NEW YORK, NY.- Christies announced it has been entrusted with the sale of The Collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill, slated for October 2019. A global symbol of sophistication and erudition, the late Ms. Radziwills personal collection will be featured in a dedicated exhibition and sale at Christies in Rockefeller Center that will celebrate Ms. Radziwills singular elegance, style and intellectual curiosity.
Regarded as one of the worlds greatest style icons, Ms. Radziwill was an aesthete known for her sartorial acumen. Her connoisseurship and love of art was nurtured from a young age when she famously began correspondence with the Renaissance art historian Bernard Berenson. As a teenager, she wrote to him, I am so terribly thrilled when I find anything concerned with art and at the height of enjoyment in an art gallery or museum.
The contents of the collection offer a glimpse into Ms. Radziwills fascinating life, spanning her years as a prominent socialite, princess, designer, and witness to a momentous era in American history. Throughout her life, she developed friendships with many cultural figures of the 20th century such as Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Peter Beard, Giorgio Armani, Rudolf Nureyev, Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola, The Rolling Stones and others, and was often cited as a muse. Her influential connections are reflected through her legendary interiors, on which she collaborated closely with Renzo Mongiardino. Fine and decorative art from her homes in Paris and New York feature prominently in the collection, as well as books, costume jewelry, photography and memorabilia.
Marc Porter, Chairman of Christies Americas, noted: Lee Radziwill is remembered by all who knew her as a symbol of sophistication and connoisseurship, with a fascinating life story. It will be Christies honor to share Ms. Radziwills personal collection with the world this October, as we invite an international audience of collectors, designers, tastemakers, and admirers to join us as we pay tribute to such an extraordinary life and legacy.
The Collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill will be a highlight of Christies fall Collector Week of auctions in New York. Full details of the sale contents will be announced in the coming weeks, and a complete sale catalogue will be available in September 2019.