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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Advantagous Auctions London: MURDER! SUICIDE! AND HOLLYWOOD AT BONHAM'S SALE OF MUNCH, WARHOL AND PICASSO

Murder, suicide and a sprinkling of Hollywood star dust!  They modelled for three of the greatest artists who ever lived.  One was murdered by her lover; another shot herself; the third lives on, a potent reminder of Hollywood’s glamour years.  And their images lead Bonham’s Print sale in London on 13 July.

The star lot is an impression of Edvard Munch’s Madonna, thought to be the first hand coloured version of this iconic image. The model was his mistress, Dagny Juel, a femme fatale who, after numerous ill-fated affairs, was shot dead by a young lover in a Tblisi hotel aged just 33. Munch produced the image in seven different states between 1895 and 1902 and this impression is from the very first state.  It is in excellent condition and that, coupled with its strong provenance – it has been in the same family for over 100 years – justifies its estimate of £500,000 – 700,000.

Andy Warhol’s famous image of Hollywood screen legend Elizabeth Tayor (£18,000 – 22,000) is an icon of a different age and a different kind.  Seven times married Liz Taylor is as well known for her tempestuous private life as for her acting.  Her most famous husband was Richard Burton whom she married (and divorced) twice. Together they made up one of the golden couples of the swinging 60s. The lithograph is one of 300 printed in 1964. It is signed by Warhol in biro and dated 1968.

A Picasso lithograph in beautiful condition from 1958 completes the trio.  It shows Jacqueline Roque, who became his second wife in 1961, in right profile. Jacqueline modelled for Picasso from 1954 until the artist death in 1973 and she appears in more than 400 portraits.  Notoriously, she banned Picasso’s two children by former mistress and muse Françoise Gilot from their father’s funeral.  Jacqueline Roque shot herself in 1986 at the age of 59. The image is from the third and final state and is signed and numbered in pencil 16/50 and is estimated at £30,000 – 40,000. 

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com

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