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A spotlight of the upcoming sale is René Magritte’s La Statue volante, estimated at £9-12 million. Described by Sotheby’s as a “jewel of late Surrealism,” the portray is a masterclass in encrypted symbolism and thriller, with a distinguished provenance—it was acquired by Alexander Iolas straight from the artist. Earlier than getting into Karpidas’ assortment in 1985, the work appeared in two landmark exhibitions that helped cement Magritte’s worldwide popularity: first at Iolas’s New York gallery in 1959 after which in Magritte’s first U.S. museum retrospective on the Dallas Museum of Artwork in 1960.
“It’s one of the haunting and important work of his late profession, wealthy in Surrealist iconography and philosophical depth,” says Barker. Remarkably, the night public sale on September 17 consists of seven works by Magritte at a second when his market is at an all-time excessive. Based on Artnet’s annual rankings, Magritte introduced in $312.3 million throughout 119 tons in 2024, a steep rise from $192.7 million and 134 tons in 2023. That surge was fueled partially by a brand new public sale file set in 2024, when L’empire des lumières (1954) offered at Christie’s New York for $121.16 million (with charges)—the very best worth ever for a Surrealist work at public sale. “No small feat, and testomony to Pauline’s exceptional eye,” Barker notes.
Different Magritte works within the sale embrace Untitled (Le Sens propre) from 1927—beforehand owned by distinguished Surrealist patrons E.L.T. Mesens and Harold Diamond—estimated at £700,000-1,000,000; a haunting bronze chaise longue-coffin titled Madame Récamier de David (£500,000-700,000); and the elegant Les Menottes de cuivre, estimated at £300,000-500,000. Additionally included are the colourful blue sculpture Tête (£300,000-500,000), which was acquired at Sotheby’s from the sale of the artist’s widow’s property and lengthy displayed on Pauline’s eclectic bookshelf, a putting gouache and the whimsical golden sculpture La Race blanche, with £1,000,000-1,500,000 and £250,000-350,000 estimates, respectively.
Past Magritte, Karpidas’ assortment dives deep into the Surrealist psyche, with standout works by Yves Tanguy, Giorgio De Chirico, Francis Picabia, Victor Brauner, Dorothea Tanning and Hans Bellmer, amongst others. A fragile drawing, Portrait de Gala Galarina by Salvador Dalí, has an estimate of £350,000-450,000, whereas one other work, Messager dans un paysage Palladien, presents a cryptic determine inside a Palladian dreamscape—its swirling, irregular canvas evoking a surreal dialogue with artwork historical past—estimated at £200,000-300,000.
“Surrealism caught Pauline’s consideration early on,” says Barker, “not simply as an artwork motion, however as a means of seeing the world otherwise.” The gathering as a complete pulses with the stress between magnificence and drama, vulnerability and epic fierceness.
When Iolas first launched Karpidas to Surrealist artwork whereas she was residing in Athens, he reworked the way in which she approached accumulating, based on Barker. “Together with her sharp eye, she was by no means afraid to belief her instincts,” he provides. “Surrealism appealed to her as a result of it might shock, unsettle and captivate abruptly. Its wit, thriller and psychological depth resonated along with her on a profound degree.”
Jeff Koons’s Poodle, estimated at £1,000,000-1,500,000, provides a contact of glamour and a little bit of kitsch. The sculpture as soon as stood guard in Karpidas’ entrance corridor, stationed beneath a Lalanne console. Karpidas met Koons within the Nineteen Eighties originally of his profession and have become an early supporter as he ascended to world stardom.
What units Pauline Karpidas aside is the depth of engagement behind each acquisition, says Barker. “There’s a robust sense of curiosity and confidence in every thing she chooses, and he or she’s at all times sought to know every artist, absolutely immersing herself of their concepts and accumulating with care and conviction.” Due to these deep relationships, the provenance of a lot of her works is phenomenal—a number of of her Surrealist items as soon as belonged to the motion’s founding figures, together with André Breton, Roland Penrose and Paul Éluard.
Whereas Surrealism is a central thread of the gathering, Karpidas has by no means restricted herself to a single motion or medium. “She collected in depth throughout each wonderful artwork and design, bringing these two worlds along with boldness and creativeness,” says Barker. Along with artworks, she additionally assembled a rare trove of design items by among the most pioneering figures of her time.
Additionally going to public sale is Karpidas’ trove of sixty works by Les Lalanne—a lot of them never-before-seen commissions made particularly for her and a few gifted straight by the artists themselves. Barker factors to Claude Lalanne’s Distinctive Choupette, described as “an icon in its personal proper,” with an estimate of £300,000-400,000. Different highlights embrace her uncommon crocodile stools, by no means earlier than seen in the marketplace (£180,000-250,000), a lyrical Distinctive Construction Végétale mirror and wall mild (£350,000-450,000) and an ornate flower-motif mattress with Karpidas’ beloved owl image (£200,000-300,000).
Karpidas’ connection to Les Lalanne ran deep—she was a passionate early supporter, visiting their Paris workshop lengthy earlier than their work achieved world fame, and the French duo’s creations turned important to the immersive, surreal environments Karpidas inbuilt her houses.
Uncommon, largely unseen items by Les Lalanne are joined by putting works from different key designers in her orbit, together with Mattia Bonetti and André Dubreuil. “These weren’t equipment, however residing elements of her world—playful, surreal and fully private,” Barker says. “Her houses had been by no means showrooms, however residing, respiration, imaginative areas the place artwork was embedded in each day life.” The result’s a set that speaks to a life steeped in creativity, curiosity and enduring relationships with the artists and designers she championed.
To honor that spirit, Sotheby’s London will stage a totally immersive exhibition recreating Karpidas’ singular world. Full with an indoor Les Lalanne backyard, the present runs from September 8-17 at Sotheby’s Mayfair galleries, forward of the Night, Day and On-line auctions on September 17, 18 and 19.
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