September auctions? After the summer break, which still offers many online auctions and opportunities not to be missed, the more substantial September auctions of the three giants Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Philips return. Let’s preview them.
Sotheby’s: surrealist and modern collection at auction in London
The art and design collection of the English patron Pauline Karpidas will be auctioned on September 17 and 18 in London by Sotheby’s. The overall estimate reaches the value of 60 million pounds (over 69 million euros). It gathers more than 250 works and is a record for a private collection in Europe. Among these stand out canvases by René Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, Francis Picabia, Yves Tanguy but also by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons. There are more than 60 creations by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, some commissioned directly by Pauline.
Pauline Karpidas, of humble origins from a Manchester environment, marries Constantinos “Dinos” Karpidas. Thanks to her husband, she will discover “the beautiful things.” Yet, the spark that ignites her passion for surrealist art will be the meeting, in 1974, with the art dealer Alexander Iolas. She visits his house in Athens and convinces him to help her form her collection, which also includes Max Ernst, Salvador Dalí, and Leonora Carrington. There is no shortage of refined furniture and iconic design pieces.
Among the September auctions, on the 9th, Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramics from the Ise Collection is also noteworthy. There are almost 200 pieces assembled together by the collector and Japanese tea master Hikonobu Ise over the past fifty years. A set of ceramics that tells seven millennia of history. It ranges from the minimalism of Neolithic ceramics to the technical perfection of the glazed porcelains of the Qing dynasty. Ise relied on Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, an auction house in Tokyo founded in 1905.
Phillips focuses on Yoshitomo Nara in Hong Kong for the September auctions
Arrives at auction Pinky «one of the most important works of Yoshitomo Nara». When? On September 28, in Hong Kong for Modern & Contemporary Art by Phillips.
It was created upon returning to Japan in 2000, after 12 years spent in Germany. Meiling Lee, Head of Modern & Contemporary Art, Asia highlights how this painting, made in 4 versions, is dedicated to the theme of solitude. The expectation is high, considering the hype surrounding this artist, loved by the general public. Right now – until August 31 – his largest European retrospective is taking place in London, at the Hayward Gallery. A few months ago, his works were exhibited at the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
The painting is also important because out of the 33 canvases painted in 2000, only 11 share the “half-length” composition.
The auction records were set by Hothouse Doll (HK$ 103 million/$13 million) and Missing in Action, which reached the peak of HK$ 123.7 million, equivalent to 16 million US dollars.
South Asian Modern + Contemporary Art di Christie’s a NY
The Christie’s auction of modern and contemporary art from South Asia will be held on September 17 during the Asian Art Week in New York. Leading the sale is an untitled 1984 painting by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde. It is created using numerous translucent layers of amber and gold. It was first sold by Christie’s on December 20, 1987, at a charity auction in Mumbai. It stands out for a particular feature: it seems to radiate light from within. Works from the last 40 years of Indian and South Asian art are present. Two of the most anticipated pieces are The Trussed Bull by Tyeb Mehta (July 1925 – July 2009) and Bandwala in Procession by Krishen Khanna (July 1925). The year 2025 marks the centenary of the birth of the two artists.
Also in New York on September 18 and 19 follows Important Chinese Art. Among the precious vases, flasks, and furniture, there is also a large carved wooden statue depicting Guanyin dating back to the 11th-12th century.
The overviews of the auctions by Christie’s expected to be held in Hong Kong from September 26 to 28. On the 26th, one of the lots in the 20th/21st Century Evening Sale will be a painting featuring the famous pumpkins by Yayoi Kusama. On the 27th, the two most substantial auctions related to 20th and 21st-century art will take place.
She has collaborated for many years with art magazines such as Artribune, XIBT Contemporary, ArtApp, Insideart and Espoarte, preferring contemporary art in its many facets and media drifts.
