For Immediate Release 5 May 2011
Contact:
Leonie Ashfield Cristiano De Lorenzo
+44 20 7752 3121 +44 20 7389 2283
[email protected] [email protected]
THE COLLECT ION OF DUARTE PINT O COELHO - from the distinguished decorator’s houses in Madrid and Trujillo, Spain
A photograph of Duarte Pinto Coelho being presented to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II by H.M. King Juan Carlos I of Spain and H.M. Queen Sophia of Spain, October 1988 (part of group lot, estimate: £1,000-1,500)
South Kensington – An extraordinary collection of more than 800 lots from the Madrid home and the Trujillo country house of legendary interior decorator Duarte Pinto Coelho will be offered for sale at Christie's South Kensington on 20-21 July 2011. The late Mr. Pinto Coelho was born in Portugal, moving to Paris as a young man, where he became friends with the likes of Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí, among others. When he moved to Spain in the 1950s, he chose Madrid as his new home and there he started an antiques business that soon led to him becoming the first and most renowned decorator in the country. A refined, eclectic connoisseur, collecting was his passion and both his residences were adorned with a wealth of furniture, works of art, porcelain, pictures, silver, carpets and textiles. The collection as a whole is estimated to realise in the region of £1.5 million. Pilar Gonzalez de Gregorio, Duquesa de Fernandina, Chairman of Christie's Spain : “Following the great successes achieved by the auctions of the collection of Manolo March and that of a Spanish Marqués (both offered in 2009 at our London salerooms), we are honoured to have been entrusted with the consignment of the sophisticated collection of Duarte Pinto Coelho. Born in Portugal, and trained in Paris, Mr. Pinto Coelho settled in Spain during the post-war years, but spent his life travelling all over the globe to look after his spectacular projects and to meet with his numerous friends. Considered to be one of the most influential Spanish decorators of the second half of the 20 th century, Duarte’s unmistakable style and taste has been appreciated by some of the most important families both in Spain and abroad. His collections fully reflect his sprit and I am convinced that they will appeal to a very wide audience of international buyers .” buyers .”
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Duarte Pinto Coelho loved to declare that “a “ a house should, at the end, look as if the designer had never set foot in it ”: it ”: a demonstration of his wit, philosophy and style. Regarded as one of the best interior decorators in Spain, his intelligence, wonderful manners and taste enabled him to become a central figure in Spanish high society. The notorious parties he held at his magnificently decorated apartment in the enormous Palacio Pinohermosa in Madrid illustrated above are still memorable. From Truman Capote to Maria Callas, or Amália Rodrigues to Henry Kissinger, any international celebrity who happened to visit the Spanish capital would have been his guest and friend. The collection of Duarte Pinto Coelho is incredibly varied and includes an amazing range of works of art and objects, from antique Spanish and Italian textiles to blue and white Chinese porcelain and old master paintings to post war Spanish art as well as a number of early European sculptures and English and European furniture. The auction will also offer furniture and objects from the country house in Trujillo illustrated below , a town only two hours from Madrid. Once a nuns’ convent, Mr. Pinto Coelho bought the house and redecorated it to make it his buen retiro . There he enjoyed hosting his friends and organizing more informal receptions. Among the highlights of the Trujillo collection stands a pair of Spanish 17 th Century ormolu, tortoiseshell and ebonised table cabinets, estimated at £20,000-30,000. The auction will appeal to International private buyers, collectors and decorators alike.
### High resolution images available upon request. Please see separate highlights sheet for further individual lot details and images available. http://www.christies.com/departments/private-collections-and-country-house-sales-uk/
Notes to Editors
THE DUARTE PINTO COELHO COLLECTION From the distinguished decorator’s houses in Madrid and Truji llo, Spain Auction, Christie's South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road Wednesday, 20 & Thursday, 21 July 2011 at 10.00am
Public Viewings in London, Christie's South Kensington, 85 Old Brompton Road
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About Christie’s Christie’s, the world's leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2010 that totaled £3.3 billion/$5.0 billion. Christie’s is a name and and place that speaks of extraordinary extraordinary art, unparalleled service service and expertise, as well well as
international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range range from $200 to over over $100 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market market with expanded initiatives in emerging emerging and new markets such as as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. *Estimates do not include buyer's premium Christie’s South Kensington Open seven days a week, Christie’s South Kensington is the busiest saleroom in the UK, annually holding over 100
sales and offering more than 20,000 lots. The recently refurbished saleroom facilities and exhibition spaces provide one of the most accessible, well lit and welcoming sales arenas in the world, consistently attracting over 200,000 visitors a year. Interiors sales dedicated to home furnishings are held three times a month alongside monthly Sunday sales of single-owner collections, and specialised sales for the avid collector are scheduled throughout the year according to category. Every lot is beautifully illustrated in a large scale magazine-style catalogue and in an online ecatalogue. Christie’s South Kensington appeals t o a worldwide audience – in 2010 bidders originated from over 50 countries, with around 20% of bidders taking part in auctions from the comfort of their own home or office, using Christie’s unique online bidding facility, Christie’s LIVE™. CHRISTIE’S SOUTH KENSINGTON
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Prices do not include buyers’ premium
