RELEASE: Christie’s Announces the Collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill to be Auctioned – October 2019

“If I really can be said to have a personal style, I think it is reflected in my taste for the exotic and the unexpected. I like to create rooms which are essentially traditional—and then add touches of the bizarre and the delicious”

New York — Christie's announces it has been entrusted with the sale of The Collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill, slated for October 2019. A global symbol of sophistication and erudition, the late Ms. Radziwill’s personal collection will be featured in a dedicated exhibition and sale at Christie’s in Rockefeller Center that will celebrate Ms. Radziwill’s singular elegance, style and intellectual curiosity.

Regarded as one of the world’s greatest style icons, Ms. Radziwill was an aesthete known for her sartorial acumen. Her connoisseurship and love of art was nurtured from a young age when she famously began correspondence with the Renaissance art historian Bernard Berenson. As a teenager, she wrote to him, “I am so terribly thrilled when I find anything concerned with art and at the height of enjoyment in an art gallery or museum.”  

The contents of the collection offer a glimpse into Ms. Radziwill’s fascinating life, spanning her years as a prominent socialite, princess, designer, and witness to a momentous era in American history. Throughout her life, she developed friendships with many cultural figures of the 20^th century such as Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Peter Beard, Giorgio Armani, Rudolf Nureyev, Marc Jacobs, Sofia Coppola, The Rolling Stones and others, and was often cited as a muse. Her influential connections are reflected through her legendary interiors, on which she collaborated closely with Renzo Mongiardino. Fine and decorative art from her homes in Paris and New York feature prominently in the collection, as well as books, costume jewelry, photography and memorabilia.

Marc Porter, Chairman of Christie’s Americas, noted: “Lee Radziwill is remembered by all who knew her as a symbol of sophistication and connoisseurship, with a fascinating life story. It will be Christie’s honor to share Ms. Radziwill’s personal collection with the world this October, as we invite an international audience of collectors, designers, tastemakers, and admirers to join us as we pay tribute to such an extraordinary life and legacy.”

The Collection of Lee Bouvier Radziwill will be a highlight of Christie’s fall Collector Week of auctions in New York. Full details of the sale contents will be announced in the coming weeks, and a complete sale catalogue will be available in September 2019.

Read HERE about the life of Lee Bouvier Radziwill.

About Christie’s

Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, had auction sales in the first half of 2019 that totalled £2.2 billion / $2.8 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and international expertise. Christie’s offers around 350 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery.

Alongside regular sales online, Christie’s has a global presence in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

*Please note when quoting estimates above that other fees will apply in addition to the hammer price - see Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of the sale catalogue.

*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyer’s premium and are reported net of applicable fees.