Marc Jacobs: A Life of Design

When fashion designer Marc Jacobs began collecting art in 2000, his only background knowledge in the field was an art history class he took in high school. Now, the Marc Jacobs: A Life of Design event, presented by Sotheby’s, brings to auction over 50 pieces from Jacobs’ estate. Highlights include decorative furniture by François-Xavier Lalanne and Eugène Printz.

Representing Lalanne in this auction is a piece from his Moutons de Laine, or wool sheep, series. This particular sheep was produced in 2000, made with patinated bronze and wool. Lalanne’s inspiration for this series came from The Odyssey, in which Ulysses escapes the den of a cyclops while clinging to the belly of a sheep. Lalanne was interested in how his pieces functioned within a residence. “I thought that it would be funny,” he once said, “to invade that big living room with a flock of sheep.” Another highlight of the auction, a rhinoceros condiment holder by Lalanne, is one of the artist’s juxtapositions between wild and domestic life. Produced in 1978, the condiment holder also comes with the original Saint-Gobain glassware commissioned to accompany it.

Also featured are several pieces by French designer Eugène Printz. He was especially known for his work with wood and cabinets, both of which are represented in this auction. An available sideboard is made of mahogany with palmwood veneer. A commode produced by Printz in 1927 is another highlighted lot. Printz used Dalbergia nigra, or dark Brazilian rosewood, for this piece. Register to bid and view each lot on Sothebys’ website.