Clyfford Still Sale Leaves Christie’s Fuming Over $15 Million
"1957-J No.2"
Still Museum of Art via Bloomberg
"1957-J No.2" (1957) by Clifford Still.
"1957-J No.2" (1957) by Clifford Still. Source: Still Museum of Art via Bloomberg
"PH-1023"
Still Museum of Art via Bloomberg
"PH-1023" (1976) by Clifford Still.
"PH-1023" (1976) by Clifford Still. Source: Still Museum of Art via Bloomberg
The chance to sell four paintings by the late painter Clyfford Still, whose fanatical control of his work made sales rare, has favored one of the two major auction houses and left the other angry.
The city of Denver, where the Clyfford Still Museum is opening on Nov. 18, selected Sotheby’s (BID) to place the four works through either a private sale or public auction this fall. The proceeds would benefit the museum’s endowment. The auction house guaranteed the museum more than $25 million and could earn as much as $15 million in commission.
The city rejected the offer of Christie’s International Plc, which sold a large Still canvas in 2006 for $21.3 million.
“Christie’s made a clear, detailed and timely offer to the Clyfford Still Museum and city of Denver, and want to be sure that it is given due consideration,” the company said in a statement. Christie’s hasn’t filed a formal complaint.
“It was a competitive process that was fair and followed the city’s contracting procedures,” said Jan Brennan, with the Denver office of cultural affairs and one of the nine members of the selection committee.
Still (1904-1980) was an Abstract Expressionist in his painting and crystal clear in how he wanted his works treated. He sold very little and frequently rejected exhibition opportunities. His will stipulated that the estate be given in its entirety to a U.S. city willing to establish a permanent museum housing his work alone.
Denver Chosen
In 2004, his wife, Patricia, selected Denver. The city received Still’s 2,400-piece collection, including 825 paintings. The following year she bequeathed to the city her own estate, which included her husband’s complete archives.
Sotheby’s and Christie’s pounced on the chance to sell the four works, which include three completed in the 1940s, one in 1976. The largest painting is about 8 feet by 7 feet. Each auction house submitted a proposal, outlining “financial terms, qualification and expertise, the proposed sales approach, experience with fine-arts sales and with the municipal entities,” said Brennan.
“This is a unique situation,” she said. “Of course the financial terms were an important element of the selection process, but there were other considerations as well.”
The contract will have to be approved by the City Council in a process starting Aug. 22 that should conclude by the end of the month, Brennan said.
If a private sale doesn’t take place by Sept. 19, the works will be included in Sotheby’s Nov. 9 contemporary-art auction where they can be sold individually, according to the contract.
To contact the reporter of this story: Katya Kazakina in New York at kkazakina@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Manuela Hoelterhoff at mhoelterhoff@bloomberg.net.
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