South Kensington, London – On the 5 March Christie’s South Kensington will offer for sale the inspiring collection of ‘Les Trois Garçons’, Michel Lasserre, Hassan Abdullah, and Stefan Karlsson, who are best known for their Shoreditch restaurant of the same name. The restaurant has long been a celebrity destination, for stars such as Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Grace Jones, Kate Moss, Damien Hirst, Tom Ford, Gilbert & George, Ronnie Wood, and Yoko Ono.
The trio are also the proprietors of the glamorous cocktail bar Loungelover, café-come-design shop Maison Trois Garçons and the successful interior design practice L3G Design. The auction comprises 380 lots which come predominantly from their chateâu in the Vendée, The Chateâu de la Goujonnerie, but also includes items from their London home, as well as a small number of iconic objects selected from their thriving restaurant, estimates range from £500 to £80,000.
The colorful interiors of the trio’s private homes are just as magnificent as the well-known interiors of their restaurant, cocktail bar and café-shop. Their daring juxtapositions and use of colour create a powerful and decadent mise-en-scène for the 21st century, which will inspire new and established collectors and interior designers.
The collection includes: Post War and Contemporary Art, 20th century design, sculpture, lighting, ceramics, soft furnishings, and garden furniture. The sale is expected to realise in excess of £700,000.
Adrian Hume-Sayer, Specialist, House Sales:
“Les Trois Garçons‟ inimitable style is instantly recognisable to many through the rich interiors of their London restaurant, what is less well known are the striking spaces the trio created in their French home, the Chateâu de la Goujeonnerie. The daring mix of objects with which they decorated the fairytale chateâu enabled them to skillfully create a unified series of rooms and yet to evoke a different atmosphere in each. We are confident that this unique and extremely colourful collection will hold a broad appeal both to those already familiar with the restaurant and those who have yet to discover the decadent world of Les Trois Garçons alike.”
The Art of Food & Drink
South Kensington, London – Christie’s will offer an eclectic selection of food and drink-related items to tempt gourmet buyers at The Art of Food & Drink sale on 16 January 2014. Following the success of recent themed sales including Out of the Ordinary in September 2013 and The London Sale in September 2012, this is a one-off auction that will introduce connoisseurs and epicures alike to the art of food and drink: the focus of some of the greatest art and design throughout history. Comprising over 180 lots, ranging from £400 to £60,000, this sale will present an emporium of painting, photography, kitchenalia, posters and tableware. The extraordinary range of items will be available to view from 20 December 2013 through to 15 January 2014.
Nicolas Martineau, Head of Sale, commented:
“The Art of Food & Drink is the first auction of its kind, offering gourmet buyers a unique opportunity to indulge their passions for food and drink related items. The sale offers everything from still lifes by Old Masters to iconic posters advertising famous brands, fossilized crustaceans, early tea cannisters, Picasso ceramics and early recipe books. It will be a feast for the senses and with estimates starting at £400 is likely to appeal to a range of buyers including those new to Christie’s, as well as established collectors. We are looking forward to welcoming buyers to our extended public exhibition, which runs for over three weeks from 20 December to 15 January.”
The top lot of the sale is A Modern Cocktail Bar, 1931 – Saville Theatre, London, an evocative painting by Alfred Reginald Thomson R.A, estimated to fetch between £40,000 and 60,000 (illustrated above). Better known as an official war artist to the Royal Air Force, Alfred Reginald Thomson also designed posters for a whisky company and was known for his portraiture and caricatures. This painting embodies the relaxed social atmosphere of theatregoers enjoying a drink during the interval at the Saville Theatre.
The top lot of the sale is A Modern Cocktail Bar, 1931 – Saville Theatre, London, an evocative painting by Alfred Reginald Thomson R.A, estimated to fetch between £40,000 and 60,000 (illustrated above). Better known as an official war artist to the Royal Air Force, Alfred Reginald Thomson also designed posters for a whisky company and was known for his portraiture and caricatures. This painting embodies the relaxed social atmosphere of theatregoers enjoying a drink during the interval at the Saville Theatre.
Other key items in the sale include a Campbell’s tomato soup can signed by the iconic artist Andy Warhol, estimated at £1,500 – 2,000 (illustrated left). Warhol’s name has become synonymous with Campbell’s soup cans, which he used in numerous prints and art works, heralding the way for Pop Art during the 1960s. This real soup can signed by the artist, is a humorous take on the image with which he is so often associated.
