Past Projects
Private California Collection (2024)
The sale of Sayed Haider Raza’s Kallisté (1959) was the highlight of Sotheby’s Modern & Contemporary South Asian Art Sale in March 2024. The painting sold for $5.20 million, a world record for his work in an international sale. As part of the disposition of an estate, family members became interested in exploring the value of the painting in the current art market. The trustees engaged Borthwick Art Advisory to research, make recommendations, and ultimately manage the successful sale of the painting on behalf of the beneficiaries.
Family Estate Collection
“If we hadn’t met you, we would still be surrounded by art in my mother’s living room and wondering how to sell the collection,” my client reminded me recently. An Alexander Calder mobile was the highlight of an impressive collection assembled by a New York physician and his wife, who visited galleries in the ’60s and ‘70s. I managed the sale of paintings and sculptures by David Smith, Louise Bourgeois, Joan Mitchell, Joan Miro, Louise Nevelson, Joan Mitchell, Donald Sultan and Philip Pearlstein, Richard Stankiewicz, and Henry Moore, and a fine collection of African Art at a series of successful auctions at Christie’s in New York and Paris.
American Artist’s Estate
The Estate of the American artist Fairfield Porter wanted to sell an enormous trove of his artwork from his studio and his gallery’s inventory. I was concerned that the value of Porter’s art would be depressed if this extensive collection flooded the market, so I sold a few oil paintings at Sotheby’s in their American Art auctions. I then slowly built a market for his lesser-valued works on paper with sales over the next six years. In addition, I recommended obtaining the artist’s copyright on behalf of beneficiaries. By registering these rights, the artist’s family would benefit financially when images of his works appeared in print. For example, when artwork by Fairfield Porter appeared on the cover of the Metropolitan Museum of Art calendars, the family received compensation.
Outsider Art Collection
Long-time collectors of Outsider Art enjoyed visiting galleries, art fairs, and museums as they formed a collection. (Outsider art is described as art by people who are not formally trained and usually work outside the mainstream art world.) Eventually, they decided to disperse their collection through donations to museums, family gifts, and sales. Their trusts and estates attorney introduced me to his clients to assist them with managing their plans. Following the appraisal, I recommended branding the collection as the Gene and Judy Kohn Collection of Outsider Art and managed the consignment to Christie’s New York, which featured the star lot, Bill Traylor’s Untitled (Man and Woman) in its auction house window.
Art Deco Cartier Jewelry Collection
A family decided to sell an exceptional collection of Art Deco jewels to fund a real estate project. Christie’s featured the most important jewel, a 1930s Cartier sapphire, emerald, natural pearl, and diamond jabot pin, on the cover of their Important Jewelry catalog. Additional jewels in the collection, including a sugarloaf emerald and exceptional Kashmir sapphire rings, exceeded auction estimates.
Pre-Raphaelite Portrait
In 1979, art collectors gifted their daughter, a young art history student, a portrait titled Gelsomina (1888) by Marie Spartali Stillman. The painting was purchased in New York for $500, according to the receipt my client discovered among her parents’ papers. In the intervening years, the reputation of many female artists, including Stillman, was reassessed, and the painting’s value grew dramatically. Based on my advice, the portrait, still in its original frame, was sold for over $100,000 at Sotheby’s London, the important marketplace for Pre-Raphaelite artists.
Harry Shunk Collection
Harry Shunk was a photographer and personal friend to artists of the 60s and 70s who relied on him to photograph their artistic process. Harry collected art, sketches, gallery invitations, and even unfinished works by Andy Warhol, Christo, Richard Serra, and Yves Klein. This treasure trove was packed into every corner of his small apt when he passed away, largely forgotten by the art world. The clean-out crew saved material destined for the dumpster and eventually decided to seek professional advice in sorting and potentially selling the more valuable material. Some artwork and ephemera were sold at Doyle, New York. A pro-bono consultant on the project, I was quoted in The New York Times and New York magazine : ”What’s fascinating is that all could have been lost but for this accidental collector.” The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation acquired photographs from from the collection which they donated to MOMA and other museums nationwide.