LONDON.- Phillips announced highlights from the Evening & Day Editions auctions in London, taking place on 23 January 2020. Leading the Evening Sale is one of the most important graphic works of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso’s La Minotauromachie: the most valuable edition ever offered by Phillips. Further highlights include iconic portraits and motifs by Andy Warhol, rare and innovative prints by David Hockney and unique works by Gerhard Richter and Daniel Buren. Comprised of 255 works and showcasing a strong selection of editions by Modern and Contemporary masters, the Day Sale will be held on 23 January at 1pm (lots 71 - 255), immediately followed by the Evening Sale at 6pm (lots 1-70), which will start with Picasso’s La Minotauromachie.
Rebecca Tooby-Desmond, Head of Sale for Editions, said, “We are excited to begin 2020 bolstered by the success of our global auctions throughout 2019, which achieved our highest ever total of over $25 million. We look forward to starting the next season and new decade by offering an extraordinary etching by Pablo Picasso, estimated to achieve the highest ever price for an edition offered at Phillips. It is an honour and a privilege to chaperone this important work to a new collection as well as offering exciting opportunities to bid on works by Modern & Contemporary masters alongside young, emerging edition-makers. We’re proud of the depth and breadth of works on offer, which showcases Phillips’ strength in this category and gives our clients the chance to start or grow their collections.”
Pablo Picasso’s 1935 etching, La Minotauromachie, is considered to be one of the most important graphic works of the 20th century. This work presents a complex, personal subject of anecdote, symbolism, and myth, at the centre of which is the minotaur, Picasso’s most famous subject and often recognised as a representation of the artist himself. Picasso began using the minotaur in the early 1930s, building an entire life cycle of the beast in La Suite Vollard (1933-36) and infamously illustrating the beast in Guernica in 1937. Picasso worked intensely on the copper plate for La Minotauromachie, producing a total of 7 states for this image, of which the present example is the 7th (final) state. Reluctant to publicly release impressions of this print, and never formally editioning the work, Picasso gave a small number of proofs only to his closest friends. At his death, between 23 and 27 impressions remained in the artist’s estate. The present work was acquired directly from the artist’s family by the current owner. It is cited that approximately 55 impressions of La Minotauromachie exist in the 7th state, half of which are held in museums including the Musée Picasso, Paris; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris; Museo Picasso, Barcelona; Sprengel Museum, Hanover; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; The Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo; and The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
A highlight of the Contemporary section of the Evening Sale is Keith Haring’s Dog. An iconic subject from the artist, dogs feature frequently throughout Haring’s work, often interpreted as a mythical representation of mankind. Phillips holds the world auction record for a Keith Haring Dog multiple, set during our June 2019 single-owner sale in London, Edition Schellmann: Fifty Are Better Than One. The present example is similarly fresh to the auction market, coming from a private collector having been purchased directly from the publisher, Edition Schellmann.
Included amongst the Andy Warhol editions to feature in this sale is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, 1985 from the Reigning Queens series. A pioneer of the Pop Art movement, Warhol addressed his fascination with the social class system through this series in 1985. By finding celebrity and popular culture in a traditional royal portrait through the use of different colours, lines and pixilation, Warhol was able to break down the barriers of social hierarchy and transform portraits of contemporary royalty into consumable creations. Additional Warhol highlights to feature in the auctions include Shoes, a 1980 screenprint in colours with diamond dust; and two editions from the 1960s Campbell’s Soup series titled Green Pea, from Campbell’s Soup I, and Vegetarian Vegetable from Campbell’s Soup II.
David Hockney’s Views of Hotel Well III, from the Moving Focus series is an additional highlight of the Evening Sale. Coming to auction from a Private UK Collection, this 1984 lithograph in colours is one of the strongest examples from this series of works that the artist produced in collaboration with Tyler Graphics. Further Hockney highlights to feature in the Evening Sale include Snail Space: 10 digital inkjet prints from 1995, which have never been offered at auction as a complete set; an iconic Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink, 1980; the rare to auction Snow from Weather Series; 1973 and important early etchings, Home, 1969 and Panama Hat, 1972.
Of the Gerhard Richter works to be offered in this sale is Haut II (Skin II), 2004. An incredible rare-to-market unique proof, Haut II (Skin II) is a screenprint on stretched canvas aside from the regular edition of 60 and 12 artist's proofs on paper, published by Kunstmuseum Bonn. Another highlight by Richter is Mao, produced in collotype printed in black and purple on cardboard, this work was published by Galerie h. (August Haseke), Hanover in 1968.
Included amongst the ceramic works to feature in this sale is Daniel Buren’s Les Cent Vases (The Hundred Vases), 2010. The unique white earthenware vases in this set are painted in different colours and vary in size. Buren’s work has previously been exhibited in such prominent art spaces as the Grand Palais and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
