Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s F… Read more

In Focus: Property from the Collection of Brad GreyFrom its earliest days, Hollywood has been shapedby ambitious individuals who, with determinationand verve, flocked to California to make theirmark on America’s ‘city of dreams.’ Brad Greyepitomized this Hollywood dream, rising from blue-collarroots to the pinnacle of one of Hollywood’s most legendarystudios. A beloved figure in Los Angeles and across thewider world, he left an indelible mark on film, television,and culture. “People always say, ‘It must be so difficult,’”Grey mused of his prodigious career. “But it’s really not.You trust your instincts.”Born in the Bronx and raised in Spring Valley, NewYork, Grey embodied the kind of American success storytypically reserved for the silver screen. His love of theglamorous world of Hollywood began at an early age, whenhe stayed up past his bedtime to watch The Johnny CarsonShow. “I just knew those people on the show seemed tobe having so much… fun,” Grey later recalled. “Certainlymore fun than folks in Spring Valley.” While studying atSUNY Buffalo—the university would later present him withan honorary doctorate—Grey began assisting in concertpromotion and in managing rising comedy stars. At justtwenty years old, Grey arranged a performance by FrankSinatra in Buffalo; by senior year, he had signed on torepresent comedian Bob Saget as his first full-time client.When he moved to Los Angeles in 1981, Grey wentstraight to the Beverly Hills Hotel, the venerable meetingplace for the most powerful names in entertainment. “Icouldn’t afford it,” he admitted, “but I stayed at the hotel.The tradition of the Beverly Hills Hotel always mattered tome.” Throughout his life, Grey held onto this unshakablebelief in the mythic power of Hollywood and theimportance of its cultural legacy. As the New York Timesobserved, “more than many of his studio counterparts,[he] upheld the pageantry of Hollywood.” In 1984, Greybegan to work alongside the influential talent managerBernie Brillstein, and in 1992 became a co-founder ofthe entertainment management firm Brillstein-Grey.Blending the role of traditional Hollywood agent with theentrepreneurial spirit of a producer, Brillstein and Grey’scompany was groundbreaking in its fostering of both talentand creative projects. “Brad helped forge a new paradigmin representing artists,” said entertainment executive JonLiebman. During this period, Grey oversaw the careers ofa number of major comedians and stars. Perhaps mostnotable, however, was his role in producing The Sopranos,the groundbreaking David Chase mob series that usheredin a new golden age of television. “It was life-changing forall of us,” Grey said of his experience with the show, whichgarnered him multiple Emmy, Peabody, and ProducersGuild of America awards.In addition to his work in television, Grey producedsuch lauded films as Martin Scorsese’s Academy AwardwinningThe Departed, and Tim Burton’s imaginative Charlieand the Chocolate Factory. In 2005, he was appointed chiefexecutive officer and chairman of Paramount Pictures,the storied film studio behind some of cinema’s greatestmasterworks. “From the moment I came to Paramount,”Grey noted, “… I saw myself as a steward of an iconicinstitution.” Across his twelve-year tenure at Paramount,Grey spearheaded a production model that embracedglobal hit franchises like Star Trek, Iron Man, and the MissionImpossible series, as well as more artistically innovativetitles such as An Inconvenient Truth, Fences, There Will BeBlood, No Country for Old Men, Arrival, and Hugo.Under Grey’s guidance, Paramount not only gainedmarket leadership, but regularly achieved Academy Awardnominations and wins. As Michael Cieply of DeadlineHollywood wrote, “[I]t’s hard to think of a studio chief whomore consistently put films in the Best Picture ranks… thanGrey.” Beyond his remarkable record in film and television,Grey is also remembered as a steadfast philanthropistand community advocate. He utilized the lessons fromhis Hollywood career—persistence, humility, and theimportance of sharing culture with others—to the benefitof the public. In 2013, he was appointed to the board oftrustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, andserved in additional leadership roles at the University ofSouthern California School of Cinematic Arts, ProjectA.L.S., New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, andother notable institutions.As a leading producer and studio executive, Greybecame a cherished friend to the luminaries of film,television, and entertainment. In his personal life, Grey wasa noted tastemaker, reflected at his elegant residence inHolmby Hills, where he exhibited a striking collection offine art and design. Grey saw art as an integral componentof the Hollywood spirit; as such, he acquired an inspiringassemblage of works by figures such as Agnes Martin,Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Prince, Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha,and Richard Serra. Joining Grey’s collection of canvases,works on paper, and sculptures were dramatically modernworks of furniture and design by Jean-Michel Frank,Alberto and Diego Giacometti, Francois-Xavier Lalanne,and others. Taken as a whole, the collection evinced theconnoisseurship of a man fully immersed in the creativeprocess—an exploration of the same aesthetic principlesand storytelling that lie at the heart of filmmaking.Grey forever remained characteristically humble abouthis many achievements. “The only thing you can hope forin one of these jobs,” he said of his time at Paramount,“is that when the next guy’s sitting here, they look backand say, ‘Wow, that was a great period. They made someextraordinary pictures.’” In his inspiring collection of fineart and design, Grey displayed a commitment to creationthat informs his greater legacy. In the hearts and minds ofall those touched by his belief in entertainment, Brad Greyremains a lasting presence.

JEAN-MICHEL FRANK (1895-1941)

A BANQUETTE, CIRCA 1925

Details

JEAN-MICHEL FRANK (1895-1941)
A BANQUETTE, CIRCA 1925
walnut, upholstery
22 ½ in. (57.2 cm.) high
with the Chanaux and Pelletier monogram and numbered 6499

Provenance

Private collection, France;
Christie's Paris, 23 November 2015, lot 227;
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Literature

For other examples of this model:
L. D. Sanchez, Jean-Michel Frank, Paris, 1997, p. 69;
P.-E. Martin-Vivier, Jean-Michel Frank, l'Étrange Luxe du Rien, Paris, 2006, pp. 248, 277.

Special Notice

Please note this lot will be moved to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services (CFASS in Red Hook, Brooklyn) at 5pm on the last day of the sale. Lots may not be collected during the day of their move to Christie’s Fine Art Storage Services. Please consult the Lot Collection Notice for collection information. This sheet is available from the Bidder Registration staff, Purchaser Payments or the Packing Desk and will be sent with your invoice.

Lot Essay

This lot will be sold with a certificate of authenticity from the Comite Jean-Michel Frank.

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