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Trusted advisor to financial Maecenas including Rockefeller, Morgan, Frick, Bache, Huntington and Edward G. Robinson in America, as well as the chosen intermediary in Europe of everyone from the French Rothschilds to Gulbenkian, the Bolsheviks and even Pope Pius VI - who considered disposing of Michelangelo's Pieta to raise funds for the poor - Wildenstein's legacy is unsurpassed in the annals of the art market.
The collection of French furniture and works of art, however, was a private passion - voraciously and discretely pursued for the embellishment of the Grandes Galeries of the hôtel de Wailly. A private palace, unpublished save for six illustrations in Charles Packer's 1956 book on Paris Furniture, this veritable connoisseur's collection has remained unknown and unresearched by a century of furniture historians and collectors. Remaining in untouched and unrestored condition, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
It is Christie's very great pleasure to be able to reveal these hidden treasures and we look forward to sharing them with you in London in early December.
Orlando Rock, Department Head, Private Collection & Country House Sales, London
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