May 19, 2020: On July 10, Christie’s will present ONE: A Global Sale of the 20th Century, a new auction event offering Impressionist and Modern, Post-War and Contemporary art and Design. Utilizing streaming technology, the first of its kind relay-style auction will take place in real-time across the time zones from four of the art world’s major hubs: Hong Kong, Paris, London and New York. The sale will offer a range of exceptional works over four consecutive sessions led by principle auctioneers in each region, starting in Hong Kong.
Pablo Picasso’s Les femmes d'Alger (version 'F'), 17 January 1955 (estimate in the region of US$25 million) will highlight the group of works being sold in New York. The present work hails from the artist’s renowned series of fifteen canvases based on EugeÌ€ne Delacroix’s masterwork Les femmes d’Alger executed between 13 December 1954 and 14 February 1955. Version F was painted around the halfway point in the cycle, and is the culminating, most fully resolved canvas from the first phase of the series. The New York section will be led by Roy Lichtenstein’s monumentally scaled, Nude with Joyous Painting(estimate in the region of US$30 million). Painted in 1994 and belonging to an important private American collection, Nude with Joyous Painting is a tour-de-force of Pop Art and Lichtenstein’s last great series of nudes that the artist began in 1993 and continued until his death in 1997. Annie, 1962 is a groundbreaking early painting by Ed Ruscha (estimate: US$20-30 million), which will also be offered from New York. Leading the Hong Kong selection is Zao Wou-Ki’s dramatic masterpiece 21.10.63 (estimate in excess of US$10 million). Two meters high, 21.10.63 is the largest red painting from the artist’s Hurricane Period and is a dazzling example of the artist’s power and virtuosity during the most energetic period of his career.
The new auction will replace the New York 20th Century Evening sale previously scheduled for the week of 22 June. Each city will host a pre-sale public exhibition staged in line with the appropriate regional health advice at the time, complemented by a ground-breaking virtual exhibition and digital marketing campaign to connect with global audiences and support the auction event. Bidders will be able to participate both online, via Christie’s LIVE online bidding channel, and where regional, government advice allows, clients and phone bidders will be welcomed in each saleroom location.
