A RARE WINDOW INTO THE BOHEMIAN WORLD OF THE SLADE SCHOOL

FROM THE PRIVATE COLLECTION OF

THE LATE EDGAR ASTAIRE

OFFERED ACROSS FOUR SALES, SUMMER 2015

London – This Summer, Christie’s London will unveil a stellar selection of artworks formerly in the outstanding private collection of the late Edgar Astaire, which will be offered across four sales at Christie’s in June and July 2015. The group comprises works by revered 20^th century British artists, including Mark Gertler, Augustus John, David Bomberg, William Roberts and C.R.W. Nevinson, who all attended the Slade School of Art. Never before seen together in public, the collection provides an evocative window through which viewers can step ‘back in time’ to the hub of creativity surrounding the Slade. The collection also includes works by Alfred Munnings, David Hockney, Noël Coward, John Piper, Graham Sutherland and Edward Lear. The four sales will provide a rich array of opportunities for new and established collectors alike to acquire works at a wide range of price levels, with estimates starting from £3,000 up to £400,000.  

André Zlattinger, Senior Director, Head of Modern British Art, Christie’s London: “Christie's is honoured to be handling this important and remarkable collection of paintings and drawings brought together by Edgar Astaire, who combined his passion for the aesthetic of the Slade School and British art with the discerning eye of the connoisseur collector. It is the art of this era, celebrating the arrival of Modernism through its depiction of portraiture, from the monumentality of ‘Carrington’ and ‘The Violinist’ to the draftsmanship of Gertler’s drawings that are testament to the current market’s reappraisal of these artists as some of the most important of the twentieth century.”

It was the work of Mark Gertler (1891–1939) who ignited Edgar Astaire’s aesthetic eye and spurred a lifetime of passionate collecting. The collection is led by Gertler’s striking portrait of Dora de Houghton Carrington (1893–1932), which comes to auction for the first time and is set to potentially reach new heights for the artist (estimate: £400,000–600,000). Carrington was a fellow Slade student, friend, muse, and the object of Gertler’s decade-long, largely unrequited passion. Her love for the homosexual writer Lytton Strachey and her affair with Gertler was explored in the 1995 film Carrington, starring Emma Thompson and Rufus Sewell. This portrait captures the ambitions of the Slade and influential art teacher Henry Tonks, who encouraged his students to look back to the tradition of Western art history. The Italians undoubtedly remained the inspiration for a number of Gertler’s works including the beautiful portrait of Carrington. In his will, Astaire generously bequeathed two Gertler portraits: The Artist’s Brother Harry holding an Apple to Tate and Self-portrait with Fishing Cap to the National Portrait Gallery.

Another museum-quality work by Gertler, among the seven to be offered, is The Violinist (estimate: £300,000–500,000). The striking sitter was a music student and a friend of Gertler’s family, whose distinctive looks captured the artist’s imagination. Boldly framed against a blue Italianate background, this painting exemplifies Gertler’s keen attention to life study and meticulous draftsmanship. She sat for at least four works, including the pencil head study directly related to this oil which won Gertler ‘first prize for drawing of the head’ at the Slade (estimate: £30,000–50,000). Gertler’s careful draftsmanship continued to underpin his figurative work throughout his career, as seen in his 1928 pencil study Supper, Study for Portrait of Natalie Denny, which relates closely to Supper at the National Portrait Gallery(estimate: £20,000–30,000).

Also showcased in the remarkable breadth of talents from the Slade, was David Bomberg (1890–1957). Pool of Hezekiah, Jerusalem (estimate: £80,000–120,000) is one of a series of architectural landscapes documenting the Old City of Jerusalem, as Bomberg embraced the idea of a new increasingly abstract art that explored the drama of the urban world around him. By 1914 Bomberg was producing some of the most dynamic and exciting work in London and he went on to paint Siloam and the Mount of Olives in 1923 (estimate: £300,000–500,000).

Edgar Astaire’s first serious purchase was Hop Pickers Returning by Alfred Munnings (estimate: £80,000–120,000). ‘Of all my painting experiences, none were so alluring and colourful as those visits spent amongst the gypsy hop-pickers in Hampshire each September’ wrote Munnings, who painted a series of works of the gypsies going about their daily life.

The Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale will feature Still Life (Collage) by John Piper, previously exhibited at London Tate Gallery in 1984 and the Dulwich Picture Gallery in 2003 (estimate: £40,000–60,000). Further highlights include a rare self-portrait by Isaac Rosenberg (estimate: £20,000–30,000), and a striking portrait of Edie McNeill by Henry Lamb (estimate: £50,000–80,000), which closely relates to Southampton City Art Gallery's oil of the same subject.

Works to be offered in the Old Master and British Drawings and Watercolours sale comprise a group of three landscapes by Edward Lear, including a watercolour titled View of Jerusalem from the south (estimate: £20,000–30,000). 

PRESS CONTACT: Katie Carder | +44(0)207 389 2283 | kcarder@christies.com

AUCTION DATES

Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite and British Impressionist Art Sale, 16th June 2015, London, King Street

Modern British and Irish Art, Evening Sale, 25th June 2015, London, King Street

Modern British and Irish Art, Day Sale, 26th June 2015, London, South Kensington

Old Master and Watercolours Sale, 7th July 2015, London, King Street

About Christie’s

Christie’s, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2014 that totalled £5.1 billion / $8.4 billion, making it the highest annual total in Christie’s history. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers around 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totalled £916.1 million ($1.5 billion) in 2014, an increase of 20% on the previous year. Christie’s has a global presence with 54 offices in 32 countries and 12 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Mumbai. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Shanghai, New Delhi, Mumbai and Dubai.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyer’s or seller’s credits.