he owned a Warhol that had been bought during his period of greatest rock star excess. Unfortunately, the work was not signed and the denouement to the story seems to be that Cooper owns something valuable but somewhat in limbo. The press seems to be part of an effort to authenticate the nebulous work. Read More>>>>

Did Zombie Formalism's Collapse Kill the Market?

https://www.artmarketmonitor.com/

The New York Times suggests the decline of Zombie Formalism had an oversized impact on the contemporary art market. What we've published for our AMMpro subscribers in both sales data and sentiment polling suggests there has been a wholesale re-orientation of the market toward historical works by recognized or under-recognized masters. These works have been of greater value than the low to mid-six figure formalists. And a broader range of dealers and collectors have been making a concerted effort to uncover and promote these historical artists over the past several years. Which leads us to conclude the Zombie apocalypse is more myth than reality. Read More>>>>