Today, the Paris Grand Palais will be held first round of bidding, which will be exhibited collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger

Pierre Berger and I - we both like to see our collection reflects our personal biases, as the sole criterion for its replenishment, it would be quality.

Yves Saint Laurent

From 23 to 25 February 2009 in Paris, held bidding auction house Christie 's, which will be exhibited collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger . They will be held at the Grand Palais, with the support of the auction house Pierre Bergé & Associates.

As in many cases where the individual collector affects its assembly, the word «collection» acquires a unique meaning when we hear the names of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger. The works collected in their apartment on rue de Babilon and rue Bonaparte, are one of the most significant art collections from those that have ever appeared on the art market. The result more than half a passionate search for rare and unique works, this collection provides a vivid example of the French taste, absorbed the masterpieces of Impressionism and Modernism, works in the style of Al deco treasures of the ancient world, the work of old masters and artists of the XIX century. The provisional value of the collection, consisting of more than 700 lots at 200-300 million euros.

Yves Saint Laurent bequeathed the rights to part of his collection of the Foundation of Saint Laurent - Berger, created after the withdrawal from the world of fashion couturier. After his death, Pierre Berger decided to make a collection for sale and create a new fund that will subsidize research and development aimed at combating AIDS.

The collection is not only a model of style and quality, it is - an expression of harmony between the works, their owners and surroundings. According to Pierre Berger, a source for inspiration when creating the collection as a sample and Viscount viscountess Noal - famous aristocrats and patrons: «It is they who taught us to mix styles, epochs, and even continents».

History Collection

In 1972, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger left his apartment on the square Voban and moved to the rue de Babilon. The apartment formerly owned by Americans, who designed it in minimalist style, obiv walls with oak panels, but he never managed to obzhit it. In the early 1930's settled in the apartment of Marie Kuttoli (1879-1973). Her life was filled with passion for the arts, and she initiated the unusual business - a limited edition produced wallpaper, based on sketches by Picasso, Leger, Matisse and Le Corbusier. Her collection, collected Ryu de Babilon and includes masterpieces by Picasso, marriage, Koldera, Klee, Miro, Dyufi, Jacques Leger, and even MOM was partially donated to the National Museum of Modern Art in Paris.

Lobby

interior vestibule caresses eye curved lines, enveloping red tones decor and domed ceiling, decorated with gilded leaves, the guests met a Roman torso in white marble.

Home Living Room

Main living room with oak panels, which are painting - is «welcoming ode» collection. Cloth subscribed names Zheriko, Ingres, Léger, Klee, Matisse, Sezana, Picasso, Munch and GRIS. The Spirit of Al deco style reigns here thanks to the work items of furniture such masters as Legrand, Jean Dunant, Eileen Gray. At the table - works by Al deco Rato, Rulmana and Jean-Michel Frank and the wonderful works of gold and silver, Vermel (gold plated silver), and Ivory Renaissance and XVIII century.

music shop

To make the music room aesthetes Berger and Saint Laurent was invited by Claude and François-Xavier Lalann, whose poetic style with plant motifs completely satisfy the tastes of the owners. Everything started with a pair of mirrors, which Claude Lalann hang in the room in 1974. At the saloon decor has not been completed, and soon the room walls were decorated with 15 mirrors in bronze frames with holders for candles, so that at night their lights reflected in a mirror opposite, creating a unique atmosphere «daffodils brotherhood».

The idea of such a design room has Saint Laurent in the head after a trip to Bavaria and Austria, where the mirrored halls of baroque castles, people and objects into flickering reflections that multiply indefinitely. According to Pierre Berger, this way and served as a starting point, and «is much more than the gallery of mirrors in Versailles».

Claude Lalann: «During our first meeting with Yves me most of all attracted him emotionally. This feature, which pulls together us. And it helped me to realize the idea of the mirrored room, memories of which are still with me ».

Cabinet rarities

down the stairs on the lower floor, one can find wooden Egyptian sarcophagus lid with respect to the IV century BC. The small room is like a treasure house of German kurfyurstov. It was designed in the 1980's by Jacques Grange and contains a compilation of cameos, enamels, jewelry, clay bowls, items made of rock crystal and ivory, pearl and lapis lazuli, as well as a wooden statue of Buddha Dynasty Ming, covered with gold leaf.

Library

Individual fingerprint individuals Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger lies in the design of this bright room overlooking the garden. Despite the fact that the room decorated with a chill in the library in the mansion of Viscount and viscountess Noal, it is unique. The interior space of the room is structured using a variety of partitions with marquetry of colored wood, as well as a coffee table pristavnymi and work of Jean Michel Frank of different types of wood.

Nobody will be able to leave indifferent three canvases painted by Piet Mondrian, designed in 1914, 1920 and 1921 years. They remind us of the collection of garments created by Saint Laurent in 1965 and named after the artist. Then look at the falls gouache Matisse in 1937 under the title «dancer», created long before the «Jazz» - work for which the paint is a kind of precursor. The opposite wall are decorated with tapestry on the sketch of Edward Burne-Jones «The Adoration of the Magi». Among the bulbs work and Frank Giacometti, antique marble and bronze works from the XVII and XVIII centuries, one can find a landscape portrait of Rousseau and Jean Cocteau brush Modigliani.

Garden

In the heart of the garden stands the figure of Minotaur. It is extraordinarily rare and interesting work, the monster with the head of a bull, which is likely to be part of the sculptural composition depicting the battle between the Minotaur and the labyrinth in Tese. Minotaur with unfavoured watching beside him rasstavlennye marble benches, created by François-Xavier Lalai on the order of Saint-Laurent and Berger in 1974.

Rue Bonaparte

In the late 1980's, Pierre Berger moved to the rue Bonaparte, in the house, who witnessed the birth of Édouard Manet. This home, designed decorator François-Joseph Graf, was the embodiment of love for high art. Guests are greeted with 4 female bust carved from wood XVIII century. Covered with paint and gilding, these busts symbolize continents: Europe, the crown crowned figure horse, the crown of America - Eagle, Asia - an elephant, and Africa - the lion.

living room walls are decorated with paintings Ensora, Ingres, Zheriko, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Vyuyara, Picasso, and marriage. At the table - Sculpture XVI and XVII centuries. The first thing that attracts the mind - is a sheet of James Ensora called «Despair Piero», with its perfect composition. Pierrot goes along with Columbine, surrounded by characters of Italian Commedia dell'Arte. The picture was kindly lent by Pierre Berger Orsay Museum for the exhibition «Masks: from Carpo to Picasso», which runs from October 2008 to February 2009 on.

In the library, we can see ancient works of marble and bronze of the Renaissance, a unique compilation of Limoges enamels, which includes dishes and candlesticks from the Hubert Zhivanshi. On the walls - a portrait of a man painted Frans Hals, Pieter de Hoha work and a portrait of a young girl painted by Cornelis de In.

Chateau Gabriel

In 1983, Saint-Laurent and Gabriel Berger acquired the Chateau in the locality Benervill-sur-Mer in Normandy. Of the works collected in the Chateau, the auction will be billed on canvas Édouard Vyuyara «Lilac», which shows the patron of the Arts Mission Sert; «Luna» brush Berne Jones (1875), candlestick, and the work of Claude Lalanna Buffet with silver cutlery Charles Christofle, in which more than 1 200 items.

Modernism

Thomas Seidou, head of European branch «The Art of Impressionism and Modernism»: «Collection Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berger - a clear example of an outstanding private collection of modernist works. For us it was a truly unique experience to discover a huge number of works of such historically significant and in excellent condition. Collections of such magnitude and quality very rarely appear on the art market. Collection harmoniously combines the latest kubisticheskie works of Pablo Picasso and Juan GRIS with a carved wooden sculpture of Constantin Brancusi and Matisse still-life. Piet Mondrian compositions are true masterpieces. As we know, the size is not synonymous with quality. Minor works, among them collage Juan GRIS, early Italian landscape by Edgar Degas, or "Beautiful Helen" Marcel Duchamp, is eloquent testimony to this thesis. Do not exclude from this list, and "Pierrot" Ensora - the canvas is the most significant works of the painter that exhibited at auction over the past 25 years (or more precisely, since the same cloth went under the hammer in the early 1980's years). For us, a great honor to take part in the auction of this magnitude. A number of masterpieces, which are present in the upcoming auction lots are the tops of many creative artists of XX century ».

works of art of the Renaissance

Donald Johnston, director of the sculpture: «Collection Saint Laurent Berger and famous in the first broad coverage presented in the style and rarity of individual works. Particular attention should be paid to selection of enamels of the Renaissance, and especially Venetian and Limoges samples. Of the latter, it can be noted oval dish Jean de Kura end of XVI century with the image of «Abduction of Europe», as well as portraits of Christ and the Virgin Mary, dating from the year 1554, the work of Leonard Limousin. The collection also present bronze, for example, a bronze model showing hermaphroditic attributed Gianfranco Suzini, as well as works of ivory - in particular the work of the Austrian sculptor Simon Trozhe ».

Antiquity

Hi Bernhaymer, an international expert on the works of the ancient world: «The collection has several items of antiquity, which perfectly complement the paintings and the overall design of the house. One of the most significant of these is a Roman marble torso of Apollo, as well as sculpture Minotaur. Torso of Apollo is located in the lobby. This is the first thing people see when entering the house. Roman statue of the god in full imitation of a statue of Apollo Likeyskogo which are attributed to Praksitelyu. Statue of Minotaur - it is extraordinarily rare and interesting work, which represents a monster with the head of a bull, which is likely to be part of the sculptural composition depicting the battle in the maze between the Minotaur and Tese ».

old masters and XIX century (painting)

Cecile Bernard, Head of Unit «Paintings by old masters»: «Passion holders of collections to the mixing of styles, periods and schools are very pronounced in the collection of paintings by old masters. In the collection are examples of different centuries, and schools. "Portrait of Countess de Lara" - this is the first known female portraits painted by Ingres. He is also a rare example of a portrait painted by this artist, which shows the model is not in the room. Written by Ingres in the 24-year-old, is the canvas, the crown jewel of his work, striking elegance of line, refined palette and transfer the subtlest details of the rich Countess toilet. All these features were later characteristic of creativity Ingres. The collection also has an outstanding work of Frans Hals portrait and two canvases with images of playing children brush Venetian painter Francesco Fontebasso, as well as "Scene in the interior of" Pieter de Hoha ».

Sebastian Goetz, Specialist painting XIX century: «Collection of paintings of XIX century in the collection of Saint-Laurent and Berger has the imprint of unconditional taste, independent of trends and changes in the art market. In addition to the presence of several rare Zheriko works in private collections - this is very rare, three children's portrait painted by this artist - a special case. "Portrait of Alfred and Elizabeth de Dro" - a work resembling Goya paintings. The collection also present work prerafaelitov, which occupies a special place "the Moon" by Edward Burne-Jones ».

old masters and XIX century (pictures)

Benjamin Peron, head of international department «Paintings by old masters»: «The collection has five remarkable paintings of XIX century. In the vast majority - are portraits, signed the names of David, Ingres and Delacroix. The most significant product is clearly a portrait painted by David in a series written by the artist while in prison in 1795. In all the portraits of the series depicted the prisoners revolutionaries. For a long time, it is considered self-canvas painter, and belonged to the brothers Gonkur ».

Art Asian

Matilda Cortot, head of the arts of Asia: «Works of Art of Asia, present in the collections of Saint Laurent and Berger, said the unconditional taste owners. The exceptional works include a wooden statue of Buddha, the XVI century, covered with gold leaf, bronze incense burner and elegant XVII century, decorated with orchids. But first of all attention is drawn to the two bronze animal heads from the zodiacal klepsidry (water clock), the summer palace of Emperor Qian-Moon (1736-1795). Created in the period from 1756 to 1759 under the leadership of the famous Jesuit priest Giuseppe Castiglione, they are quite recognizable imprint of Western art. Klepsidra consisted of the heads of 12 animals of Chinese zodiac cycle, which in turn spit out the water, thereby noting the time of day. At noon, the water spout from all 12 animals at the same time ».

At the auction, you can also purchase various pieces of decorative art: antique furniture and furnishings in the style of Al deco, pottery, mirrors, objects made of silver.

Source: Press Releases Christie's