Sotheby's London to present over 100 masterworks at modern art sale in February

KOLKATA: Sotheby's London will present over 100 masterworks from a collection that has captivated the imagination of world connoisseurs since it was first unveiled 14 years ago, many of which then featured in a series of international museum exhibitions: The Private Collection of Jan Krugier. Works from the collection will open the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale on 5th February 2014, and further pieces will be offered in the Day Sale on 6th February.

A survivor of the Holocaust, the legendary art dealer – advised to open a gallery by close artist friend Alberto Giacometti and perhaps best known for his involvement with the work of Pablo Picasso – walked through life believing in the redemptive potential of art. Together with his wife, Marie-Anne Krugier-Poniatowski, he amassed to hang in their private home one of the world's most spectacular collections of works on paper, through which they were able to connect particularly closely with the artists they admired the most.

Spanning the history of art from the late 18th to the mid-20th century, the group of works on paper and sculpture to be offered incorporates powerful works by the greatest names of their time: Goya, Delacroix, Géricault, Corot, Turner, Degas, Manet, Bonnard, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat, Matisse, Klee, Picasso and Giacometti.

Commenting on the forthcoming sale of the collection, Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art Department, Europe, said: "Jan Krugier’s private collection is testament to a definitive journey in the history of the 20th century. Through it we come close to the mind and soul of this extraordinary man. Each work reflects his erudition, his devotion to art, boundless curiosity and inherent independence from convention. Regardless of their period of creation, these works of artistic genius describe a timeless vision of humanity, with unequaled power of expression. It is extremely rare for a private collection to boast such quality and variety and its appearance on the market will constitute a landmark event in 2014".

Together estimated to realise in excess of £24 million (US$39 million), all 119 lots capture what Krugier looked for in art: "a deep spirit, something sacred and deeply experienced".