PARIS.- The two-day auction of the personal collection of renowned French interior designer Jacques Grange drew to a close with a total of €28,387,150 / $33,323,392 – witnessing remarkable results across every category, from modern and contemporary art to 20th century design and furniture. Renowned worldwide for his sophisticated taste, the sensational response to the exhibition and auction is testament to Grange’s impressive eye for collecting.

With a wonderful range of exquisite artworks and objects subject to prolonged bidding battles in the sale room, the auction far exceeded the pre-sale estimate of €8.7-12.6 million after just 39 lots had gone under the hammer. 96% of the 177 lots offered found a buyer with 86% of these surpassing their pre-sale high estimates.

Following the auction, Jacques Grange commented, ‘To me, this collection has always been a story of friendships – from my close friendships with my clients, artists, designers to the seamless partnership evident as each decision was made hand in hand with Sotheby’s. I am sincerely touched at the thought that all of these people wanted to own the works that I have held dear for so long.’

Cécile Verdier, Co-Worldwide Head of Design at Sotheby’s, said, ‘We are truly honoured to have had the opportunity to unveil the unparalleled collection of Jacques Grange, with whom it has been a delight to work together with every step of the way. Across the exhibition and sales, we saw the market respond with an enthusiasm that matched the passion with which these works were collected – attesting to the high quality and superb provenance of the works, but also Grange’s unique eye as a true collector.’

DESIGN
Encapsulating Grange’s unrivalled gift for living with art, collectors clamoured to the refined and eclectic design pieces in the sale.

Bidders battled for iconic creations by François-Xavier and Claude Lalanne, beloved French sculptors who looked to nature and the animal world for inspiration and aesthetic pleasure. The selection of fifteen pieces was led by the extraordinarily poetic and graceful Les Autruches Bar by François-Xavier, which was hotly contested and soared to €6,191,150 / $7,267,729 (est. €700,000-1,000,000). One of only six examples – three of which are held by institutions – the notable price for the piece was just shy of an overall record for the artist in dollars*. In a personal note about this work to Grange, Claude had expressed ‘you fell in love with François-Xavier’s finest sculptures… I am glad they lived with you all these years and wish them happiness in their new life elsewhere’. A further highlight was Deux Moutons de laine created by François-Xavier in 1969. Formerly in the collection of Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé who had acquired the works directly from the artist, the pair sold for €1,569,000 / $1,841,833 (est. €500,000-700,000).

Alberto Giacometti’s arresting bronze sculpture Masque aux serpents, le modèle créé en 1934 was pursued by no fewer than seven bidders, selling for €513,000 / $602,206 – five times above its pre-sale estimate of €80,000-120,000.

A record was achieved for Alexandre Noll, whose highly expressive mahogany Fauteuil from 1847 made €909,000 / $1,067,066 (€400,000-600,000). Every one of the fourteen lots offered by the sculptor across the two sales far exceeded their pre-sale high estimates – with a combined total of €1,769,000 (est. €531,100-788,000).

CONTEMPORARY ART
The collection featured works by leading lights from the contemporary art world, which were sought after by a broad span of international bidders to reach major prices.

Impressive in size, explosive in composition, psychedelic in palette, Beautiful, pale blue with 2 circles in the middle like glasses, it’s a lovely one is one of the most magnetic spin-paintings ever made by Damien Hirst. The aptly-titled piece captivated the saleroom, bringing €945,000 / $1,109,326 (est. €350,000-500,000) – the highest price seen for a spin-painting in ten years.

Eight bidders drove Tom Wesselmann’s red hot Mouth Study for Minneapolis catalogue cover, 1968 to €429,000 / $507,027, four times the pre-sale estimate of €90,000-120,000. Formerly in the collection of avid and esteemed art collector Stanley Seeger, the dramatic painting of a Hollywood smile was conceived on an intimate scale – measuring just 25 x 20 cm.

The evening sale drew to a close with Cercle / Cadre by Daniel Buren, an eye-catching and vibrant panel that sold for €489,000 / $574,032 – the third highest price for French conceptual artist at auction.

MODERN MASTERWORKS
Imbued with cultural references and moments of discovery, the sale also offered an impressive selection of modern artworks.

René Magritte’s L’Echelle du feu opened the sale with a flurry of bidding driving the price to a double-estimate €573,000 / $672,639 (est. €200,000-300,000). Painted in 1934, the very year Magritte’s interest in burning objects was sparked, the jewel-like work on paper was formerly in the collection of Surrealist poet Paul Eulard.

A ceramic Disque created by Joan Miró in 1956 – an imaginative celebration of primary tones on a primordial form – sold for over four times its pre-sale estimate at €549,000 / $648,852 (est. €100,000-150,000).

The sale saw a record price for Paul Elie Ranson when Les Princesses à la terrasse from 1894 – influenced by Symbolism, Art Nouveau & Japanese prints – brought €417,000 / $492,844 (est. €200,000-300,000).

FURTHER NOTABLE PRICES
• A record for Italian artist Vittorio Zecchin, after an extended bidding battle drove his luminous tempera and gold on canvas Madonna e Quattro Evangelisti to €681,000 / $799,419 – almost 14 times the pre-sale estimate of €40,000-60,000. Zecchin’s Art Nouveau style was inspired by the history of Venice, from the arrangement of human figures in procession in churches and elaborate abstract patterns of the architecture to the geometrical elements of Murano glass.

• A record by medium for a painting by Guy de Rougemont, whose untitled canvas from 1967 sold for €32,500 (est. €8,000-12,000).

• Irving Penn’s striking black and white photographic portrait of Picasso in 1957 tripled expectations to make €200,000 (est. €50,000-70,000).