Christie’s Presents Unprecedented Rothschild Masterpieces Sale in North America

Christie’s presents Rothschild masterpieces, will take place this fall.

These will be the very first North American sales of objects belonging to one of the greatest families of collectors in history, an unprecedented opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs. Sales will include a wonderful selection of decorative art and art that reflects discernment, the art of living and, above all, the taste of this legendary dynasty. Rothschild Masterpieces brings together some 600 lots, with a total estimate of over $20 million, of furniture, enamels, majolica, Renaissance jewelry, silver and paintings of the highest quality, assembled by two generations of Rothschilds in France, largely during the second half of the 19th century.

Christie’s will hold this historic series of auctions at Rockefeller Center, with an evening sale on October 11, two-day sales on October 12 and 13 respectively, and a concurrent online sale. An international traveling exhibition will take place in Hong Kong from May 24-28 and in London from July 1-7.

Jonathan Rendell, vice president of Christie’s Americas, said : “It is a tremendous honor for us at Christie’s New York to be chosen as the venue for the first Rothschild sale to be held in America. Characteristically both scholarly and lavish, the items we offer for sale have been cherished, cherished by generations of the family and demonstrate the very essence of the term Rothschild taste.

The Rothschild Taste

For generations, the Rothschild family has shown a passion for living with the best of everything down to the smallest detail, to delight in discovering the highest quality in every object you own, a style known as Rothschild taste. The works at these auctions helped define this taste. Baron James and his wife Betty, and their son Baron Alphonse and his wife Leonora purchased these items for their palace Château de Ferrières outside Paris (which opened in 1862 with a gala attended by Napoleon III) and for their houses in the city. In keeping with the great philanthropic tradition of the Rothschild family, the Rothschild family donated the Château de Ferrières to France in 1975, and it now belongs to the town of Ferrières.

Rothschild taste, which we might define as lavish domesticity, had a profound influence on the great families of America’s Gilded Age, including the Vanderbilts, Astors and Rockefellers. They furnished their residences in New York, Newport and Rhode Island by acquiring and installing entire interiors of stately homes in France and England in their residences. Rothschild taste has remained prominent into our time, influencing designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, who was inspired by the interiors of the Château de Ferrières when decorating his own home.

The Rothschilds and Christie’s: a rich history

For more than a century, the Rothschild family has entrusted many prestigious sales to Christie’s. In particular, Christie’s had the honor of presenting the sale of a fifty masterpieces from a Rothschild collection in London in July 2019, which brought in £23.8m, 280% more than the low estimate.

Notable Rothschild sales at Christie’s :

LONDON, 1999 – The collection of Barons Nathaniel and Albert von Rothschild

LONDON, 2000 – The collection of the late Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild

GENEVA, 2000 – Magnificent jewelry (Formerly from the collection of the late Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild)

PARIS, 2003 – Estate of Baron Fould Springer and works of art from the estate of Cécile de Rothschild

GENEVA, 2014 – Magnificent jewels (formerly in the Collection of Baroness Edouard de Rothschild)

LONDON, 2019 – Masterpieces from a Rothschild Collection

About Christie’s

Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world leader in art and luxury. Renowned and recognized for its live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a comprehensive portfolio of global services to its clients, in particular the appraisal of works of art? , art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s is present in 46 countries, in America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, with international sales centers headlights? in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It is also the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).

THE auctions from Christie’s? cover more than 80 categories of art and luxury, at prices ranging from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s has sold 8 of the 10 most important single-owner collections in history, including the collection Paul G. Allen, the most valuable collection ever offered at auction (November 2022). In recent years, Christie’s has also achieved the world record price for a work of art at auction (Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci2017), for a 20th century work (Shot Sage Blue Marilyn d’Andy Warhol2022) and for a work by a living artist (Rabbit de Jeff Koons2019). Christie’s Private Sales? offers a seamless service for buying and selling artwork, jewelry and timepieces outside of the auction schedule, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at the client’s individual pace.

Following the groundbreaking sale in 2021 of the first digital art NFT ever offered by a global auction house (Beeple’s Everydays), Christie’s recently launched the first fully on-chain auction platform? dedicated to outstanding NFT art. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the art business, including the use of hologram technology to visit life-size 3D objects. around the world, and creating viewing and bidding experiences that incorporate augmented reality, global live streaming, buy-it-now channels and hybrid selling formats.

Christie’s is committed to promoting a responsible culture in all of its activities and communities around the world? world, including achieving sustainability by reducing our carbon emissions by 50% and committing to net zero emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify undercurrents. represented and support positive change.

Browse, Bid, discover and join us for the best in art and luxury on: www.christies.com or by downloading Christie’s applications.

* Please note when quoting above that other charges will apply in addition to the hammer price – see section D of the Conditions of Sale on the back of the auction catalogue.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium.