Lot Essay
This work will be included in the forthcoming André Brasilier catalogue raisonné being prepared by Alexis Brasilier.
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Property from the Hanley CollectionAcross a momentous and remarkably successful life, William Lee Hanley, Jr. epitomized the intelligence and integrity of a bygone era. A distinguished businessman, philanthropist, and scholar of the world, he held a passion for ideas that served as the cornerstone of a notable private collection of fine art. Inspired by his late Uncle Edward Hanley whose art collection was world renown, and alongside his beloved wife, Allie, Lee Hanley embarked on a decades-long journey in collecting— a gentleman’s pursuit of beauty and knowledge.Born in New York City in 1940, Lee Hanley was a grandson of the founder of the Hanley Brick Company, established in 1893. The firm became one of the United States’ premier architectural brick companies, with its products utilized in such esteemed constructions as the Chrysler Building, the Seagram Building, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Washington Harbor in the nation’s capital. After attending the Buckley School and graduating from St. Paul’s School—where Hanley still holds the record for the 200—the collector continued his studies at Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in Economics in 1964. The fuel intensity of manufacturing Hanley brick led the family to establish an oil and gas company, Hanley & Byrd, in Pennsylvania; the firm eventually became Hanley Petroleum Inc., a highly-respected independent operator in West Texas. Lee Hanley joined his family’s oil company following his graduation from Yale. At Hanley Petroleum, the collector swiftly put his business acumen and commitment to integrity to use, rising to the position of Chairman and CEO. Throughout his life, Hanley earned a reputation as a determined, independent man who cared deeply for American free enterprise and the communities in which he lived. Under his stewardship, Hanley Petroleum became known as a highly successful oil firm devoted to benefitting its home in Midland, Texas. In 2015, Lee Hanley was inducted into the Petroleum Hall of Fame at the Petroleum Museum in Midland, and was lauded for his “tireless efforts as an advocate for the oil and gas industry.”Gracious, intelligent, and high-spirited, Hanley focused much of his personal energies on civic engagement and giving back to his communities. The collector was an influential supporter of American business and entrepreneurship, and sought to promote these values across the country. In addition to serving in two federal agencies under President Ronald Reagan, Hanley was also Chairman of the Board at Greenwich Hospital; Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Founder and Chairman of the Yankee Institute for Public Policy Studies; Trustee of the Boy’s Club of New York and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Greenwich; Trustee of the International Center for the Disabled; member of the National Petroleum Council; director for numerous corporate boards; and Vice Chairman of the Landmark Preservation Commission in Palm Beach. In his later years, Hanley became involved at The King’s College in New York City, where he served as Chairman of the institution’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, President of King’s College, described Hanley as a “fierce champion of all that we hold dear,” and a man “devoted to the classics of Western Civilization.” Hanley, Thornbury noted, “gave his energy, wisdom, and business insight to those institutions which advance liberty.” Hanley’s love of fine art and intellectual discovery was evident in his private collection of Impressionist and Modern art. Held at his family’s elegant residences, the striking assemblage encompassed the work of figures such as Claude Monet, Gustave Caillebotte and Camille Pissarro. The collector’s multifaceted and considered approach to art, business, and philanthropy came to define his engagement with the world. In Lee Hanley’s collection, and in the countless individuals whose lives he affected, this generosity of spirit lives on.Property from the Hanley Collection
André Brasilier (b. 1929)
Cavalcade portugaise
Details
André Brasilier (b. 1929)
Cavalcade portugaise
signed 'André Brasilier.' (lower right); signed again with initials, dated and titled 'A.B. 81. Cavalcade portugaise' (on the stretcher)
oil on canvas
35 x 45 ½ in. (89 x 115.6 cm.)
Painted in 1981
Cavalcade portugaise
signed 'André Brasilier.' (lower right); signed again with initials, dated and titled 'A.B. 81. Cavalcade portugaise' (on the stretcher)
oil on canvas
35 x 45 ½ in. (89 x 115.6 cm.)
Painted in 1981
Provenance
Anon. sale, Christie's, New York, 22 September 2009, lot 66.
Acquired at the above sale by the late owner.
Acquired at the above sale by the late owner.
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Vanessa Fusco