This morning Christie’s announced that it will be holding a single-owner sale of 12 works from the estate of Anne H. Bass. The works were featured in her Manhattan apartment, including a pair of Mark Rothko paintings that were displayed as “sentinels” in her living room. Together the Rothkos have a combined low estimate of $105 million. Untitled (Shades of Red) is estimated at $60 million and No. 1 at $45 million.
Bass had a personal interest in dance, particularly ballet. That interest carried over into her art collecting. Thus Bass owned an example of Edgar Degas’ bronze sculpture Petite danseuse de quatorze ans estimated at $20 million and Balthus’s Jeune fille à la fenêtre, estimated at $4 million.
Bass collected multiple works by many artists, including Claude Monet. On offer in the sale is Le Parlement, soleil couchant estimated at $40 million. The work appears alongside a Nymphéas estimated $35 million and Peupliers au bord de l'Epte, automne estimated at $30 million.
The entire collection is estimated at $250 million.
