Cezanne got all the press at Christie’s modern and impressionists auction last week in New York, but the legacy of Henri Matisse more than held its own with the sale of his painting of a pot of pivoines (peonies) that went for $19.1m, $7m more than the high estimate. At the same sale Cezanne’s watercolor study for “The Card Players,” sold for the same price.Picasso was also amply represented at the sale with some paintings featuring his now familiar mistress, Marie-Therese Walter, selling briskly at mid-level (for him) prices. Picasso was a lifelong rival of Matisse and a huge admirer of Cezanne, publicly acknowledging the older man’s influence on his work, particularly cubism.
Matisse Holds His Own Against Cezanne
May 07, 2012
James Bond Barn Find: $90K ‘Thunderball’ Watch
May 22, 2013The latest dramatic barn find involves a Breitling Top Time, the very watch Sean Connery wore in “Thunderball.” Several years ago a collector snapped it up at a yard sale for less than $40. Suspecting a higher value, the anonymous buyer took it to an expert for evaluation. The savvy collector wasn’t wrong: when the watch appears at a Christie’s auction next month in London, it’s expected to sell for as much as $90,000.
Read more...
“Harry Legacy” Sells For $26.m
May 17, 2013Money has been flooding into the rapidly rising diamond market in recent months, as collectors seek remunerative parking spots for their investment dollars. The latest example is the $26.7m that jeweler Harry Winston paid this week at a Christie’s auction in Geneva for a flawless 101.73-carat “colorless” diamond. The price was a new high for a diamond of this type, exceeding the last auction price record by more than $10m.
Read more...
Bizarre Topless Photo of Jolie, $45,500
May 16, 2013A bizarre topless photo of Angelina Jolie called “Horseplay” sold at Christie’s London auction last night for $45,500. The “Wild Side of Photography” sale was scheduled well before Jolie’s double mastectomy announcement. Taken when she was 25, the photo also prominently displays a “Billy Bob” tattoo, referring to former husband Thornton who has since been removed from her shoulder and her life.
Read more...Contributors
Rising Value of Unrestored Cars
By Malcolm Welford, Vintage Car Specialist
