Felix Marcilhac Collection to be sold at Sotheby's Paris

Hello dear readers.  I read in the French press over the summer that renown French art historian and 20th century design dealer Felix Marcilhac would be selling his personal collection via Sotheby's.  Recently Sotheby's Paris put forth a press release with additional details but scant few images to sate my overtly visual nature.  Fortunately, I was able to take-in a preview exhibition at Sotheby's New York headquarters open now through Friday, November 8th.  Do see it be for it closes.  Here is a run down of everything on view.

Jean Michel Frank, Pair of Armchairs, circa 1938, Shagreen and Oak, €250,000-300,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Marcel Coard, Occasional Table, circa 1925, Ebony and Green tinted Shagreen, €60,000-80,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Andre Groult, Occasional Table, circa 1926, Shagreen, €100,000-120,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Paul Iribe, "Nautile" Armchair, circa 1913, Carved walnut, €150,000-200,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Detail of above  Photo: Aestheticus Rex
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Pierre Chareau, "SN1" Stool, circa 1925, Walnut, €15,000-20,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Glass vessels by Maurice Marinot
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Glass vessels by Maurice Marinot
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Glass vessels by Maurice Marinot
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Glass vessels by Maurice Marinot
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Raphael Delorme, "Repetition", circa 1925, oil on canvas,  €15,000-20,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Bernard Boutet de Monvel, "Woman", oil on canvas, €40,000-60,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Raphael Delorme, "Composition", circa 1925, oil on board, €15,000-20,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Jean Dupas, "Femme en Buste", oil on panel, €20,000-25,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Jean Dupas, "Woman in Fur", circa 1929, oil on panel, €25,000-30,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Jacques Majorelle, "Les Deux Amies", 1941, Tempera with gold and silver on paper,  €250,000-300,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Joseph Csaky, "Tete de Femme", 1924, gilt and silvered bronze on palmwood base, €60,000-80,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

Gustave Miklos, "L'Homme et Son Destin", 1929, patinated bronze on black marble base, €250,000-300,000
Image: Aestheticus Rex

The works are exquisite, and the press release reveals that the sale will have some 300 lots by top makers many with stellar provenances...including Jacques Doucet.  This point brings me to press images that were also displayed including one of the gilt bronze statue below...

Woman with Bird, gilt bronze    Image via Sotheby's

Unfortunately this image was not labeled but the model is familiar to me.  The same model was part of the collection of Jacques Doucet seen at the entrance of his "Oriental Cabinet"within his Studio at Neuilly-sur-Seine.

Jacques Doucet's "Oriental Cabinet"  Image: L'Illustration, 3 May 1930 

Detail showing sculpture   Image: L'Illustration 3 May 1930

The 3 May 1930 issue of L'Illustration attributes the sculpture to Constantin Brancusi but I always had my doubts.  A boldface name like Brancusi would have been featured in the press release....and it is not.  However, the press release does mention Ossip Zadkine and a little research led me to discover that this is indeed a Zadkine model known as "Jeune Fille a al Colombe".  I am very much hoping that it is from Doucet's collection.  The sale is not until 11 March 2014 so we will have to wait until the catalogue is issued in February.  Until next time--AR

Templeton Crocker Redux

I must say, every auction season is always a gamble which adds the excitement and allure. One never knows what will surface and what prices will be achieved. In my previous post I highlighted the Jean Dunand panels at Christie's from the Templeton Crocker residence in San Francisco. Well, Phillips has a Jean-Michel Frank chair from the same commission.... this time from Mr. Crocker's personal study.

Image via Phillips

Image via Phillips

The chair itself, like the walls of the study, is embellished with straw marquetry, a particular Frank favorite. This marquetry has a shimmery effect not unlike satinwood, but is very delicate to say the least .

Image via Phillips

The marquetry here is regularly set in planks. I think it is best utilized at angles in sunburst effects as seen in a detail from the cover of Putnam's 1980 book on the artist.

The chair is priced at $90,000-110,000 which is a fairly odd increment and immediately makes me think that it is likely aggressive. That said, it is from a rare commission and according to the provenance it has not been on the market since Delorenzo Gallery sold it to a Connecticut collector in 1977. We will have to wait until December to see where it goes....AR.