picasso

It's no exaggeration to say that the grand Villa L'Imperiale fulfills every fantasy of a lavish French manor.

Built in 1980 and totally renovated, this magnificent villa has almost three and one-half acres of landscaped gardens with sweeping views of the countryside. Located in Mougins, a snap five miles north of Cannes, it is totally removed in spirit and sensibility from the chaos of the French Riviera port. Mougins, which has preserved some of its medieval walls, is serene and quiet yet boasts some great restaurants where chefs like Alain Ducaisse got his start. No wonder Picasso spent the last 12 years of his life here.

The villa is perched on a hilltop within a gated community in what is widely considered the most desirable and prestigious residential area of Mougins. Along with seven bedrooms, new kitchen, gym, and guest quarters, the property also has an attractive screening room. The large pool, pool-house, and outdoor dining area fit in seamlessly in the manicured gardens.

Admittedly, the French owner, who is selling because of relocation, is a Napoleon "fanatic." In a private Napoleon museum next to the wine cellar, he displays original and authenticated helmets, swords, rifles, and documents as well as many paintings from the Napoleonic era. Details at estatenetfrance.com.

When we first reported back in May that Pablo Picasso's 1932 painting Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust (above) had sold for a record-breaking $106.5 million at Christie's we heard whispers that the buyer was a certain Russian oligarch known for his eye-popping acquisitions: Roman Abramovich. Now that the world's most expensive painting has been lent to the UK's Tate Modern museum by the unnamed "private collector" who bought it (as my colleague Deidre Woollard reported), a strong indication that the owner is based in London where Abramovich spends most of his time, we're hearing them louder. [cont'd]

A portrait of Picasso's mistress reading led the sales results Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Evening sale on Tuesday night in London. Pablo Picasso's iconic 1932 painting of Marie-Thérèse Walter, La Lecture was hammered down at £25,241,250 ($40,711,612) more than double the low estimate of £12 – 18 million. The bidding ended after a spirited battle among at least seven bidders, both on the phone and in the salesroom. It sold to an anonymous buyer bidding over the telephone. The sale brought in a total £68,834,400 falling neatly within the pre-sale estimate of £55,630,000 - 79,250,000. The sale was 84.5% sold by value and the average lot value for the works was £2.15 million/ $3.5 million.

Last year another painting from the same year also featuring Picasso's beloved mistress Marie-Therese Walter, Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust, sold for $106.5 million at Christies setting a record for Picasso and for any artwork sold at auction. La Lecture was acquired by the present owner in 1996.Picasso first saw young Marie-Thérèse on the streets of Paris in 1927, when she was just seventeen years old. Because of her age and the status of his marriage to Olga Khokhlova the relationship was kept quiet for several years. This painting was part of a colorful explosion of works painted in January 1932 in anticipation of the major retrospective that he was planning. The famous Le Reve which is currently owned by Steve Wynn is also from this highly fertile time period.

Helena Newman, Chairman, Sotheby's Impressionist & Modern Art Europe reported that buyers came from 11 countries, with bidding from Asia, Russia, the US and Europe. Other highlights includes a sculpture by Marino Marini which sold for £4,185,250 and Henry Moore's important large-scale Reclining Connected Forms which brought in £2,057,250. A new auction record was achieved for a work on paper by Surrealist artist René Magritte with the sale of Le Maître d'École for £2,505,250. The gouache on paper depicting Magritte's iconic bowler-hatted man sold for over double the pre-sale estimate of £800,000 – 1.2 million and double the previous record for a work on paper. A record price in sterling was also reached for Giorgio Morandi's Natura Morta, which sold for £1,385,250 against an estimate of £800,000- £1.2 million.

A 1932 nude portrait by Picasso of his young lover and muse Marie-Therese Walter went on display this week at Sotheby's in Paris and will be auctioned off next month with an expected sale price of $19-$29 million. "La Lecture" or "Reading" was painted during Picasso's "lovestruck" period and depicts Marie-Therese sleeping in an armchair with her head back and an open book on her lap. "In the early 1930s he was very lyrically in love and reflected that in these gorgeous colors, and lovely compositions," said Philip Hook, Director of the Impressionist and Modern Picture Department at Sotheby's in London. "This period is just about the most desirable of all Picasso's (periods), certainly in market terms."

The painting will be the premier offering at next month's Impressionist and Modern Art sale in London.

Even if you've already got an iconic, American-made Stetson hat, you probably don't have one like this.

Though the classic Stetsons will always be available and you may think there's nothing new (or at least nothing new that's not ridiculous) in the world of hats, Albertus Swanepoel's 2010 collection has rendered us speechless. These fabulous, spicy hats are masculine and creative, with lush materials and colorful, yet handsome plumage.

"It's a great honor to collaborate with a legacy brand such as Stetson. They are the Rolls Royce of hats to me in America and I'm thrilled to be associated with this brand," said Swanepoel. "This is also is a great opportunity for me to inject a more modern sensibility into their iconic designs."

And that he did. Inspired by everything from vintage cars to modern films and even art, he has created an alluring collection of attractive hats that appeal to ages 8 to 80. Above, for example is the "Pablo," a 100 percent fur felt pork pie dress hat which has coloring and an unusual bow placement influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso (retails for $200.00). Fewer than 50 of this hat will be made.

Select styles from the limited edition Albertus Swanepoel for Stetson collection are available now from Hartford York for pre-order, to ship in September, and will be available at Barneys stores nationwide. Check out the full 14-hat collection -- and their inspirations -- below.

Usually Monet's waterlilies paintings are hot sellers but Claude Monet's 1906 painting "Nympheas" failed to sell during an auction of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie's London on June 23, 2010. Monet's work was estimated at 30 million pounds to 40 million pounds ($44 million to $59 million) but bidding stalled out at 29 million pounds.

The sale brought in 153 million pounds ($227 million). The total set a new London auction record, beating a 147 million pound sale set by Soethby's in February, but fell short of estimates of 164-231 million pounds. The other top lot, a Blue Period portrait by Picasso put up for auction by Andrew Lloyd Webber's charity, sold for 34.8 million pounds. Although the sale wasn't as strong as hoped it still indicates that there is strength in the art market.

When it comes to art does a rising tide lift all boats? Since the record setting sale of Picasso's Nude, Green Leaves and Bust" for $106.5 million, the global art world seems to be gripped by Picasso fever. This means that smaller, less expensive Picassos are hitting the market. On June 12, Bloomington Auction House in Illinois is auctioning off "Still life with Bowl of Cherries," a small, unframed painting signed "Picasso." The simple still life oil on board measures about 9 inches by 11¾ inches and carries a big estimate of $400,000 to $1 million.The listing on Live Auctioneers says the painting has never been offered before for public sale.

One of Monet's famous waterlily paintings is part of the upcoming Impressionist and Modern Art sale at Christie's London on June 23. Claude Monet's 1906 'Nympheas' is another piece in the sale that includes a Blue Period portrait by Pablo Picasso, offered by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. Monet's work is estimated at 30 million pounds to 40 million pounds ($44 million to $59 million) and the Picasso could bring in around $60 million. Given the recent record set by a $106.5 million Picasso that painting could go even higher. This plus the rest of the other works on offer could make this the biggest sale that Christie's has ever had in London. It could bring in 164-231 million pounds which would beat the London record of 147 million pounds set at rival Sotheby's in February.

On June 8th and 9th, Sotheby's, on behalf of billionaire Patricia Kluge, will sell the contents of Kluge's home, Albemarle House, at auction on the grounds of the majestic estate.

Antique lovers and voyeurs alike will be able to step inside Kluge's 45-room estate in Albemarle County, Va., for a peek at what could be theirs. Those who shell out $73 for the impressive auction catalog will gain admission for two to preview the auction items on-site through June 7th.

Ms. Kluge is the former wife of mogul John Kluge, founder of Metromedia Inc., which pioneered independent TV stations operations through the 1960's and 1970's. Kluge became one of the richest Americans after he sold his company to Rupert Murdoch during the mid-1980's for nearly $2 billion. Kluge made a second fortune in telecommunications and he was also a major owner of Orion Pictures. The Kluge's divorced nearly 20 years ago.

Patricia Kluge, who is remarried, is now pursuing a life as a winemaker and philanthropist. She decided it was time to change her lifestyle. As such, she felt it was time to part with both Albemarle, the enormous estate in Charlottesville, Virginia she called home, and its contents.

"For the past three decades, building and maintaining this collection have been among my greatest joys," said Kluge, in an exclusive interview with Luxist's Carrie N. Culpepper in January. "Now, I look forward to sharing this very extraordinary collection with fellow collectors as I focus my energy on my new home, travel and expanding the business of Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard."

Later this year Bonhams will hold a Picasso Editions Sale, which will be its first ever auction devoted entirely to the famed 20th century artist Picasso. The sale will feature ceramics, prints, and jewelry, as well as two of the nineteen silver plate designs Picasso created in the 1950s. The two for sale, both from original limited editions of just twenty, include Picasso's first called 'Dormeur' and another shown above called 'Joueur de flute et Cavalier'. Both carry estimate values of £10,000-15,000 each. The sale will take place in Knightsbridge on September 22nd.

A valuable Pablo Picasso painting was stolen early this morning from the Paris Museum of Modern Art by a masked thief. The robber also stole four other important works of art with total value estimated to be somewhere between $120 million and $616 million, according to Paris enforcement officials.

The stolen works of art that were cut from their frames include Picasso's The Pigeon with the Peas, Amedeo Modigliani's Woman with a Fan, Georges Braque's Olive Tree near Estaque, Henri Matisse's Pastoral and Fernand Leger's Still Life with Chandeliers.

Indeed, a similar theft took place in 1990 at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The 13 stolen works of art that were cut from their frames have yet to be recovered. The museum is offering a reward of $5 million for information leading to the recovery of the missing works in good condition.

The theft comes only a few weeks after Picasso's 1932 masterpiece, "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust" was sold for $106.5 million, a world record auction price for any work of art. The painting, which was from the collection of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody, was sold by Christies New York.

Following an incredible number of record-breaking sales of some of the world's most expensive items, from cars to art to watches, diamonds and estates, that have taken place just in the past two weeks, we are hereby making an official declaration: The Rich Are Back. While the economic recovery has been slow to materialize in some quarters, those with the money to make multimillion-dollar purchases are suddenly not shy about dropping the coin. The megabucks deals mean an optimistic outlook has finally taken a firm hold, and the wealthy no longer feel the need to pinch their pennies in the fear that more hard times could be lurking right around the corner. We say it's about time too.

In one hectic twelve-day period, from May 3 to May 14, we saw the record-breaking sales of a $106 million Picasso painting; a $50 million mansion in Bel-Air; a $46 million ranch in Colorado; a $40 million Bugatti; a $32 million Warhol self-portrait; a $26 million Jasper Johns painting; an $18 million Ferrari; an $8 million blue diamond; and a $5 million Patek Philippe chronograph – about $330 million worth of the world's most expensive possessions. The astonishing sales have given an immediate boost to the art, classic cars, real estate and collector's timepieces markets, many of which faltered in the wake of the economic downturn, losing billions of dollars in value. Here's a rundown of the nine history-making deals as they unfolded over the twelve-day whirlwind of wealth disbursement; see the gallery for images:

Following the record-breaking $106 million Picasso sale we reported on last week, another world record has been set with the sale of late author Michael Crichton's seminal Jasper Johns Flag painting last night for $28.6 million. Both works were sold by Christie's in New York, fulfilling our prediction in The Classicist last month that the auction house's May art sales would bring in "megabucks". The 1966 flag painting, which had been estimated at up to $15 million, was sold to to New York art adviser Michael Altman before a crowd of VIPs and art collectors including hedge-fund manager Steve Cohen, Hollywood mogul Michael Ovitz, billionaire Eli Broad, author Salman Rushdie and designer Marc Jacobs. The sale's other big cash cow was Andy Warhol, whose 1965 Elizabeth Taylor diptych, "Silver Liz," sold for $18.3 million to New York art dealer Dominique Levy. The Crichton estate's 31 pieces alone sold for $93.3 million, against a $69.6 million high estimate. The sale broke at least five world records for artists including Johns, as predicted by Luxist's Tom Johansmeyer.

All in all Christie's auctioned $232 million of post-war and contemporary art on Tuesday, with around 74% of the offerings going to American buyers. "Within five minutes of opening the rooms for the stunning pre-sale exhibition of the Crichton Collection, we were packed," said Brett Gorvy, International Co-Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's. "There was a sense of anticipation. The sale [Tuesday] reaffirms the continued confidence in the art market." Amy Cappellazzo, Christie's International Co-Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, notes that "This is the most significant Post-War & Contemporary Art collection ever sold at auction. It was a quintessential American sale. We were delighted with the results across the board and also to see the works by Warhol sell well. Warhol is a bellwether for the market. It sends a strong signal across the board."