Featuring pieces by Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, and Dorothea Tanning, 25 works from a San Francisco Bay Area collection will be auctioned at Christie’s in London in the coming months.
The unnamed couple who amassed the collection over two decades became inspired during a trip to Mexico, where they met British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo’s widower through gallerist Wendi Norris. This encounter led to a global search for exceptional works by leading Surrealist artists, such as René Magritte, André Masson, Yves Tanguy, Óscar Domínguez, and Dorothea Tanning.
Olivier Camu, Deputy Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie’s, observes that the collection’s focus on Surrealism parallels current interest in the movement. Major Surrealist exhibitions have recently taken place globally, highlighting not just European but also North and Latin American artists. Moreover, there has been a significant emphasis on showcasing work by female Surrealist artists at renowned institutions such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and London’s Tate Modern, as well as the 2022 Venice Biennale’s The Milk of Dreams, inspired by Leonora Carrington’s 1950s book.
The collection features key works like Remedios Varo’s 1957 Retrato del Doctor Ignacio Chávez (estimated at £2.5m to £3.5m), which showcases her fascination with medicine, and Carrington’s 1960 piece Quería ser pájaro (estimated at £900,000 to £1.4m), which exemplifies her growing popularity. Artworks by Dorothea Tanning, Leonor Fini, and Stella Snead are also available.
Later acquisitions in the collection comprise more “traditional” names in art history, such as René Magritte’s 1958 Souvenir de Voyage (estimated at £2.5m to £3.5m), the last work purchased for the collection.
The auction, titled “Memory of a Surreal Journey: Property from an Important San Francisco Bay Area Collection,” has a presale estimate of £13m to £18m. Fifteen works will be part of an evening sale on February 28, with the remaining ten in a day sale on March 3. The Surrealist sale (Christie’s 22nd edition) is anticipated to generate between £28m and £40m.
As the auction approaches, excitement and anticipation continue to build in the art world, mainly because of the collection’s focus on exiled and female Surrealist artists, reflecting a growing interest in these historically underrepresented groups. The upcoming sale at Christie’s is expected to solidify further these artists’ significance and influence in the Surrealist movement and the broader art world.
In addition to the 25 works from the San Francisco Bay Area collection, Christie’s Surrealist sale will feature a diverse range of other Surrealist pieces, attracting collectors and enthusiasts from around the globe. The auction will provide both seasoned and new collectors with an opportunity to acquire works from this groundbreaking and influential movement while shedding light on the unique stories and experiences of the featured artists.
As interest in Surrealism continues to flourish, likely, similar auctions and exhibitions showcasing the works of exiled and female Surrealist artists will become more commonplace. This increased visibility can potentially lead to a broader appreciation and understanding of the movement and its diverse contributors, fostering a more inclusive art world.
The forthcoming auction at Christie’s represents a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire exceptional works of art and serves as a testament to Surrealism’s enduring allure and relevance. With the estimated total value for the Surrealist sale ranging from £28m to £40m, the auction is poised to be a significant event in the global art market and a notable milestone in the continued celebration of Surrealism and its diverse artists.
