This 170- auction lot was held yesterday at the Bonhams New York headquarters with a simulcast with Bonhams in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Several iconic images captured by top fashion and celebrity photographers were offered. Marilyn Monroe, the last sitting comes a Vogue assigment, just six weeks before her death. Bert Stern was the last to photograph her, and from these three sittings he produced extraordinarily beautiful and unique images of the famous actress. This group of 10 color photographs, with a pre-sale estimate of $18,000-25,000, will highlight any photographic collection.
Richard Avedon’s jarring image of a scarred Andy Warhol, (pre-sale est. $10,000-15,000) and a triptych of composer Igor Stravinsky (pre-sale est. $9,000-12,000) are exemplary of his signature stark portraiture, and in complete contrast, is David LaChapelle’s over the top staged image of pop-culture icon Britney Spears with Hot Dog taken for Rolling Stone magazine (pre-sale est.$7,000-10,000). Other celebrity images included Steven Meisel’s nude image of Madonna (pre-sale est. $5,000-7,000); Albert Watson’s Christy Turlington, New York City (pre-sale est. $6,000-8,000); Gered Mankowitz’s Jimi Hendrix, Smoking (presale est. $2,500-3,500); and Jerry Schatzberg’s Bob Dylan, Musician/Poet (pre-sale est. $5,000-6,000).
Also in the auction are works by American master photographers. Fourteen works by American master landscape photographer Ansel Adams were among the top lots of the auction. Leading his group of images was Portfolio II: The National Parks and Monuments (pre-sale est. $40,000-60,000), a portfolio composed of 15 gelatin silver 8×10 in prints, capturing the rugged beauty of America. Also on offer was a mural sized At Timber Cove, North Coast, California (1960) (pre-sale est. $20,000-30,000) and Stream, Sea Clouds, Rodeo Lagoon, Marin County, California (1962) (pre-sale est. $15,000-25,000).
Rounding out the sale was I’ll Write Whenever I Can by Peter Beard (pre-sale est. $20,000-30,000), a unique silver gelatin print with ink and collage capturing the photographer calmly journaling as he is being devoured by an alligator. James Casebere’s Spanish Bath chromogenic print of a vacant bath house interior also joins the top lots of the auction (pre-sale est. $20,000-30,000).
Among the best results of the sale we can note “I’ll write whenever I can.” by Peter Beard which realized the highest price (US$ 30,000), Madonna by Steven Meisel (US$ 23,750), “Spanish Bath.” by James Casabere (US$22,500), Andy Warhol by Richard Avedon (US$ 20,000), “Lionesses Readying to Hunt.” by Nick Brandt and a group of models by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Italia (US$ 15,625).
BONHAMS New York
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New York, New York 10022
