The Bass Monets at Christie's, New York City

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 - Yesterday (Tuesday) morning I was checking out the websites for Sotheby's and Christie's - I want to see if we are near their semi-annual American Art Auctions. As it turns out, Christie's has a wonderful auction next week (Thomas Moran [6], Albert Bierstadt [2], Alfred Jacob Miller [7])! And Sotheby's has some nice stuff, as well. So I penciled the calendar for Saturday May 14 [public viewing is Sat-Mon). But then I also noticed another auction at Christie's: The Collection of Anne H. Bass, taking place Thursday May 12, with final viewing Wednesday. But I was already thinking about going down on Saturday, and I certainly did not want to go down both Wednesday and Saturday.

So I thought the Bass Auction was pretty cool, but on our walk Tuesday afternoon I told Wendy that I Would Not be going down to New York City tomorrow.

But when I woke up this morning, I looked at the Bass Auction more closely - one Degas sculpture, and 11 paintings:

and I thought - "If I don't see these Monets TODAY, I WILL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN."

Um, and the Auction Estimates for these 12 pieces were from $243,700,000 to $361,300,000 - that sure is a lot of Zeros.

So, leaving Wendy behind, I left the house at 8:20 AM. I had fun seeing a Tesla from CALIFORNIA on the West Side Highway:

Now that has to have been some Heavy Logistics!

I got to my SpotHero parking (green dot in the upper-right) at 1 PM, and walked down to Christie's in Rockefeller Center at 1:35

My first sight was an unexpected Wonderful Jackson Pollock - "Number 31", 1949 oil:

("Estimate on Request")

And then some "other Monets" before getting to the Bass Collection:

"La mare, effet de neige", 1874-75 oil:

(estimate $18,000,000-25,000,000)

"Soleil couchant, temps brumeux, Pourville", 1882 oil:

(estimate $2,500,000-3,500,000)

"Champ d'avoine et de coquelicots", 1890 oil:

(estimate $12,000,000-18,000,000)

The "Bass Monets" are in their own separate alcove:

"Peupliers au bord de l'Epte", automne, 1891 oil:

(estimate $30,000,000 - 50,000,000)

"Le Parlement, soleil couchant", 1900-03 oil:

(estimate $40,000,000 - 60,000,000)

"Nymphéas", 1907 oil:

(estimate $35,000,000 - 55,000,000)

another beautiful item from Anne Bass - Edgar Degas - "Danseuse attachant son chausson", 1887 pastel:

(estimate $4,000,000 - 6,000,000)

And then other pieces at Christie's:

Eugène Boudin - "Trouville, voiliers échoués", c. 1883-87 oil:

(estimate $40,000-60,000)

Andy Warhol - "Jackie", 1964 acrylic and silkscreen ink:

("Price upon request")

Andy Warhol - "Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn)", 1967 screenprint (set of 10):

(estimate $1,500,000-2,500,000)

That was a fun walk through Christie's:

A nice day at Rockefeller Center:

I reached Sotheby's at 2:36

I was so busy that I missed the major Monet they have:

but I was able to see some beauties.

Henri Matisse - "COUP DE VENT-ÉTRETAT", 1920 oil:

(estimate $700,000-1,000,000)

Camille Pissarro - "VUE DE ZEVEKOTE, KNOKKE", 1894 oil:

(estimate $1,500,000-2,000,000)

Claude Monet - "LES ARCEAUX DE ROSES, GIVERNY", 1913 oil:

(estimate $20,000,000-30,000,000)

Claude Monet - "EFFETS 'HIVER À ARGENTEUIL", 1875 oil:

(estimate $5,000,000-7,000,000)

Banksy - "CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON", 2009 spray paint and emulsion on board:

(estimate $6,000,000 - 8,000,000)

Walk back to the garage, and drove out of there right at 3:00. Bad Traffic, but pretty day:

Traffic on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut was awful. I got home at 8:20 - 12 hours after leaving. Um, for $300 million worth of art, I would do it again.

Note from the Future - these pieces sold for:

Christie's:

Lot 21 C - Jackson Pollock - "Number 31" - $54,205,000
(Estimate on Request)

Lot 18 C - Claude Monet - "La mare, effet de neige" - $25,580,000
(estimate $18,000,000-25,000,000)

Lot 835 - Claude Monet - "Soleil couchant, temps brumeux, Pourville" - $5,100,000
(estimate $2,500,000-3,500,000)

Lot 25 C - Claude Monet - "Champ d'avoine et de coquelicots" - $14,130,000
(estimate $12,000,000-18,000,000)

Lot 11 C - Claude Monet - "Peupliers au bord de l'Epte" - $36,457,500
(estimate $30,000,000 - 50,000,000)

Lot 10 C - Claude Monet - "Le Parlement, soleil couchant" - $75,960,000
(estimate $40,000,000 - 60,000,000)

Lot 12 C - Claude Monet - "Nymphéas" - $56,495,000
(estimate $35,000,000 - 55,000,000)

Lot 1 C - Edgar Degas - "Danseuse attachant son chausson" - $8,977,500
(estimate $4,000,000 - 6,000,000)

Lot 802 - Eugène Boudin - "Trouville, voiliers échoués" - $60,480
(estimate $40,000-60,000)

Lot ... - Andy Warhol - "Jackie" - Private Sale
("Price upon request")

Lot 126 - Andy Warhol - "Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn)" - $4,980,000
(estimate $1,500,000-2,500,000)

Sotheby's:

Lot 31 - Henri Matisse - "COUP DE VENT-ÉTRETAT" - $441,000
(estimate $700,000-1,000,000)

Lot 47 - Camille Pissarro - "VUE DE ZEVEKOTE, KNOKKE" - $945,000
(estimate $1,500,000-2,000,000)

Lot 46 - Claude Monet - "LES ARCEAUX DE ROSES, GIVERNY" - $23,304,500
(estimate $20,000,000-30,000,000)

Lot 35 - Claude Monet - "EFFETS 'HIVER À ARGENTEUIL" - $6,299,300
(estimate $5,000,000-7,000,000)

Lot 19 - Banksy - "CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON" - 19 May 2022 The Now auction
(estimate $6,000,000 - 8,000,000)

10 hours of driving - hundreds of millions of dollars of artworks - I would do it again! - Thank You God for all these Wonderful Adventure/Art Days!!!

Music for today - I'm going to start with some albums I put together, soundtracks to Warren Miller ski movies:

various artists - WM_Storm, 2002 (9 songs)

various artists - WM_OffTheGrid, 2007 (13 songs)

various artists - WM_Journey, 2003 (18 songs)

various artists - WM_Impact, 2005 (22 songs)

All that music got me down to New York. Some yes familiar (Dave Matthews, Allman Brothers, Michael Franti), most not familiar (but still good), and the occasional loud awful kill-your-mother rock (that will get deleted when I get home).

So coming home I wanted to hear music I knew:

various artists - Sounds Of The Eighties: 80's Pop Classics, only 3 songs:

Rick Springfield - "Jessie's Girl"
Toto - "Africa"
Dexys Midnight Runners - "Come On Eileen"

various artists - Sounds Of The Eighties: Rockin' 80's, only 2 songs:

Fine Young Cannibals - "She Drives Me Crazy"
Glenn Frey - "You Belong To The City"

various artists - Superbad! The Soul of The City, 18 songs

Pretty Cool cd - Starting with Issac Hayes - "Theme from Shaft", a couple of songs from Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly" and Marvin Gaye, plus James Brown, The Temptations, and others; and ending with William DeVaughn - "Be Thankful For What You Got":

… Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh

various artists - '80s Dance Gold (2 cds)

Um, not very good, so delete when I get home.

various artists - 2010 Grammy Nominees

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/