Friday, December 8, 2023

NYC Day-Trip: Christie's

Monday, October 30, 2023 - Both Sotheby's and Christie's have excellent auctions next month (November) - Sotheby's Modern Evening Auction (13 November 2023), and Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale (9 November 2023). Unfortunately they do not have overlapping "Viewing Dates", so Christie's looks like the better destination, with 5 Monets up for sale:

I left the house shortly after 6 AM, and by 9:30 was driving through Western Connecticut. The fog and views were pretty cool:

I grabbed Post Offices on my way down, and my favorite this morning is 10576 - Pound Ridge, NY:

I was running a little early for my SpotHero parking spot, so I decided to test the "free option" of getting onto Manhattan = I-95 South, getting off right before the George Wahington Bridge (versus entering at the top of the Island over the Henry Hudson Bridge). I was mentally prepared to just sit in stopped traffic for 10/15 minutes, and that is exactly what happened. I'm usually on a tight schedule, so I won't be doing that again, but it was a good experiment.

As always, pretty cool going down the West Side Highway:

After getting lost (the sign for the garage WAS A LEVEL BELOW THE STREET, ON THE DOWN RAMP) I parked at 1:16

The City is always busy:

The five Monets that started this trip are:

"La Seine à Bougival", 1870 oil:
(estimate $0.8 mm - 1.2 mm)

"La Seine à Lavacourt", 1879 oil:
(estimate $0.6 mm - 0.8 mm)

"Les bords de la Seine près de Vétheuil", 1881 oil:
(estimate $1.5 mm - 2.5 mm)

"Sandviken, Norvège, effet de neige", 1895 oil:
(estimate $2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

"Le bassin aux nymphéas", c. 1917-1919 oil:
(Estimate on Request)

There was actually a 6th Monet, back in the "PRIVATE SALES" area:

"Vue du village de Giverny", 1886 oil:
(Price upon request)

A side-note on this lovely picture: It was sold through Christie's in 2018 for $3,972,500. As for this year, Christie's does not publish their Private Sales results.

Other wonderful art on view today:

Andy Warhol - "Sixteen Jackies", 1964 silkscreen:
(estimate $25 mm - 35 mm)

Andrew Wyeth - "Spring Fed", 1967 tempera:
(estimate $4 mm - 6 mm)

A WONDERFUL SURPRISE HIGHLIGHT was a pair of paintings by Canaletto, visiting from their 7 December 2023 "Old Masters Part 1" auction in London:

"Venice: The Entrance to the Grand Canal, looking West":
"Venice: The Molo: from the Bacino di San Marco":
(sold as a pair - estimate 8 mm - 12 mm [British Pounds])

and then it was time to head back down into the streets of New York:

I picked up my car at 2:30, and headed home, grabbing Post Offices on the way. My 2 favorites this afternoon are:

ZIP Code 10583 - Scarsdale, NY:

ZIP Code 10514 - Chappaqua, NY:

Note from the Future - these pieces sold for:

Lot 832 - Claude Monet - "La Seine à Bougival" - $1,623,000
(estimate $0.8 mm - 1.2 mm)

Lot 783 - Claude Monet - "La Seine à Lavacourt" - $1,320,500
(estimate $0.6 mm - 0.8 mm)

Lot 763 - Claude Monet - "Les bords de la Seine près de Vétheuil" - $3,438,000
(estimate $1.5 mm - 2.5 mm)

Lot 61B - Claude Monet - "Sandviken, Norvège, effet de neige" - $6,705,000
(estimate $2.5 mm - 3.5 mm)

Lot 35B - Claude Monet - "Le bassin aux nymphéas" - $74,010,000 (no typo)
(Estimate on Request)

Lot 31B - Andy Warhol - "Sixteen Jackies" - $25,940,000
(estimate $25 mm - 35 mm)

Lot 17B - Andrew Wyeth - "Spring Fed" - $4,769,000
(estimate $4 mm - 6 mm)

Lot 11 - Canaletto - the pair - "Venice: The Entrance to the Grand Canal, looking West; and The Molo: from the Bacino di San Marco" - 9,740,000 British Pounds
(estimate 8 mm - 12 mm British Pounds)

Thank You God for this wonderful art/adventure day!

Music for today:

Bob Dylan - Desire, 1976:

The Eagles - Desperado, 1973 2nd album:

Echo & The Bunnymen - Songs To Learn & Sing, 1985 compliation album:

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer, 1970 1st album:

Enya - The Best of Enya, 1997:
Wonderful ethereal music for driving through fog-shrouded hills of Western Connecticut.

Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (Eurythmics), 1991:


Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans, 1959:
PERFECT for driving through the streets of New York City!!!

Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard, 1961 live album:

Donald Fagen - Kamakiriad, 1993:

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly, 1982:

Marianne Faithful - Collection, 1994:

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - 2023/08/24 Foxborough, MA:
Once I hit I-84, Bruce and The Band took me home!! I listened to his New Zeland concert (Feb 2017) 2 days ago, so this was a FUN CONTRAST.

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/