HARRY BERTOIA (1915-1978)
HARRY BERTOIA (1915-1978)
HARRY BERTOIA (1915-1978)
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On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial int… Read more UNFORGETTABLE LIGHT: PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF LUCIA ZURKOWSKI
HARRY BERTOIA (1915-1978)

Untitled (Sonambient), 1977

Details
HARRY BERTOIA (1915-1978)
Untitled (Sonambient), 1977
forty-nine rod in a seven by seven configuration
silicon bronze, beryllium copper, brass
39 1⁄2 x 11 7⁄8 x 11 7⁄8 in. (100.3 x 30.2 x 30.2 cm)
impressed HB 31.50
Provenance
Private Midwestern Collection, acquired directly from the artist
Sotheby's, New York, 15 June 2011, lot 111
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Special notice
On occasion, Christie's has a direct financial interest in the outcome of the sale of certain lots consigned for sale. This will usually be where it has guaranteed to the Seller that whatever the outcome of the auction, the Seller will receive a minimum sale price for the work. This is known as a minimum price guarantee. This is such a lot.
Further details
This sculpture is one example from the only numbered edition Harry Bertoia created. Executed in 1977, this series was undertaken after Bertoia was diagnosed with an advanced form of lung cancer, and intended to provide financial support to his family and employees after he passed.

This lot is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the Harry Bertoia Foundation, St. George, Utah.

Brought to you by

Daphné Riou
Daphné Riou SVP, Senior Specialist, Head of Americas

Lot Essay

Lucia Zurkowski was a woman who was full of life, bringing a natural curiosity and creative spirit to all that she pursued.  Highly independent, Lucia carved a unique path in her life that gathered great art and close friends into her well-appointed home, and was always driven by her deep love of her Italian heritage.  With eclectic interests ranging from cooking, to horticulture, to collecting works of art by the masters, the Unforgettable Light that Lucia brought to the world was widely remembered by her friends and family, permeating all of her creative pursuits.  Exceptional works by Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso alongside elegant drawings by Matisse and Degas were complemented by robust sculpture by Harry Bertoia.  As a resident of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Harry Bertoia’s connection to southeast Michigan made it a natural fit for the collection.  His Italian heritage sealed the deal, and three exceptional sculptures by Harry Bertoia were a focal point of her home.  Her creativity extended into her fondness for flowers, and a nostalgia for the gardens she frequented in her youth was a driver of her tastes - as evidenced by the warm palette of apricot and lemon, colors of the Italian countryside, which permeated her home.  Bertoia’s phenomenal Bush sculpture captured the allure of the topiaries in the Italian landscape, rendered in green patinated bronze.  The two kinetic Sonambient sculptures added to the tactile environment of her home with their soft chimes and reverberating sounds.  Tasteful, elegant and always fun, Lucia Zurkowski was a an exceptional person that emanated an Unforgettable Light.

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