Christie’s, the world-renowned auction house, is set to present a spectacular collection of Impressionist masterpieces in the form of The Estate of Sophie F. Danforth.
This much-awaited event will take place on May 11, 2023, at Rockefeller Center in New York City, and is expected to draw art enthusiasts and collectors from all corners of the globe. With five exceptional works by Renoir, Degas, Daumier, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Goya, the collection is estimated to fetch over $8,000,000.
Square de la Trinité by the legendary Impressionist painter, Renoir, is the most prized possession of the collection and is expected to be the highlight of the evening (estimate: $4,000,000 – 6,000,000).
This work has been a part of the Danforth collection for ninety years and has been featured in several prestigious international exhibitions throughout the 20th century, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery in London.
Max Carter, Christie’s Vice Chairman, 20th and 21st Century Art, says, “Sometimes collections tell us as much about the collectors as they do their time and place. In 1877, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf co-founded the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1931, Helen Metcalf Danforth became its president, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, and aunt, Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke. Over the next two decades, Helen turned RISD into an accredited degree-granting institution and transformed its museum while, with her husband Murray, buying jewel-like Impressionist paintings and works on paper.”
Apart from the Renoir masterpiece, the collection also features works by other Impressionist masters. Degas’s Danseuse à la barre (estimate: $2,000,000 – 3,000,000), a beautiful pastel drawing that is believed to have been exhibited at the third Impressionist exhibition in 1877, has been a part of the collection since 1936.
Les Trois Juges by Daumier (estimate: $300,000 – 500,000) is a rare piece that comes from the artist’s celebrated series exploring and critiquing the dynamics within the courtroom.
Toulouse-Lautrec’s Au cirque: Eléphant en liberté (estimate: $400,000 – 600,000) is a limited edition work produced in 1899 during the artist’s stay at the Folie Saint James asylum in the suburbs of Paris.
The collection’s final piece is an incredibly rare drawing by Goya (estimate: $800,000 – 1,200,000), marking the first time that the Spanish master has been included in any of Christie’s 20th Century Evening Sales.
This follows the notable sale of the artist’s record-breaking result for the Portrait of Doña María Vicenta Barruso Valdés and Portrait of her mother Doña Leonora Antonia Valdés de Barruso, which sold for $16.4 million in an Old Masters auction in January.
If you are an avid collector of Impressionist art or simply appreciate the beauty and value of these timeless works, you won’t want to miss The Estate of Sophie F. Danforth auction. In addition to the evening sale, further highlights from the collection will be available at the Impressionist & Modern Day and Works on Paper Sale on May 13th.
Images: Christie’s