From Monet to Kenzo: 5 auctions not to be missed in May

A dive into Monet's Water Lilies, the dispersal of Kenzo Takada's collection or a solidarity sale for the benefit of students: a fine program on the auction side for the month of May ! Discover our selection.

If you are a design lover, collector of vintage jewelry or an avid impressionist painting, our selection of must-see auctions in May should delight you. In New York, Sotheby's is presenting one of Monet's largest Water Lilies to appear on the market when at Artcurial in Paris, we enter the poetic universe of designer Kenzo Takada, who died last October. Luxury is worn in accessories at Besch and Christie's, while at Tajan, we are committed against student precariousness with a charity sale of contemporary works of art. A brief overview of our favorite lots.

1. Adopting the Kenzo style

While Kenzo Takada's fashion explodes in color, its interior is more sober and the photos in the catalog make you want to buy everything! Fifteen years after dispersing the contents of the Parisian house in the Marais to Aguttes, the designer is selling, at Artcurial on May 11, the furniture and works of art that adorned his apartment located on the Left Bank, opposite the Lutetia. First there are his creations, in particular the rugs made by the Manufacture de Tapis de Bourgogne, which are inspired by Japanese prints, with their amazingly framed landscapes and delicate colors, estimated at around €1,000.

He had also brought together sculptures from just about every era: Chinese funerary terracotta around €3,000, a large Han horse (206 BC to 220 AD) in carved wood from the Barrère gallery (between €20,000 and €30,000), Roman bronzes, pieces of primitive art from Borneo or Africa, Acoma vases from New Mexico with beautiful geometric decoration (around €1,500). Also included is a fine set of photos, fascinating contemporary shell vases by ceramist Shoko Koike (around €1,000), dozens of sets of crockery, cutlery and glasses of all styles and, for fashion lovers, sketches by Kenzo (€200/300). Enough to easily furnish several apartments…

“Kenzo Takada Collection” sale by Artcurial, Paris, May 11

2. Buy by doing a good deed

Are you aware of the difficulties that students have encountered since the health crisis? This new Tajan initiative is for you. One year after an SOS Ehpad sale, the same team, made up of journalist Laurence Benhaïm and Romain Monteaux-Sarmiento, Director of Communication and Marketing at Tajan, is offering an online sale until May 11, the proceeds of which will be entirely donated to the CO'P1-Solidarités Étudiantes association, which fights against poverty by distributing food products. "Meeting young people during a distribution, this reality gripped us," says Romain Sarmiento. We launched the project and to expand it, we immediately looked for a godfather or godmother. Charlotte Rampling accepted and put a lot of effort into it. Then we put all our networks into action. “Result, an impressive list à la Prévert.

Among the 150 prizes offered by generous donors, let us mention intangible goods, such as a writing workshop with Dominique Bona or a flower lesson by Stéphane Chapelle. Luxury products: a Balmain bag, earrings from Jar, a pair of Berluti. Objects donated by stars, such as the Nike Air Jordan sneakers worn by Omar Sy in the Lupin series... And of course works and art objects. Photos of Sarah Moon (€6,000/8,000), Paolo Roversi, Nils Udo, Niko Aliagas. Drawings or prints by Xavier Veilhan (€600/800), Laurent Grasso (€400/500) or designer Constance Guisset (€800/1,000). A Charlotte armchair by India Mahdavi (€4,500/5,500) and our favorite lot, a book painted by France Bizot (€1,500/2,000). An opportunity to have fun doing a good deed.

“Printemps des Étudiants” online sale by Tajan, until May 11

3. The Baroness' collections

In 2004, Baroness Marion Lambert dispersed her collection of photographs for nearly £15m. This time, she sold more than four hundred lots (from €4 million to €6 million), including around twenty for the benefit of the NGO War Child. Staged by decorator Jacques Grange, its interior contained a handsome 18th-century bureau plat (€300,000 to €500,000) and another by Jean Prouvé (€230,000 to €300,000). There is also a Jar clip decorated with a black sheep's head (from €80,000 to €120,000) which gives the sale its name: "Black Sheep".

“Marian Lambert Collection” sales by Christie’s, Paris, online from May 11 to 27 and on site May 25 and 26

4. A Monet at 40 million dollars...

Let's be clear, only a handful of collectors or international museums will be able to seriously consider the purchase of this painting by Claude Monet put on sale in New York on May 12. The one meter by two canvas is one of the rare examples of large water lily ponds still in private hands. Helena Newman, who heads the Department of Impressionist and Modern Art at Sotheby's worldwide, adds: "Opportunities to acquire a Monet of this importance are rare indeed. It is one of the only large-format Water Lilies to appear on the market for years”. Hence its estimate of $40 million. Let us recall that the pond in the garden of Giverny was Monet's main subject for the last two decades of his career, and that the Water Lilies are among the iconic images of the artist's work, and of Impressionism in general. . This painting is in line with the Great Decorations, initiated in 1914 and which reached new heights with the donation to the State, thanks to the intervention of his friend Georges Clemenceau, of the large ensemble installed at the Musée de l'Orangerie. . The artist, who it must be remembered was suffering from cataracts at the time, allowed himself unusual mixtures of colors and brushed against the limits of abstraction with his gestural painting and his audacious framing, centered on the reflection of trees on the surface of the water. His art has influenced generations of artists, notably figures of abstract expressionism, such as Jackson Pollock and Sam Francis.

Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale” by Sotheby’s, New York, May 12

5. Chic and expensive vintage jewelry

Two jewels stand out in the prestige sale scheduled for May 16 by Me Besch, in Cannes: a brooch and a bracelet. The brooch is a "tremble" (articulated) model from the 1930s in the shape of a star, paved with old-cut diamonds and adorned in its center with an unheated Ceylon sapphire of almost 13 carats. The absence of a maker's mark shrouds the jewel in mystery, but what is certain is that it is original and of very good quality. The expert of the sale Édouard De Garo confirms: “it is a superb object, of beautiful format (10 cm high), and which reached us in excellent condition. It is kept in a perfectly fitted box bearing the mark 'Ingram Warwick Ltd, London', which leads us to assume that the brooch comes from this house”. All these elements justify the estimate of €40,000 to €50,000. The object should appeal to Asian customers, keen on vintage pieces of this level.

Easier to wear and less expensive (€6,000/€10,000), the Ludo briquettes bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels is also very interesting. With its soft knit that perfectly matches the shape of the wrist, it is a rare model from the 1930s that heralds the style of the following decade. “The model was developed by the Pery & Son and proposed to Van Cleef, who made it an emblematic jewel of the house, still made today”, specifies the expert. For those scared of those estimates, there are also two fun Tortue de Cartier clips from the 1950s, which should each go for between €3,000 and €5,000.

“High Jewelery & Signed Jewelry” by Besch Cannes Auction, in Cannes, May 16