Throughout their decades-long careers, art-world power couple Christo and Jeanne-Claude collaborated on massive installations that temporarily transformed iconic landmarks like New York’s Central Park, the Reichstag building in Berlin, or the Pont Neuf in Paris into interactive works of dynamic art.
“Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork brought people together in shared experiences across the globe, and their work lives on in our hearts and memories,” read a statement from the artists’ official Facebook page following Christo’s May 31 death. “He lived his life to the fullest, not only dreaming up what seemed impossible but realizing it.”
The Hoge armchair by Gerrit Rietveld.
Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the latter of whom passed away in November 2009, left a resounding legacy of transcendental works that utilized millions of square feet of fabrics to reimagine buildings, islands, and landscapes. Often years in the making, these self-funded installations were experienced by large crowds, immortalized in photos and film, and then removed. “Our projects are sometimes discussed by hundreds and thousands of people before they exist,” he told the Tate in 2012.
While the pair’s artwork was exceedingly public, their personal life was not. A February sale, appropriately titled “Unwrapped: The Hidden World of Christo and Jeanne-Claude,” at Sotheby’s Paris location will shed light on their personal friendships. More than 400 pieces from the couple’s New York studio will hit the block, including works by artists in their inner circle, like Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol, Lucio Fontana, and Yves Klein. Also available are items by artists that Christo admired, such as Joan Miró, Gerrit Rietveld, and André Cadere, as well as artworks by Christo and Jeanne-Claude themselves.
Andy Warhol’s Jackie (1964) from the collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude.
Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby’s
“Together with his partner Jeanne-Claude, Christo changed the visual language of art in a way that no other artist has done before, transforming the public’s perspective and expectations of what art can be and how it can be experienced,” Simon Shaw, Sotheby’s vice chairman, global fine arts, said in a statement. “Sotheby’s auction of their personal collection will provide a unique glimpse of their personal and professional world, and we are honored to pay tribute to this internationally renowned duo, who hold a fundamental place in the history of contemporary art.”
Below, take a look inside Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s New York studio at 48 Howard Street.
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Tour Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s New York Studio
Christo and Jeanne-Claude in their studio at 48 Howard Street in Manhattan.
Claes Oldenburgu2019s circa-1960s Bacon and Egg and Ice Cream and Beef Steak that are inscribed to Christo from Claes is estimated to bring u20ac40,000-60,000 in the February sale at Sotheby’s.
Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s
Gerrit Rietveldu2019s Hoge armchair in Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s studio at 48 Howard Street in New York.
The walls inside Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s studio at 48 Howard Street in New York were filled with works by their close circle of artist friends as well as sketches an other memorabilia related to their massive installations.
The walls inside Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s studio at 48 Howard Street in New York were filled with works by their close circle of artist friends as well as sketches an other memorabilia related to their massive installations.
The walls inside Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s studio at 48 Howard Street in New York were filled with sketches an other memorabilia related to their massive installations.
Objets and photographs, including one of Jeanne-Claude at the coupleu2019s installation The Gates in New York, displayed inside their studio at 48 Howard Street.
Andy Warholu2019s Jackie is displayed alongside Concetto Spaziale, Attesa by Lucio Fontana inside Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s studio at 48 Howard Street in New York.
Andy Warholu2019s Jackie (1964) from the collection of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is estimated to bring u20ac800,000-1,200,000 at auction.
Photograph by Courtesy of Sotheby’s
A piece by Keith Haring hangs alongside works by Andy Warhol and Lucio Fontana and photos on a gallery wall inside Christo and Jeanne-Claudeu2019s New York studio.
