London – An array of highlights from Christie’s May edition of The Collector sales, on the 22 and 23 May, were recently photographed at the newly opened Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery. Designed and built between 1800 and 1804 by Sir John Soane, one of Britain’s most influential architects, in what was then rural Ealing now west London, Pitzhanger was Soane’s country retreat for entertaining and showcasing his skills as an architect. Newly conserved, Soane’s Pitzhanger is now open to view alongside an inaugural exhibition of Anish Kapoor sculptures.

Giles Forster, Director of Decorative Arts at Christie’s, comments: “We are honoured to have had the opportunity to photograph lots from our upcoming series of ‘The Collector’ sales in the superbly restored interiors at Pitzhanger. Sir John Soane was an antiquarian and visionary architect famed for building the Bank of England and Dulwich Picture Gallery, and his genius is apparent in the exquisitely proportioned rooms at Pitzhanger. As evidenced by the collections at the Sir John Soane Museum, he was an eclectic collector, and it was amazing how his interiors at Pitzhanger so harmoniously accommodated such a variety of works from our sales - which span the 18^th and 19^th centuries – evocatively bringing them to life.”  

Clare Gough, Director of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, comments “We are delighted to have hosted Christie’s at Sir John Soane’s Pitzhanger Manor. Many of the items which Soane collected to display at Pitzhanger were purchased at auction from Christie’s, not least William Hogarth’s series of eight paintings, A Rake’s Progress, that Mrs Soane bought for Pitzhanger at Christie’s in 1802. These were hung at Pitzhanger until Soane finally sold the Manor in 1810 and transported them to his London home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, where they now hang at Sir John Soane’s Museum. It seems utterly fitting to see the items in this catalogue displayed in the dramatic interiors that Soane so innovatively designed to enhance his collection.”

Full lot details on the highlights depicted in all the shots (visible on the PDF) are available. For details on the sale as a whole – including the announcement on the collaborator for the May Edit of The Collector sales – please see the separate press release.