London – Christie’s will present the autumn edition of The Collector sales on 13 and 14 November in London; an array of decorative arts and furniture ranging across: English Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art; European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics, and Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art.

In celebration of the diverse styles and origins of the pieces within the auctions, Christie’s has partnered with avid collector and aesthete Mark-Francis Vandelli, a television personality known for his eccentric and exacting taste, to curate his selection of the sales within The Collector preview, open to the public from 9 to 12 November at the London King Street Galleries.

Bringing theatricality and flair to Christie’s sale rooms, Mark-Francis has designed a series of film set-style vignettes; a Manhattan penthouse, a Parisian hôtel particulier and a Roman palazzo. Selected not only in recognition of their status as centres of cultural enlightenment, the recreation of interiors from the three iconic cities reflect the formative locations in which Mark-Francis developed his own aesthetic and appreciation for decorative arts.

PARIS

“Parisian interiors are instantly distinguishable by their elegant proportions, antique boiseries and predominantly 18th century furnishings. My ambition was to do the unexpected and bring together pieces from across Europe to create a harmonious yet unusual marriage of tastes. The bureau-cabinet is of particular note, an excellent example of the extraordinary skill and craftsmanship possessed by early Georgian cabinet makers in their imitation of oriental lacquers” - Mark-Francis Vandelli

The Parisian vignette centres predominantly around furniture originating in the 18th century, notably featuring an early Georgian red japanned bureau-cabinet (estimate: £80,000-120,000) from the English Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art sale, a pair of Louis XV giltwood fauteuils upholstered in red silk damask (estimate: £40,000-60,000) and a Louis XV ormolu-mounted bureau-plat (estimate: £7,000-10,000), both from the European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics auction. In designing the set, Mark-Francis combines such pieces with smaller decorative objects from the 19th century, including a pair of marble models of Putti (estimate: £15,000-25,000) from the Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art auction, a French ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain vase (estimate: £8,000-12,000) and a pair of Sèvres-style porcelain jardinieres (estimate: £1,000-1,500), both available in the European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics sale. The Parisian vignette will be available to view in the New Gallery at Christie’s King Street.

ROME

“A celebration of the theatricality of Baroque Rome, this interior purposefully incorporates dramatic elements; a pair of German rococo console tables surmounted by large French gilt bronze dragon appliques, a richly decorated 18th century pietra dura tabletop covered in ormolu-mounted porcelain and objects of virtu, all overlooked by the contrapposto figure of a female nude. The scene is balanced by an elegant symmetry and the timeless view of the Roman skyline at dusk” - Mark-Francis Vandelli

To achieve a sense of drama and spectacle, characteristic of a Roman palazzo interior, Mark-Francis pairs giltwood console tables (estimate: £12,000-18,000) from European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics, surmounted by French ormolu wall-lights by the renowned François Linke (estimate: £20,000-30,000) in the Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art auction, with two from a set of twelve George III parcel-gilt armchairs (estimate: £25,000-50,000) from the English Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art sale. The mirrored positioning of smaller objects, such as the Chinese celadon porcelain ewers (estimate: £6,000-8,000 and £3,000-5,000) across the lapis lazuli and onyx-decorated Italian marble table (estimate: £40,000-60,000) – all from the European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics sale – extends the symmetry of the scene, heightening the subtle draping and softly curled hair on the central marble figure by the German sculptor Baron Wolf von Hoyer (estimate: £10,000-15,000), available in the Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art auction.

The Rome interior set will be available to view in the West Room at Christie’s King Street.

NEW YORK

“Americans have a wonderful flair for marrying the unexpected, so in conjuring the sense of a Manhattan penthouse I paired the quintessentially French Louis XVI oil-gilt marquises with a Regency brass-inlaid rosewood centre table, framed by a dramatic pair of mid-century Italian glass beaded urns” - Mark-Francis Vandelli

The vignette, which depicts the interior of a Manhattan penthouse decorated in moiré midnight silk, unites lots from each of the three Collector sales. Mark-Francis pairs pieces such as the elegant Louis XVI oil-gilt marquises (estimate: £30,000-50,000) from the European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics auction with a Regency brass-inlaid rosewood centre table (estimate: £4,000-6,000) from the English Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art furniture sale. The striking model of a macaw, an imitation of the sculpture created by Kändler for Augustus the Strong’s menagerie at the Japanese Palace in Dresden (estimate: £8,000-12,000), sits behind an elaborate silver epergne, which was presented to Captain Joshua Rowley by the Merchants of London in 1762 (estimate: £50,000-80,000), both from the Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art auction.

The New York set will be available to view in the Great Room at Christie’s King Street.

Orlando Rock, Christie’s UK Chairman and Co-Chairman of Decorative Arts: “Mark-Francis has an eye for the exquisite – and a natural flair that allows him to pick and choose objects across genres, freeing them from their historical shackles of period and place to combine them with panache and style. Mark-Francis’s playfulness and sense of fun dominate in creating very personal, liveable and fresh interiors that are characteristically international. His lifelong love affair with works of art began with auction viewings throughout his childhood - and as a regular visitor to Christie’s and admirer of ‘The Collector’ auctions of decorative arts, we were thrilled when Mark-Francis agreed to work with us to curate three innovative rooms which are representative of the diverse range of styles and periods of objects available in this series of sales. We look forward to welcoming the public to view and enjoy Mark-Francis’s creations in person during the pre-sale exhibition from 9 to 12 November.”

Mark-Francis Vandelli: “This collaboration with Christie’s presented a unique opportunity for me to do something entirely different. By creating a series of imposing film sets based on three different cities, we are able to present typically 18th and 19th century works against diverse and unexpected backdrops. These playful, temporary structures allude to the many chapters in these decorative objects’ lives, which will often see them travelling across cultures and continents to new homes, adopted and interpreted each time in a new fashion.”

The Collector sales occur twice a year at Christie’s London, in addition to in New York and Paris, one of the three decorative arts sale formats alongside Interiors and the masterpiece quality Exceptional auctions.

For more details, please see Christie’s feature on the collaboration with Mark-Francis Vandelli, including a video, on Christies.com.

To view the full e-catalogues for each sale please click the hyperlinks below:
The Collector - English Furniture, Clocks & Works of Art
The Collector - European Furniture, Works of Art & Ceramics
The Collector - Silver & 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture & Works of Art