Figure-record Aubrey Berdsli was accidentally discovered in the bathroom
ARTinvestment.RU   19 декабря 2008

Two drawings Aubrey Berdsli accidentally discovered in the bathroom, sold for 355 thousand dollars. One of them, «culmination», became the most expensive in the history of the figure, the English schedule. Both work repeatedly exceeded estimeyt

November 16, an American auction house Skinner held auctions, the top two lots which were drawings of famous English Berdsli schedule Aubrey (Aubrey Beardsley). One of them, «culmination», has 213 thousand dollars (including the Buyer's premium), and became the most expensive in the history of the figure, the artist, surpassing the previous record - 159.6 thousand dollars. The second work, «Mourning platonic», went for 142.2 thousand dollars. Estimeyty both works have been very modest - a total of 15-20 thousand dollars.

pictures were found by accident - in the bathroom of a Boston pensioner. Their owner has decided to sell at auction some items from his home and invited him to his Uaythersta Stuart (Stuart Whitehurst), Director of Rare Books and Manuscripts Skinner. Before leaving the house of a pensioner, Uaytherst asked to use the toilet. He drew attention to two very beautiful pieces hanging over the sink. At first he thought that it prints Berdsli, but prismotrevshis, I realized that its real pen drawings ... According Uaythersta, at that moment made his hair stand on end. He immediately told the owner of the real value of the drawings and offered to put them up for auction.

Portfolio «culmination» and «Mourning platonic» is an illustration of the famous play by Oscar Wilde (Oscar Wilde) «Salome». They were missing for about 80 years. The owner of the drawings received their inheritance from his grandfather, university professor and amateur artists, who presumably got them as a gift in 1930-ies. At the auction Skinner Pictures has acquired a British collector.

Berdsli Aubrey (1872-1898) was famous because of its grotesque drawings of erotic content. Illustrations for «Salome» he fulfilled in 1894. Total for this piece was created 13 paintings. Now, thanks to find Stewart Uaythersta, specialists are aware of the whereabouts of these works.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: telegraph.co.uk , skinnerinc.com , artinvestment.ru