PARIS.- Christie’s announced the sale of Marie-Laure Bonnaud-Vautrin’s collection, the daughter of renowned artist Line Vautrin (1913-1997), on the upcoming 20 May in Paris. Nearly 250 jewels, boxes, compacts, pillboxes, sculptures and mirrors will be offered for approximately 650,000 euros.
Marie - Laure Bonnaud - Vautrin says: « The works of my mother have inhabited my life until today. Time has come to discover new artists, to change scenery. The lots featured in this sale feature all the themes that my mother liked exploring in her work. Every jewel, every box, every object has a story of its own, and I am thrilled to be able to share these stories through an auction at Christie’s».
« We are honored that Marie-Laure Bonnaud-Vautrin has entrusted Christie’s with the sale of her collection. Every piece that Line Vautrin has created carries a message of love, poetry or fantasy. Connoisseurs or amateurs will all have the opportunity to acquire an iconic, unique or unexpected piece, for estimates ranging from 200 to 100,000 euros » added Emmanuelle Karsenti, specialist at the 20/21 Design department.
Line Vautrin was born in 1913. Her father had taken over his parents’ foundry, and Line Vautrin grew up in the workshop, surrounded by parts of bronze which used to adorn pieces of furniture. As a little girl, Line used to play with these metal bits, and was soon forced to survive out of it as her father passed when she was only 14 years old. Line wondered through Parisian streets with a small suitcase filled with her very first creations and tried selling them to women waiting for their bus. At first, she mostly made jewels which she modeled out of bronze drawer handles or other pieces of furniture. In 1937, she presented her necklaces, bracelets, brooches, powder boxes, ear clips and buckles during the Exposition Universelle and received a great success.
The artist experimented and started producing the object which settled her reputation: the box. Either cigarettes boxes, compacts, pillboxes, Line expressed hey joy through these objects. She quickly enriched them with poems and riddles which became her signature. The auction offers a wonderful panel of the writers who’s work has inspired her: Rimbaud (L’étoile a pleuré rose au cœur de tes oreilles […], €1,800-2,200), Jean Passerat (La Tourterelle envolée […], €1,500-2,000), Guillaume Apollinaire (L’Anémone et l’Ancolie, €1,000-1,500), Jacques Prévert (Pour toi mon amour, €1,000-1,500) or even Paul Verlaine (Voici des fruits, des fleurs et des branches, €800-1,200).
To words, Line Vautrin added symbols to create riddles; some discrete and decorative messages of love. As so, a rare enamel and silver bronze box estimated between 8,000 and 12,000 euros can read: “Je t’aime aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et moins que demain [Today I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow].
A part from love, Line Vautrin explored various themes such as life, happiness and nature –including the sea- under numerous shapes. These themes were always treated in a childish tone, ever-present in her work. The tales of Berthe au Grand Pied, Le Petit Poucet or Barbe Bleue and the characters of Arlequin and Pinocchio contrasted with daily life, especially during World War II. This context encouraged Line Vautrin to broach themes like the Opposition, liberty and fraternity in many works, including her famous compact Un souhait a traversé Paris (A wish swept through Paris) estimated between 800 and 1,200 euros.
In 1960, Vautrin invented the talosel which she used for making her celebrated mirrors. The auction will feature several emblematic or unique mirrors. Among these are the Charlemagne (estimated between 25,000 and 30,000 euros), the Perruque (€25,000-30,000) or even the Florence (€40,000-60,000) models will be offered. In the 1970’s, Line Vautrin made herself a mirror titled If all the guys in the world, a unique piece she had always kept into her home. This major mirror is estimated between 80,000 and 120,000 euros.
