LONDON.- The Marquis and Marquise de Ravenel’s apartment on the rue de Lille opposite the Musée d’Orsay is said by many to be one of the most beautiful in Paris. In a special two-day auction on 21 and 22 of November 2007, Christie’s will offer the contents of this stylish apartment at King Street in London. The collection reflects the very personal touch of Jackie and Jean-Charles de Ravenel and comprises magnificent objects alongside charming pictures. Offering over 550 lots and estimated between £2 million and £3 million, sale estimates range from £100 to £400,000; all lots with a low estimate of £2,000 and below will be offered without reserve.

Situated in the fashionable hôtel particulier area of Paris, Jackie and Jean-Charles de Ravenel’s elegant and cosmopolitan apartment played host to magnificent dinners and receptions for their international guests including close friends Alberto Pinto, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta and Hubert de Givenchy. Renowned for their exquisite and chic taste, close friend Hubert de Givenchy reflects that “the pieces of this sale will always bear the hallmark of this cosmopolitan and effortlessly Parisian couple”, whilst Oscar de la Renta comments, “The charming home reflects their impeccable taste. The décor is eclectic and very chic.” Indeed the quality of Jackie and Jean-Charles de Ravenel’s collection is perhaps best summarised by designer Alberto Pinto: “In this sale I would like to buy everything, that is rare.”

Jackie and Jean-Charles de Ravenel’s collection includes many important pieces of furniture and beautiful works of art including a pair of Louis XVI giltwood torchères originally supplied for the Salon de Musique, Hôtel Kinsky in 1778 and purchased by Jackie at the Redé-Rothschild sale in Monaco in 1975 (estimate: £200,000-400,000); a pair of Russian ormolu and bronze vases, circa 1790, attributed to Frederich Bergenfeldt (estimate: £30,000-50,000) and a magnificent Roman specimen marble table top signed and dated “Alfonso Cavamelli, 1832” (estimate: £70,000-100,000). The collection also includes a variety of desirable and useful silver, ceramics and glass that will appeal to both stylish collectors and connoisseurs; estimates range from £100 to £18,000.

The pictures in the sale combine an extraordinary eye for quality with a remarkable eclecticism. Diverse in subject, consistent in good taste and timeless in style, they are led by a superb group of British paintings, including Sir John Everett Millais’ Forlorn, 1888 (estimate: £70,000-100,000); the enchanting Portrait of a Lieutenant McDonough as a boy holding a Cricket bat by John Opie (estimate: £200,000-300,000) and George Romney’s unfinished Portrait of a Lady (estimate: £30,000-50,000).

French pictures are well represented, most notably by a Portrait of Charles Ferdinand d'Artois, Duc de Berry in hunting costume (1778-1820), an ancestor of the Marquis de Ravenel, from the Studio of Baron Gérard (estimate: £50,000-80,000). From the Swiss School are an enchanting pair of circular portraits by Firmin Massot (1766-1849) of Madame Rosset and John Archer (estimate: £30,000-50,000). A fascinating group of dog pictures, from Constant Troyon to Maud Earl (estimates range from £200 to £50,000), adds further variety and glamour to a collection that will excite anyone with an appreciation for beautiful works of art.

History Of The Family - The Marquise de Ravenel, née Jackie Ansley, comes from a well-known banking dynasty, the Ansbachers, who established themselves in London during the 19th century, and then later moved to Dublin, where the name was anglicised to Ansley during The Great War.

Jean-Charles Ratisbonne de Ravenel also comes from a family of bankers. Although originally from Frankfurt, the family moved to Strasbourg at the end of the 18th Century. His great-grandmother Baroness Emile d’Erlanger was a friend to numerous artists at the turn of the century, and was also patron of the Russian Ballet.

Jean-Charles’ grandfather was Prince Jean-Louis de Faucigny-Lucinge, the great, great grandson of the Duc de Berry and nicknamed “Prince Charming” by Max Jacob. With his ravishing wife Baba d’Erlanger, he formed one of the most fashionable and in-demand couples of the inter-war period.