For a slice of culture this weekend – and a chance to escape the city heat – head to Sotheby’s Bond Street where a collection of extraordinary works from artists with links to London will be brought together for the first time.
Lucian Freud, a familiar face to many Londoners until his death in 2011, joins Piet Mondrian, Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach among 8 more artists united in celebration of London’s role in the artistic journeys of so many.
London: An Artistic Crossroads features a dozen masterpieces from regional museums by international artists connected to and influenced by the city.
Inspired by the National Gallery’s Bicentenary celebrations in which 12 masterpieces from its own collection were loaned to institutions throughout the country, this exhibition does the reverse: collecting 12 works of art from major regional collections, bringing them together in one room, in London, as an homage to the city and to all those who have come to be inspired, create and flourish.
Sotheby’s said: ‘For centuries, the UK’s creative energy, cultural diversity, rich heritage and culture of patronage have acted as compelling magnets for visitors and creatives alike.
‘The nation has long been a cultural melting-pot for artists from around the world who, in their own unique ways, have revealed with each touch of brush, the impact of the dynamic environment in which they found themselves.’
The exhibition comes amid a searing summer for the art industry, with Sotheby’s London reporting over £105m of sales, including 20 lots that fetched sums over £1m. Lots included Picasso’s Guitare sur un tapis rouge for £10.7m, last sold 20 years ago; Basquiat’s 1982 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict, at £16m and Renoir’s Bouquet de Lilas at £6.9m.
Earlier this month, a surviving painted study for the infamous destroyed portrait of Sir Winston Churchill by Graham Sutherland sold for £660k, marking the second highest price both for a portrait of the Prime Minister and for a work by Graham Sutherland, while a monumental Sea Form by Dame Barbara Hepworth sold for close to £4m.
Sebastian Fahey, Managing Director of Global Fine Arts, Sotheby’s said: ‘This week, the sun shone on London’s diverse cultural events – from sell out music concerts to critically acclaimed theatre and stunning visual arts, bringing millions of pounds into the capital’s culture economy.
‘Sotheby’s played a key role in this financial contribution, by selling over £100 million worth of art. As the capital gears up for Wimbledon next week, Sotheby’s is preparing for its auction of Old Master paintings, drawings, and sculptures, presenting a further £45 million of art to the market.’
Visit London: An Artistic Crossroads at Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street, London. For more information see sothebys.com.
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