CHRISTIE'S SELLS MATISSE SCULPTURE FOR RECORD $48 MILLION

A 6 FOOT HENRI MATISSE BRONZE OF A NUDE WOMAN SEEN FROM BEHIND HAS BEEN SOLD FOR OVER $48 MILLION IN NEW YORK CITY, A RECORD AUCTION PRICE FOR THE ARTIST'S WORK. CHRISTIE'S SAYS 'BACK IV' WAS PURCHASED WEDNESDAY BY GAGOSIAN GALLERY INC. THE PRICE INCLUDED THE BUYER'S PREMIUM. IT HAD BEEN ESTIMATED TO BRING $25 TO $35 MILLION. MATISSE CREATED A SERIES OF FOUR OF THE BRONZE RELIEFS, WHAT SOME CONSIDER HIS MOST AMBITIOUS SCULPTURAL WORK. HE WORKED ON THEM BETWEEN 1908 AND 1931. THE SINGULAR MOTIF OF THE WORKS IS A WOMAN LEANING AGAINST A WALL. SHE'S SEEN FROM BEHIND. MAJOR MUSEUMS HAVE COMPLETE SETS, INCLUDING NEW YORK'S MUSEUM OF MODERN ART. CHRISTIE'S SAID IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT ONE OF THE COLOSSAL BRONZES WAS BROUGHT TO AUCTION.

BONHAMS TO SELL PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON

BONHAMS ARE TO SELL A NEAR-CONTEMPORARY PORTRAIT OF NAPOLEON PAINTED BY HIS VALET AND CLOSE COMPANION LOUIS-JOSEPH-NARCISSE MARCHAND IN THE BRITISH & CONTINENTAL PICTURES AUCTION IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE ON 30.NOVEMBER. MARCHAND WAS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE'S VALET AND FRIEND. HE BECAME AN IMPERIAL SERVANT IN 1811 AND REMAINED FAITHFUL TO NAPOLEON AFTER HIS ABDICATION AND WAS REWARDED WITH PROMOTION TO MAIN VALET. WHILE NAPOLEON WAS ON HIS DEATHBED HE BESTOWED THE TITLE OF COUNT ON MARCHAND, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY NAPOLEON III IN 1869. HE KEPT EXTENSIVE MEMOIRS WHICH PROVIDE HISTORIANS WITH DETAILED AND PERSONAL INSIGHTS INTO THE LIFE OF THE EMPEROR AS WELL AS A SOBER AND MOVING ACCOUNT OF HIS DEATH. THE PEN AND INK WASH PORTRAIT IS DATED 1832, MEASURES 11.5 X 9.5cm AND GIVES AND INTIMATE VIEW OF NAPOLEON AND IS ESTIMATED AT £400-600.

SOTHEBY'S SELLS 'THE FINDING OF MOSES' FOR $35,922,500

YESTERDAY AT SOTHEBY'S IN NEW YORK, 'THE FINDING OF MOSES', A 19th CENTURY MASTERPIECE BY SIR LAWRENCE ALMA-TADEMA, SOLD FOR A REMARKABLE $35,922,500, MORE THAN SEVEN TIMES THE PRE-SALE HIGH ESTIMATE OF $5 MILLION. THE MONUMENTAL CANVAS WAS SOUGHT-AFTER BY THREE DETERMINED BIDDERS WHO BATTLES FOR NEARLY EIGHT MINUTES. SOON AFTER AUCTIONEER AND VICE CHAIRMAN BENJAMIN DOLLAR OPENED THE BIDDING ON THE SPECTACULAR PAINTING, IT QUICKLY ROSE TO MORE THAN $20 MILLION IN A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO CLIENTS PARTICIPATING BY PHONE. SUDDENLY, A NEW BIDDER IN THE ROOM ENTERED INTO THE FRAY, RAISING A PADDLE FOR $23.5 MILLION. AFTER SEVERAL MORE MINUTES THE PAINTING SOLD TO ONE OF THE ORIGINAL PHONE BIDDERS FOR AN EXTRAORDINARY $35.9 MILLION, A NEW RECORD FOR THE ARTIST AT AUCTION. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE ARTIST HAD IN FACT BEEN SET BY THIS EXACT PAINTING WHEN IT WAS SOLD IN 1995 FOR $2.8 MILLION. THE PAINTING WAS INCLUDED IN A SALE OF 19th CENTURY EUROPEAN ART WHICH BROUGHT A TOTAL OF $61,536,125. 'THE FINDING OF MOSES' STANDS AS ONE OF SIR LAWRENCE ALMA-TADEMA'S GREATEST MASTERPIECES. IN NOVEMBER 1902, THE ARTIST LEFT LONDON TO TRAVEL TO EGYPT FOR THE OPENING OF TEH ASWAN DAM AS A GUEST OF SIR JOHN AIRD, THE RENOWNED ENGINEER AND HEAD OF THE PROJECT. IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE, AIRD WAS KNOWN AS A GREAT PATRON OF THE ARTS, AND HE LIKELY BROUGHT ALMA-TADEMA ON THE TRIP TO COMMISSION ANOTHER PAINTING FROM THE ARTIST FOR HIS COLLECTION. ALMA-TADEMA IN TURN FOUND HIMSELF AS INSPIRED BY EGYPT AS HE HAD BEEN 50 YEARS EARLIER IN HIS TRAVELS TO POMPEII. HE PROVIDED AIRD WITH THREE SUBJECT OPTIONS, FROM WHICH HE QUICKLY CHOSE 'THE FINDING OF MOSES'. THE PAINTING ONCE BELONGED TO ALLEN FUNT, CREATOR OF THE POPULAR PRANK SHOW CANDID CAMERA. HIS COLLECTION OF MASTERWORKS BY ALMA-TADEMA WAS EXHIBITED IN A LANDMARK SHOW AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN 1973. IF THE SETTING OF THE 'FINDING OF MOSES' LOOKS FAMILIAR, IT IS BECAUSE PRINTS OF THE PAINTING WERE LATER USED BY CECIL B DEMILLE'S SCRIPT WRITERS AND DESIGNERS AS INSPIRATION FOR SCENES FROM CLEOPATRA AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

THE SABRE GH MUMM BY PATRICK JOUIN

ONCE AGAIN THE HOUSE OF GH MUMM PRESENTS A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION CREATION FOR THE HOLIDAYS: THE SABRE GH MUMM BY PATRICK JOUIN. PATRICK JOUIN WRAPPED A STAINLESS STEEL CHAMPAGNE SWORD WITH A BEAUTIFUL RED LEATHER HANDLE RESEMBLING MUMM'S SIGNATURE CORDON ROUGHE. A UNIQUE ITEM THAT COMBINES THE SENSUALITY OF RED LEATHER WITH THE RESISTANCE OF A STEEL BLADE, BUT WITH A SQUARE END THAT WON'T CUT. THE LIMITED EDITION IS PRESENTED IN A BOX OF PURE WHITE, OF LACQUERED WOOD AND LEATHER, INCORPORATING A TRAY, SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO HOLD ICE AND KEEP A BOTTLE OF CORDON ROUGE AT THE IDEAL TEMPERATURE.

5.NOVEMBER, GUY FAWKES DAY

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holla boys, Holla boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!
And what should we do with him? Burn him!

BRITAIN HALTS EXPORT OF TURNER PAINTING

BRITAIN HAS TEMPORARILY HALTED THE EXPORT OF A RECORD-BREAKING PAINTING BY ENGLISH MASTER JMW TURNER WHICH SOLD AT AUCTION IN JULY FOR £29.7 MILLION. 'MODERN ROME, CAMPO VACCINO' WENT UNDER THE HAMMER AT SOTHEBY'S IN LONDON AND SET AN AUCTION RECORD FOR THE ARTIST. THE 1839 LANDSCAPE WAS TURNER'S LAST PAINTING OF ROME. CULTURE MINISTER ED VAIZEY ANNOUNCED THE DECISION ON WEDNESDAY, AND GAVE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS UNTIL 2.FEBRUARY.2011 TO DEMONSTRATE SERIOUS INTENT TO KEEP THE MASTERPIECE IN THE COUNTRY BY MEETING ITS MARKET VALUE. IF IT APPEARS TO BE A REAL POSSIBILITY THAT THE FUNDS CAN BE RAISED, THE DEADLINE WILL BE EXTENDED TO 2.AUGUST NEXT YEAR, HE SAID IN A STATEMENT. HIS DECISION FOLLOWS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE REVIEWING COMMITTEE ON THE EXPORT OF WORKS OF ART AND OBJECTS OF CULTURAL INTEREST, ADMINISTERED BY THE MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES COUNCIL. 'IF ONE NEEDED EVIDENCE OF TURNER'S GREATNESS AS AN ARTIST, THIS IS IT', SAID LORD INGLEWOOD, CHAIRMAN OF THE REVIEWING COMMITTEE. 'MODERN ROME, CAMPO VACCINO IS AN ASTONISHINGLY BEAUTIFUL PAINTING THAT UNDERLINES TURNER'S THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES OF ROME, AND IN TURN IT HAS PLAYED A FUNDAMENTAL PART IN FORMING OUR PERCEPTION OF TURNER AND HIS WORK.'

THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY ACQUIRES WILKIE PAINTING

THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, ART COLLECTIONS, AND BOTANICAL GARDENS, SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA, ANNOUNCED TODAY THE ACQUISITION OF SANCHO PANZA IN THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH, BY BRITISH PAINTER DAVID WILKIE. THE PAINTING, WHICH PREVIOUSLY WAS HELD IN THE COLLECTION OF CHRISTOPHER FORBES, WAS PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER AND HAS JUST GONE ON DISPLAY IN THE HUNTINGTON ART GALLERY AMONG WORKS BY OTHER BRITISH ARTISTS OF THE 19th CENTURY. ONE OF THE GREATEST PRACTITIONERS OF GENRE PAINTING IN BRITAIN, AND, ALONG WITH JMW TURNER AND JOHN CONSTABLE, ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BRITISH ARTISTS OF THE 19th CENTURY, THE SCOTTISH-BORN WILKIE MADE HIS CAREER IN LONDON, WHERE HIS LIST OF PATRONS INCLUDED THE TOP MEMBERS OF BRITISH SOCIETY, SUCH AS THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, AND JOHN JULIUS ANGERSTEIN, WHOSE COLLECTION FOUNDED THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. A FAVORITE OF KING GEORGE IV, WILKIE PAINTED A LARGE NUMBER OF WORKS THAT REMAIN IN BRITAIN'S ROYAL COLLECTION TODAY. WHILE THE HUNTINGTON OWNS NOTABLE PAINTINGS BY TURNER AND CONSTABLE, UNTIL NOW IT HAS LACKED A MAJOR PICTURE BY WILKIE. SANCHO PANZA IN THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH IS ONE OF WILKIE'S LITERARY SUBJECTS, A SCENE INSPIRED BY THE NOVEL DON QUIXOTE BY MIGUEL DE CERVANTES. IT REVEALS THE LUSH, PAINTERLY STYLE HE DEVELOPED ON AN EXTENDED VISIT TO SPAIN FROM 1827 TO 1828 AND WAS SHOWN AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION OF 1835 ALONG WITH OTHER SPANISH SUBJECTS. THE PAINTING HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON THE SECOND FLOOR WEST WING OF THE HUNTINGTON ART GALLERY.
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