News Archive

Christie’s stacked with Sainsbury goodies.

06/06/2008

Simon Sainsbury, the great-grandson of grocer John James Sainsbury, was an avid art collector right up until his death aged 76 in 2006. If he couldn’t be around to protect his treasures he wanted someone who would, hence he bequeathed the cream of the collection, reported to be worth more than £100m to the National Gallery and the Tate.

But now, the not-so-Joe Public, has got an opportunity to get its hands on some of the Sainsbury goodies with an auction on June 18th.

There are 366 fine art pieces for sale, including canvas art, pottery and furniture.

British painters in the sale include Sir Joshua Reynolds and Stanley Spencer.

More pieces from the collection will be on sale at the auctions of Impressionist and Modern Art on June 24th and 25th. These include paintings by Bonnard, Vuillard. Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas and Matisse.

The most sought-after painting is Paul Signac’s ‘Collioure. Les. Balancelle’, which is expected to fetch about £2.5m.
The prospect of owning some of these pieces has the collective art world’s mouth watering.

Charles Cator, the deputy chairman of Christies International, said: “Simon Sainsbury was an exceptional man and an true connoisseur, universally admired and respected by the whole art world.

“A very private and modern person, Simon was one of the greatest British collectors and most generous philanthropists of the 20th century.

“Over more than 40 years, while masterminding with his two brothers the transformation of the family company, as well as establishing one of the most creative and influential charitable trusts in Britain, he assembled a most remarkable collection of English 18th century furniture, early British pottery, British pictures and Impressionist works, all chosen with immense care and understanding for his much loved home in Sussex, where he created an English arcadia.”

Proceeds from the sale will go to the Sainsbury family charity, the Monument Trust.