NEW YORK.- During the spring of 2002, Sotheby's will offer property from the Estate of Warner Le Roy including magnificent examples of American, Impressionist and Modern, 19th Century and Contemporary paintings as well as several pieces of Contemporary glass and a wonderful piece of Americana.
Warner Le Roy, best known for his fabulous New York restaurants, Maxwell's Plum, Tavern on the Green and The Russian Tea Room, was a man of great vision and intense attention to detail. His collection of paintings and decorative objects reflect his passion for beauty and his creative nature. As the son of legendary Hollywood filmmaker and director Mervyn LeRoy and his wife, Doris Warner of Warner Brothers Studio fame, and as a successful Broadway director in his own right, Warner LeRoy's restaurants, which represented a revival in themed and glamorous eateries, became preeminent places to see and be seen in New York City.
Jamie Niven, Vice Chairman of Sotheby's North and South America and a personal friend of Warner LeRoy, remembers Mr. LeRoy as, "a man of superb style who never did things half way. His attention to detail was amazing and he was clearly moved by the beauty that he had a hand in creating. In a sense, he was a brilliant showman who never forgot to be generous to those less fortunate as was evidenced by the 'Hero's' breakfast he gladly gave at Tavern on the Green for The Robin Hood Foundation. Sotheby's is honored to offer property from his Estate for sale this spring."