London – Christie’s London sale of Photographs on 15 May will be led by a group of 14 unique gelatin silver prints, including oversized works by Peter Beard, largely commissioned by and for photography collector Anne Igou in 1997, owner of the Hotel Nord Pinus in Arles. After more than a decade of being displayed on the principal walls of the Nord Pinus, located in the heart of Arles, this exceptional group of prints will be offered for the first time on the market. Works such as Elephant reaching for the last branch on a tree ‘End- Game’ trip through Tsavo, June 1960, (estimate: £40,000-60,000, illustrated above left), provide an opportunity for discerning collectors around the world to acquire photographs with remarkable provenance. The sale will also feature works by 20th century masters, along with a carefully selected group of Contemporary and fashion photography, led by the work of Helmut Newton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Horst P. Horst and David LaChapelle. Comprising 108 lots with estimates ranging from £1,500 to 70,000, the sale is expected to realise in the region of £1.5 million.
INTO THE WILD
These images and their unique manuscript texts bear witness to a magnificent world – a world in its primal state, free and vital. But for how much longer…? – Anne Igou
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Peter Beard in the Nord Pinus, 1997
© Michel Breguet
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Commissioned by Anne Igou, these gelatin silver prints with blood artwork and inscriptions include the present works from left to right: Giraffes in mirage on the Taru Desert, Kenya, for the End of the Game, June 1960 (estimate: £50,000-70,000); Francis Bacon on his rooftop at 80 Narrow Street, Lon., done during the dead elephant interviews for the End of the Game, 1975 (estimate: £12,000-18,000); Hog Ranch Night Feeder, 2am, Maureen G. and Mbuno, Nairobi, Kenya, For the Last Word from Paradise, March 1987 (estimate: £20,000-30,000), and Tsavo National Park, founded April Fool’s Day, 1968 (estimate: £40,000-60,000 illustrated on page 1).
WOMAN, IN ALL HER GUISES
The exceptional roll call of 20th century masters includes Helmut Newton, with the iconic print Sie Kommen, Paris, 1981 (estimate: £30,000-50,000, illustrated centre); André Kertesz’s early print of a Surrealist nude produced using fun-fair distorting mirrors, Distortion No. 172, 1933 (estimate: £20,000-30,000, illustrated above left) and Horst P. Horst’s American Nude, New York, 1982 (estimate: £20,000-30,000 illustrated above right).
CONTEMPORARY
The Contemporary section of the sale will be highlighted by four works by David LaChapelle, including the artist’s proof of Angelina Jolie, Horseplay, Los Angeles, 2001 (estimate: £25,000-35,000, illustrated on page one) and Berlin Stories, 2009, which is number 2 from an edition of 3 (estimate: £25,000-35,000, illustrated above left). Also featured is a staged scene of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt around a family dinner table entitled Case Study No. 13, Image No. 34, 2005 (estimate: £8,000-12,000, illustrated above centre) as well as Albert Watson’s oversized chromogenic print Michael Jackson, New York City, 1998, which is the second print from an edition of 5 (estimate: £12,000-18,000 illustrated above right).
FASHION ICONS
The fashion section showcases a stunning array of sensual images. From left to right: Albert Watson’s Kate Moss, Marrakech, 1993, (estimate: £10,000 – 15,000); Terence Donovan’s Cindy Crawford for British Vogue, August 1988 (estimate: £2,500 – 3,500); a unique gelatin silver print by Peter Lindbergh Linda shot in Paris, July 1988 – with my left hand (estimate: £5,000-7,000) and Naomi Seated, Hollywood, 1991, by Herb Ritts (estimate: £4,000-6,000).
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