Web Exclusives

  • 21 September 2011 Poetic Beauty: The Silver Apples of the Moon by Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh The whereabouts of The Silver Apples of the Moon is listed as unknown in publications on Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, the wife of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the pioneering Glasgow architect, interior decorator and painter. It is thrilling therefore to have discovered the painting and to be offering it for sale.
  • 9 August 2011 In Conversation: A Multiple Match Wine Specialist, Tim Triptree and Prints Specialist, Tim Schmelcher, discuss the key qualities of their own specialist areas and discover there are more similarities than may meet the eye. Their shared enthusiasm for craftsmanship, rarity and condition sparks a fascinating and enlightening conversation.
  • 9 August 2011 All Eyes on Prints The sale of Old Master Prints on 7 July was a tremendous success, highlighted by a world record for any print by Albrecht Dürer at auction, for a magnificent impression of Adam and Eve, which sold for £409,000.
  • 9 August 2011 A Great Curatorial and Auction Success The Arcana Collection has set a new benchmark of exceptional quality, rarity and provenance in the world of illuminated manuscripts. Eugenio Donadoni, Junior Specialist in Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, discusses the significance of this extraordinary collection and the success of this final sale.
  • 9 August 2011 Exceptional Prices for the Best Drawings Christie's was delighted by the enthusiastic response to our inaugural sale of Old Master & Early British Drawings & Watercolours. Our results are proof that even after the recent economic difficulties, there is still a competitive and strong market for high-quality drawings by key artists, which are fresh to the market and in good condition.
  • 24 May 2010 A Star is Born An extremely rare opportunity to acquire an exceptional work by the artist Stephen Wiltshire has arisen at Christie’s. Times Square at night is an exquisite example of Wiltshire’s talent and one of his most iconic creations to date.
  • 17 May 2010 Learning from the Best The painting presented here is a copy of Sous les palmiers, painted in 1891 by Paul Gauguin. This work is one of a series painted by André Lhote between 1907 and 1909, when the young painter had left his native city of Bordeaux to try his luck in Paris.
  • 17 May 2010 Rethreading History William Robinson, Director of Islamic Art and Carpets, unravels the history behind two exceptional Axminster carpets designed by Robert Adam to be offered for sale at Christie’s.
  • 14 May 2010 Accessory Design When these modern designers turned their attention to the small scale, the results were elaborate and eye-catching jewelry designs, many of which reflect the attributes of their large scale creations, such as moving parts and surrealist motifs.
  • 14 May 2010 The Luxury of Choice In the world of watches, it is the ultimate luxury: not one or two watches, but an entire collection of timepieces. In the world of collector Frank Schilling, this luxury is a reality.
  • 14 May 2010 Wives, Models, Muses Behind every great man is a great woman. Here we catch a glimpse of the women behind Giovanni Giacometti, Ferdinand Hodler and Félix Vallotton.
  • 21 April 2010 Property of a Private Distinguished Collector The upcoming Jewels sale in Paris is highlighted by three divine masterpieces from a distinguished collection. Three jewels which create amazement - the first with its unique design, the second because of its elegant cut, and the third with its originality.
  • 26 March 2010 Discover Paul Guiragossian Particularly fond of women, at first glance Paul Guiragossian’s subjects seem to move and yet seem suddenly static upon on longer inspection. The collector responsible for this stunning selection of works, Mrs. Irene McDonald, was struck by the otherness of his silent figures.
  • 26 March 2010 Fateh Moudarres: A Man of the People Fateh Moudarres is highly regarded for his sensitive depictions of everyday struggles within the hostile atmosphere of 1960s Damascus. His paintings illustrate the plight of these people, his sensitivity to the helplessness of his subjects seems both nobly executed and alarmingly poignant.
  • 12 March 2010 Weapon of Choice: The Captured Crusader Sword The vast majority of crusader swords that have survived in good condition have done so because they were given to the armory in Alexandria. Our sword was donated by the Amir Aristay II, who was the governor of Alexandria between December 1400 and May 1401.
  • 14 SEPTEMBER 2009 Master and Muse: René Lalique and Sarah Bernhardt Beyond her acting talents, French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt was famous for amassing a substantial jewelry collection and French Art Nouveau jeweler René Lalique, known for his affinity for dramatic jewelry, attracted the attention of Bernhardt.
  • 28 JULY 2009 Hans Erni: Past and Present Hans Erni, one of Switzerland’s best known artists, is one hundred years old this year and continues to paint. Erni is famous for his geometric lines which dominate his canvases. His geometric lines form part of the cubist style first invented by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Cubism subverted the traditional depiction and perception of objects, taking them apart and analysing them in terms of their shapes.
  • 6 JULY 2009 Picasso: Master of his Medium A partnership with Madoura Pottery in the Southern France allowed Picasso to use studio space and make use of their materials. The ceramic medium allowed Pablo Picasso to experiment in three dimensions and explore the variety of colors, textures, glazes, decorations and finishes.
  • 26 MAY 2009 Focus on Chelsea Porcelain The Chelsea Porcelain factory, one of a handful of manufactories operating around London in the mid 18th century was the brainchild of the silversmith Nicholas Sprimont. Sprimont was known for his expertise in tastefully combining the influences of other manufacturers and high standards of quality in production and decoration.
  • 26 MAY 2009 Focus on the Nuremburg Nef From the early 16th century to the mid 17th century Nuremberg, Germany was one of the primary cities in Europe for silver craft. The detail, from the masts and ropes to the enamel sailors made nefs a tour de force for the silversmith as a craftsman.
  • 26 MAY 2009 Focus on Portrait Miniatures by John Smart Portrait miniatures by John Smart, widely considered to be the pre-eminent painter of the Georgian Period, exemplify his skill in capturing not only the personalities of his sitters but also the social currents that underpinned the period.
  • 21 MAY 2009 Focus on an Art Deco Pearl and Diamond Sautoir From the lavish strands of white pearls to the perfectly-matched pairs of large white pearls and grey pearl drops adorning the end of the tassel, the number of high quality natural pearls that went into the design of this breath-taking Art Deco pearl and diamond sautoir is truly astonishing.
  • 19 MAY 2009 Focus on Donald De Lue’s The Knight Crusader Through larger-than-life figural works in bronze and wood, Donald De Lue created exuberant sculptures whose sources of inspiration ranged from Greco-Roman art to Michelangelo’s Renaissance figures.
  • 19 MAY 2009 A Massive Roman Red Marble Labrum Molly Morse Limmer, Head of Sale in the Antiquities Department in New York selects a Roman red marble labrum made of cottanello antico, a rare variety of marl limestone commonly referred to as scaglia in Italy.