Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's.
Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
French Gallerist Yves Gastou’s Inspired Collection Exceeds Its Presale Estimates at Sotheby’s
The March 19 event achieved major prices for works by Andrea Branzini, Shiro Kuramata, Ettore Sottsass, Robert Couturier, and Philippe Hiquily
When French dealer Yves Gastou passed away in 2020, many lamented the great loss of an inspired talent with a discerning eye. At his namesake gallery in Paris, he represented a swath of creatives, among them Béatrice Serre, Philippe Hiquily, Agnès Debizet, and Harumi Klossowska de Rola, many whose work found their way into his private collections as well. His homes in Paris and Biarritz were a visually compelling melange of both vintage and contemporary treasures.
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, including a stunning pair of Marc Held armchairs that doubled their presale estimate to bring €21,590, and a Maurice Calka Boomerang desk that realized €48,260. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
This week, the contents of his two unique residences came up for auction in a live and online sale at Sotheby’s. Representing 50 years of acquisitions, his eclectic tastes ran the gamut—from “Gilbert Poillerat to Shiro Kuramata, from Philippe Hiquily to Ettore Sottsass, from Jean Charles Moreux to Alain Jacquet, from Ado Chale to André Dubreuil, from César to André Arbus, from Garouste & Bonetti to Marc Held.”
On March 19, Sotheby’s hosted a live sale at their rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré flagship included standout works by Shiro Kuramata, Jeff Koons, Ettore Sottsass, André Arbus, Wilfredo Lam, and more.
Open for bids through March 20, the online sale equally runs the gamut of time and place as well of style with stunning masterworks often displayed alongside cheeky contemporary art to masterful effect. “My father rescued objects in the same way some people rescue animals,” Gastou’s son, Victor, told the New York Times. “Each one told a different story. He was touched by the magic of their patina.”
Below, a look inside Gastou’s residence as well as many of the presumed top lots from Sotheby’s “Collection of Yves Gastou” sale.
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's. Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
The many pieces by Philipe Hiquily in Sotheby's March 19 sale of the Collection of Yves Gastou far outpaced their early estimates; this Van Zuylen dining table, presumed to achieve between €100,000 and €120,000 achieved €330,200. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
Shiro Kuramata Placebo side table, estimated to achieve between €15,000 and €20,000 in Sotheby's March 19 sale of the Collection of Yves Gastou, was one of the event's top lots, bringing €139,700. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
L'Amatore del Magnetofono Superbox by Ettore Sottsass carries a presale estimate of €30,000 to €40,000 in Sotheby's March 19 sale of the Collection of Yves Gastou. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
César’s Expansion n° 46 exceeded its presale estimate, hammering at €99,060 in Sotheby's March 19 sale of the Collection of Yves Gastou. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
Set of six Andrea Branzi vessels estimated to bring between €8,000 and €12,000 in Sotheby's March 19 sale of the Collection of Yves Gastou, soared to hammer at €30,480. Photo: Courtesy of Sotheby's
Cover: Interior view of Yves Gastou's apartment in Paris, featuring a number of items coming to auction at Sotheby's.
Photo: Guillaume de Laubier
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