PARIS.- The Marc Litzler collection offered by Christie’s in collaboration with Bertrand Meaudre, expert of the sale and proprietor of Librairie Larchandet, attracted international collectors and totalled €4,401,375 selling 86% by lot and 94% by value.

Adrien Legendre, Director of Christie’s Book Department : “Today's results confirm collectors’ appetite for high quality pieces and especially for illustrated books as the exceptional Apocalypse by Albrecht Dürer. We are especially honoured that Marc Litzler entrusted us with his collection. Strong results speak for themselves. We would like to thank Bertrand Meaudre particularly for his collaboration in this sale”.

Albrecht Dürer’s (1471-1528) books were well received today. One of his masterpieces, The Apocalypse, realised €346,000 against a presale high estimate of €200,000 and the Passio domini nostril Jesu, 1511, was sold for €118,750 (estimated at €40,000-60,000). The second top lot of the auction was Jazz by Matisse, an exceptional copy that had been presented by Albert Skira to his wife; it sold for €298,000.

An additional strong result was achieved for the first book of the art movement Simultané, Prose du transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France executed by Blaise Cendrars (1887-1961) and Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979). Offered in an exceptional condition with extraordinary colours, it has been acquired for €237,500 against a presale estimate of €150,000-200,000.

Several books bound by Pierre Legrain seduced bibliophiles, such as Les climats (Paris, 1925) by Anna de Noailles and François-Louis Schmied (1873-1941), which sold for 60,000€, Petits et grands verres, choix des meilleurs cocktails recueillis par N. Toye et A.H.Adair, sold for €118,750 and Le cantique des cantiques with remarkable illustrations of François-Louis Schmied, which sold for €82,500, both realizing three times their presale estimates.

Additionally, the Bibliothèque National de France preempted lot 87, the first book created by Kokoschka (1896-1980), Die Traümenden Kanben (1908), a first edition that was dedicated to Gustav Klimt and which sold for €27.500.