Christie’s, one of the world’s leading auction houses, has announced an upcoming online charity sale titled “George: Twenty Years in Mayfair”.
The event will benefit The Caring Family Foundation and will be open for browsing online from March 7th to 14th, with bidding starting from March 14th to March 28th.
This sale will showcase 71 lots of art that adorned the walls of the exclusive George private members’ club in Mayfair, London for the last two decades.
The collection, which is focused on modern British art, prints, posters, post-war, and photography, features works that conjure up the atmosphere of this much-loved club. The auction includes a unique blue and white neon piece titled “I’m a Rare Bear” by Tracey Emin, which she previously auctioned for charity at Christie’s (estimate: £70,000-100,000).
Other highlights include a linocut of the original Dachshund design for George’s much-loved logo, ski and travel posters by Emil Cardinaux, photographs by Slim Aarons, and drawings by Ernest Howard Shepard, the illustrator of Winnie the Pooh.
The sale is a celebration of the club, which will re-open in the Summer of 2023 after a refurbishment. The event will be a remarkable opportunity for art collectors and enthusiasts to own a piece of George’s history while contributing to a worthy cause.
The proceeds from the sale will go towards the continued efforts of The Caring Family Foundation in tackling domestic abuse, child poverty, and reforestation in the UK and Brazil, with a core focus on women and children across these areas.
Prints
The auction presents a range of printmaking techniques, from etchings and linocuts to woodcuts and mezzotints.
The collection includes fourteen etchings of David Hockney’s Dog Wall series, a linocut set of four botanical studies, and The George Club Mascot by Hugo Guinness.
It also features State Security, a woodcut by Nicholas Garland, signed and dated in pencil.
Posters
The posters from the club provide a visual feast in their own right, featuring early travel and ski posters.
The auction includes Winter in Davos, a lithograph from 1914 by Burkhard Mangold, and L’Hiver en Suisse, a lithograph from 1921 by Emil Cardinaux.
The exhibition posters showcase works by David Hockney, including David Hockney a Retrospective, Los Angeles County Museum Art, 1988, signed in black ink, offset lithographic poster, and Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, signed in black ink, offset lithographic poster.
Drawings and Photographs
The collection of drawings and photographs includes works by renowned artists such as Ernest Howard Shepard, O.B.E., M.C., Neil Forster, and Slim Aarons. The drawings feature a circus scene by Shepard and a chimpanzee study by Forster, while the photographs include gelatin silver prints of Groucho Marx and The Kings of Hollywood attributed to Slim Aarons.
Conclusion
The online charity sale “George: Twenty Years in Mayfair” is a remarkable opportunity to own a piece of the exclusive George private members’ club’s history.
With a range of prints, posters, drawings, and photographs, this sale offers something for everyone, and the proceeds will go towards a worthy cause.
If you’re an art collector or enthusiast, be sure to check out this auction, which is open for browsing from March 7th to 14th, with bidding starting from March 14th to March 28th.
Images: Christie’s Images Limited 2023