Concept Art Gallery arranges Darthea Speyer single owner auction sale at Christies in Paris

I recently consulted to the family of Darthea Speyer, Parisian Art Dealer and collector on the disposition of her Gallery’s and personal art Collections. We selected Christie’s to host what became a very successful single-owner auction sale on July 7th. The auction included a wide variety of fine and decorative arts. A few of the Highlights included: an Alberto Giacometti Floor Lamp, Jean Arp bronze, Marcel Duchamp “Valise”, Ed Paschke paintings, and paintings by Indian Artist Vishwanadhan.

The process began with a painstaking cataloguing of the gallery and personal collections. We camped out in Darthea’s Apartment located on the Champ de Mars with a staggering view of the Eiffel Tower from the garden. It was the most elegant and tasteful apartment I may have ever experienced. Christie’s may still have images of the apartment in their illustrated online catalogue.

Darthea opened her gallery at the least auspicious moment during the 1968 Student Revolutions in Paris . Despite the troubled moment for a start, the gallery operated continually until ceasing operations this past January. Darthea gave many American artists their very first exposure in Paris . James Speyer, Darthea’s late brother, was a well known architect and curator of Modern Art at The Chicago Institute. James designed the gallery space on Rue Jacques Callot in Paris and recommended some of the American artist’s included in the Gallery’s stable. Thus the very interesting group of American works included in the auction. Additional American works from the collection will be included in an auction at Christie’s in September in their “First Open” Auction.

Click here to see the results of the sale illustrating the offering and the auction prices realized. -Sam Berkovitz