An incredibly impressive art collection, owned by the mysterious late Huguette Clark, is set to be auctioned this summer after a tour to show the art, much of which hasn’t been seen in public for almost a century, according to NBC.
Tour dates include London with viewing now through Feb. 4. Next is Hong Kong on April 4-9. Then in Tokyo, April 10-12, and finally in New York. Once they reach New York, some of the peices will be available view later in April, but the exact dates are not yet set in stone.
Among the (almost) priceless pieces are a beautiful Monet from his “Water Lilies” series. It was purchased by Clark in 1930 in New York and has an estimated value of $25 million to $35 million by itself. There is also a Renoir trio which includes “Girls Playing Battledore and Shuttlecock,” “Chrysanthemums,” and “Woman with Umbrella”, which together are expected to bring $16.5 million to $25.5 million.
Among the vast collection of famous paintings are some lovely works by Huguette Clark, herself, who was quite a talented artist. These will not be on the auction block, but will go to the new Bellosguardo Foundation for the arts and will be displayed at her estate in Santa Barbara, California. The foundation also was given her $85 million dollar oceanfront property in her will.
Paintings aren’t the only things that will be sold at auction. There will also be rare musical instruments, such as a Stradivarius violin, called “the Kreutzer” from 1731, as well as rare books.
These books will include wonderful pieces, like her first edition of Baudelaire’s “Les fleurs du mal,” and a Book of Hours from the 16th century with pages decorated with liquid gold. There will also be a rare first edition of Walt Whitman’s classic, “Leaves of Grass”.
The layers of priceless treasure, shut away in Huguette Clark’s numerous estates for almost a century, continue to come to light and continue to add a little more to the fascinating story of the reclusive heiress each time they are revealed.
Image via Wikipedia
