A Francis Bacon goes big, but there were few fireworks at the sale of paintings from Condé Nast’s former chairman, who built one of the major art collections in the country.
Two fixtures, which were covered in grime, were sold along with other artifacts by a Philadelphia church’s new owner for $6,000. An auction house estimates they could bring up to $250,000 — each.
In an art form that leaves few tangible traces, performers often become collectors of mementos from their careers. A lucky few find an archival home for their treasures.
The gems in Christie’s huge sale next week come from the estate of a woman whose husband bought businesses from Jews pressured to sell because of Nazi persecution.
Whimsical children’s books signed El Pintor were a success in the Netherlands during World War II. Behind the pseudonym was a Jewish couple who used the proceeds to help the resistance.