Over the course of many auctions this autumn at Christie’s New York, a massive collection of art, furniture, silver, ceramics, and jewellery long held in the private possession of the Rothschild banking dynasty is projected to sell for as much as $30 million. The upcoming autumn auctions will be the first North American sales exclusively connected to the influential banking family.
This will be the first time works from the French branch of the venerable banking family have been auctioned off in North America. Baron James Mayer de Rothschild, founder of the French branch of the family, along with his wife Betty and their son Alphonse, amassed the majority of the lots in the 19th century, and the collection has stayed in the family ever since.
A Young Woman Holding a Hare with a Boy at a Window by Gerrit Dou, from the 17th century, is the centrepiece of the collection; it is projected to sell for between $3 million and $5 million. An estimated $200,000–$300,000 will be made from the sale of a Roman Sardonyx cameo depicting Roman Emperor Claudius from the first century AD. The cameo is said to have entered the Rothschild collection around the time of its final auction appearance in 1899 at Christie’s, where it fetched £3,750.
According to Christie’s, the consignors were French Rothschild descendants of James Mayer de Rothschild, who expressed a strong preference for holding the sale in New York. Rendell says he believes the collection “would do incredibly well anywhere” because this family group resided in the United States throughout World War II.
Furniture, ceramics (including major Italian Renaissance maiolica), silver, tapestries, and jewellery that reflect the Rothschilds’ refined taste are also part of the auction.
According to Christie’s, the auctions would span multiple days, beginning with an evening sale on 11 October and continuing with two days of sales and a concurrent live auction with starting bids as low as $100.
Image Courtesy: Christie’s
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