20 / 21 Photographs

Auction : Friday 14 November 2014, 7 pm

Viewing : Saturday 8 November 10 am-6pm | Monday 10 November 10 am-6pm | Tuesday 11 November 10 am-6pm | Wednesday 12 November 10 am-6 pm | Thursday 13 November 10 am-6pm | Friday 14 November 10 am-6pm

eCatalogue: www.christies.com/salelanding/index.aspx?intSaleID=24736

Matthieu Humery, Internat. Director | +33 (0) 1 40 76 85 92 | mhumery@christies.com
Elodie Morel, Head of Sale | +33 (0) 1 40 76 84 16 | emorel@christies.com
Jonas Tebib, Specialist | +33 (0) 1 40 76 84 41 | jtebib@christies.com

The 20 / 21 Photographs sale is made up of two parts; one devoted to classical photography and the other comprising a selection of contemporary photographs.

The classic photographs section comprises in particular two very fine prints by Gustave Le Gray including Ciel chargé, mer méditerranée, 1857 estimated €80,000 – €120,000. Manuel Alvarez Bravo will be in pride of place with a magnificent period print of his most famous image, with the title El Ensueno (The Daydream) made in 1931 (estimate: €100,000 – €150,000); another period print by Edward Weston showing a reclining Tina Modotti will also be one of the highlights of the auction. Estimated at €80,000 to €120,000, this print was made in 1924. Two prints from the deLIGHTed Eye collection will also be part of the selection: one work by Czech photographer Jaromir Funke, estimated €80,000 – €120,000 and another by Edward Steichen made in 1922, Bricks (West 86th street) estimate € 120,000 – €180,000.

A very rare set of some fifteen prints by Constantin Brancusi that belonged to Marthe Lebherz will also be offered on 14 November. A real passion developed between the artist and Marthe Lebherz in the 1920s.

Lastly, part of the sale will be devoted to contemporary photography and will bring this sale period to an end. This section, comprising about sixty lots, will include a selection of 8 seascapes by the Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, each estimated at between €15,000 and €20,000. Some fine prints by Vik Munik will also be offered including a fine tribute to the work of Boetti – Mappa, estimated at €40,000-€60,000. In addition, some very contemporary artists like Cindy Sherman will also be on show, in particular a print dated 1982 depicting the artist as Marilyn Monroe and estimated at €20,000-€30,000. We also hold a large format image (141 x 107 cm) with the title “Watermelon” made by Nobuyoshi Araki in 1991 and estimated between €20,000 and €30,000.