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The Most Beautiful Things

  • The Most Beautiful Things

    Our in-house curators are delighted to share this edit of some of the most extraordinary pieces available on 1stDibs.

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Filicudi Dining Table by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta, Italy, 1990
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Stylish Filicudi dining table with wooden base and silkscreened melamine top designed by Ettore Sottsass for Zanotta Italy in 1992.
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Laminate, Wood

Dark Brown Leather Togo Set by Ligne Roset, 1980s France
By Ligne Roset
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Classic French Togo set by Michel Ducaroy for luxury brand Ligne Roset. Originally designed in the 1970s the iconic togo sofa is now a design classic. This set comes in it's original...
Category

Late 20th Century French The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Leather

Camaleonda Sofa in Boucle Wool by Mario Bellini
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Antwerp, BE
Mario Bellini, 'Cameleonda' sectional sofa in bouclé wool, Italy, 1972. Re-upholstered Camaleonda piece by Mario Bellini. The listing includes two seating cushions, two back cush...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Wool, Foam

Extensive Assembled Meissen Blue and White Bird Model Dinner Service, circa 1890
Located in New York, NY
Each piece painted in underglaze-blue and heightened in gilding with an exotic bird perched upon peony branches, comprising: an oval soup tureen, cover and two stands, an 18" oval platter, six 13" oval platters, a 23.5" fish platter, a 21.5" fish platter, four vegetable dishes and covers, two two-handled sauce tureens, covers and stands, a similar smaller sauce tureen, cover and stand, two butter dishes and one cover, two cake stands (one as is), four leaf-shaped dishes, a pierced berry dish, a rectangular stand, two pairs of figural double salts, a shell-shaped pickle dish, a pair of reticulated sweetmeat...
Category

1890s German Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Porcelain

Thonet Large Serpentine Sectional Sofa
Located in Pasadena, TX
A Modern Sectional Sofa by Thonet Four separate sections providing for different serpentine configurations. Ebonized wooden arms and feet. Newly upholstered in a textured cream c...
Category

1990s Post-Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Marcel Breuer Design Style Black Leather and Matte Black Frame "Wassily" Chair
By Marcel Breuer
Located in Miami, FL
Rare black leather and matte black tubular steel frame Wassily arm chair using the original design of Marcel Breuer. Stamped "Made in Italy". Manufactur...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Bauhaus The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Steel

1969, Jean Prouvé Filling Station
By Jean Prouvé
Located in Perpignan, FR
Original filling station designed by jean Prouvé in 1969. Origin: Bordeaux (France) Measures: Diameter 10 m Height 3 m.   
Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Metal

18th Century Louis XV French Provincial Carved Armoire or Wardrobe France 1700s
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Standing at nearly nine feet high, this rare solid wood armoire or Buffet de château originating from the 18th century is an excellent example of French furniture during the 1700s. With a wonderfully rich patina, this large beautiful piece features intricate carvings throughout. The most unique feature is the bonnet with a bas relief which shows a carved Vanitas scene of a child resting upon a skull and book above a pair of intricately carved double doors. It can be used as a wardrobe or large moveable cupboard with doors and shelves for storing clothing or even perhaps a media cabinet. Rare, Louis XV period armoires such as this are the epitome of French Provincial furniture. They are increasingly difficult to find in this condition, especially with their original hardware, for it was often removed and melted down for ammunition during the unrest of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This armoire or cabinet is monumental in size and weight. The main case of the piece is rectangular in shape. The bonnet cornice top or domed crown sits snuggly on top of two large scalloped paneled hinged doors. The double doors are elaborately carved with center medallions and open to reveal the inside which includes adjustable shelves and drawer for storage. This wardrobe sits upon 2 cabriole legs in the front and two block legs in the back. Looking underneath the piece, at the bottom, you can see that the wood has been laid out and crafted in a way that resembles a cross. (See photos) Definitely a religious piece. It also features bow tie joints. Original grain can be seen and mortise and tenon joints. This wardrobe exhibits historically accurate carvings with lovely symbolic details throughout and vividly demonstrates the excitement of the period. The center cartouche at the top of the bonnet is embellished by a vanitas theme carved child resting in repose on a bed with a book, and a skull without a jaw underneath. This is commonly known as Vanitas or Memento Mori in Latin, meaning "Remember You Will Die". This sentiment is the Medieval Latin Christian theory and practice of reflection on mortality, especially as a means of considering the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. It also resembles Eros. Traditionally, the skull represents death, evil, fear, and mortality, but it can also symbolize the complete opposite: protection, power, and gratitude toward life. Which points to the French custom of a father's gift to his newborn daughter. The crafting or purchase of an armoire carved with symbols of plenty and happiness stayed with her throughout her life and was used to store her trousseau in her own home once she married. Regardless of its symbolism, the skull stands as a constant reminder that no one can escape death. For example, the appearance of skulls on some Christian rosaries is said to reflect the Latin expression Memento Mori, meaning ‘remember that you shall die.’ Below this beautiful figural carving are two large domed doors also with intricate carvings The carvings are very well-articulated and in wonderful condition for the age. A serpentine apron features a beautifully carved rocaille (Rococo shell) cartouche and foliate. Original hand forged mountings and double-bolt locking mechanisms characterize this brilliant 18th-century furnishing and tell the story of the time period. The two massive doors feature a beautiful, intricate steel locking mechanism stamped with the Fleur de Lys which signifies that the piece was crafted either for the nobility or royalty. The first armoires appeared in France during the latter half of the 17th century and were most often the dominant feature of the home. These large cupboards were used to hold a family’s belongings from linens to clothing to silver and even food. Originating in France, the French provincial style was born of the ornate Louis XV and Rococo. However, it was crafted by furniture makers in the provinces, outside of the cities. By nature, its beauty relies more on form, function and available materials, and less on ostentatious decorative elements, such as gilding or intricate marquetry. Pieces of this time period were carved with great artistry and skill, yet were made to be functional and long-lasting. One of the most significant features of fine Provincial armoires are the locks and hinges. Because these cupboards were a very important part of the household, little expense was spared in outfitting them with the finest hardware. Long ornate hinges and elaborately scrolled escutcheons were an integral part of the overall design of the armoire. Often, the hinges, lock, and key cost more to produce than the armoire itself. The expense of such a grand armoire was enormous and it often served as an indication of a family's wealth and social standing. As their wealth and possessions grew, armoires were added to the household and it was not unusual for a wealthy family to have several armoires. This beautiful piece could be used as an armoire, wardrobe, linen chest, cabinet or storage cupboard. Or perhaps as a TV entertainment center...
Category

18th Century French French Provincial Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Iron

Extremely Rare, 20th Century Arthur Conan Doyle Goyard Desk Trunk
By Goyard
Located in Hong Kong, HK
Extremely rare, Goyard Desk Trunk Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) was a British doctor and writer famous the world over for his Sherlock Holmes series of...
Category

Early 20th Century French The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Brass

Art Nouveau Curved Stained Glass & Bronze Panel/ Window, Attributed to Tiffany
By Charles L. Tiffany
Located in New York, NY
This stunning Art Nouveau window/ panel was realized in the United States in 1907, attributed to Tiffany & Co. The piece features a mosaic of int...
Category

Early 1900s American Art Nouveau Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Bronze

Venetian Monumental Seated Bird Cage
Located in New York, NY
Italian Venetian style (20th Cent) octagonal shaped painted and decorated metal and wood bird cage with 8 upholstered seat and back cushions around base. (Franco Zefferelli Collection)
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Rococo The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Metal

Very Large ‘Uchiwa’ Floor Lamp by Ingo Maurer for M Design, 1977
By M Design, Ingo Maurer
Located in Echt, NL
Rare large ‘Uchiwa’ fan floor lamp by Ingo Maurer in very good condition. Designed by Ingo Maurer for M design, Germany. This lamp was handmade in 197...
Category

20th Century German Japonisme The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Bamboo, Wicker, Parchment Paper

George Nakashima, Freeform Coffee Table, English Walnut, Studio USA 1971
By George Nakashima Studio, George Nakashima
Located in High Point, NC
A unique and sizable coffee / cocktail table in the "sled-shape" style. Produced by Nakashima Studio, New Hope, Pennsylvania, United States. Dated 1971 Executed in English Walnut...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Walnut

Victorian Religious Antique Stained Glass Window
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A large religious antique stained glass window with its original carved sandstone window frame. Reclaimed from a church in Upton, Wirral....
Category

Late 19th Century Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Stained Glass

Vintage "Akari" Pendant Lamp Model 20A, Isamu Noguchi, 1950s
By Isamu Noguchi, Ozeki & Co. Ltd. 1
Located in Edogawa-ku Tokyo, JP
Vintage "Akari" pendant lamp model 20A designed by Isamu Noguchi. This individual seems to be manufactured in 1950s and it seems to have never been used. There is no big tones or s...
Category

1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Paper

Antique Meissen 68-Piece Floral Dinner Service
By Meissen Porcelain
Located in London, GB
Antique Meissen 68-piece floral dinner service German, c. 1900 Largest serving dish: Height 6cm, width 52.5cm, depth 37.5cm Square salad bowl:...
Category

Early 1900s German Rococo Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Porcelain

Art Deco Thonet H269 Armchair Boucé Fabric by Jindrich Halabala
By Jindrich Halabala, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
Located in Vienna, AT
Beech bentwood walnut stained armchair made by Thonet in the 1930s. Excellent restored with seat springs upholstered with Dedar bouclé fabric. Another fabric and wood finish on req...
Category

1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Bouclé, Beech, Bentwood

George Nakashima, Coffee Table, American Black Walnut, New Hope, USA, 1982
By George Nakashima Studio, George Nakashima
Located in High Point, NC
An American black walnut coffee table designed by George Nakashima and produced by Nakashima Studio, New Hope, Pennsylvania, United States, 1...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Walnut

1969, Prefab Space Age Algeco Mod. 2002
Located in Perpignan, FR
Prefab Space Age house created by in 1969 famous French brand Algeco. Model called "2002" Dimensions: 430 x 250 x 250 cm Production units: 300 -500 ex. Various units was implanted for Olympic games village in Munich 1971 or using like offices or filling station...
Category

1960s French Space Age Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Fiberglass

Vintage Eames Vitra La Chaise Chair, Original, Fiberglass First Generation, 1992
By Vitra, Charles and Ray Eames
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Charles and Ray designed the iconic "La Chaise" lounge chair for The Museum of Modern Art’s 1948 International Competition for Furniture Design. Its name references both its functio...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Stainless Steel

Monumental Parisian Bird Cage Mansion
Located in Staffordshire, GB
Circa 1920 Monumental Parisian bird cage mansion Architectural bird house based on a famous Paris Brothel Sourced in Belgium   Measures: W117 x D51 x H90 cm.
Category

1910s French Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Pine

De Sede Terazza Sofa by Ubald Klug
By Ubald Klug
Located in Stockholm, SE
Rare modular sofa designed by Ubald Klug for De Sede, Switzerland, 1973.
Category

1970s Swiss Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Leather

French Victorian Walnut Bird cage
Located in New York, NY
French Victorian style (19/20th Cent) walnut large birdcage with 3 red dome tops having ebonized finials and trimmed with filigree tracery carving.
Category

Late 19th Century French Victorian Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Walnut, Wood

Forsyth Bespoke Eero Saarinen Womb Chair and Ottoman in Texas Sheepskin
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
A favorite of the Forsyth design team! We have an incredible collection of vintage chairs and design icons waiting for a new life. Our upcycled womb chairs are some of our most p...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Sheepskin

'Taliesin' Model #2005 Special Cabinet by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1955, Signed
By Heritage-Henredon, Frank Lloyd Wright
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This gorgeously refinished Honduran Mahogany 'Taliesin' Model #2005 Special Cabinet on Stand was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Heritage-Henredon in 1955 and produced only for two years, therefore is now a highly sought-after and rare collectors item and this particular cabinet design being one of the most sought after of the entire collection. This example is signed with the red Taliesin symbol on the back along with its stamped model #2005. This rare Frank Lloyd Wright cabinet features the rare sought after architectural base with equally rare and sought after two door cabinet with concentric square designs on doors. Inside the cabinet is a removable shelf. The cabinet can be removed from the base as can be seen in the photos. Frank Lloyd Wright stated that one of his goals for this line was for the 'design to make the home more efficient as well as more beautiful'. Woven into each piece of this series was the chamfered wood edge with an abstracted Greek key motif, the signature detail of every Taliesin design, covering the edges of each item in the collection. All of the pieces were executed in Honduran Mahogany, a high-end luxury wood choice. His idea was to design ‘infinite adaptability to American living’, for example desks could double as dressing tables, small tables could be used as a chair or stool and bookcases had moveable tops transforming into room dividers. Decoration was limited to the greek key edges so that ‘is of the piece, not on it’ and the removal of elimination of any hardware door or drawer pulls in favor of cut out flush pulls which ‘catch light and shadow for interesting and changing patterns’. Wright pitched three separate concepts to Heritage Henredon: ‘Burberry’, ‘Honeycomb’ and ‘Four Square’ which was the one chosen to go into production and renamed ‘Taliesin’ after Wrights Wisconsin home. A distinguishing feature of the Taliesin line is that each piece is identified with a branded signature which was often accompanied by a red square. No other items from the rest of Wright's career is marked or identified which makes this line more desirable to collectors. This particular cabinet design recently broke auction records for its model - demonstrating the rarity and desirability of Frank Lloyd Wright's work along with the uniqueness of this cabinet design and demand from art and design collectors and investors, along with the interior design community. This beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright Taleisin cabinet would work great in a Craftsman, Farm House, Monterey, Spanish, Mission, Arts & Crafts, Mid-Century Modern, Scandanavian Modern or Danish Modern home or penthouse apartment but could also look fantastic in a Contemporary or Post-Modern room. Also consider mixing it up in a Traditional, Transitional, Classical or Art Deco room with a splash of juxtaposition. Would also be an apt choice in a commercial project such as a hotel lobby lounge or members club, creative design studio or high-rise executive office. Consider using as a small blanket chest, a dry bar for liquor...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of Wedgwood Borghese Covered Vases, circa 1840
Located in New York, NY
With neoclassical decoration. Impressed Wedgwood.
Category

1840s English Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Porcelain

Sculptural form brass day bed by Osvaldo Borsani, Arredamento Borsani, circa 1958
By Arredamenti Borsani, Osvaldo Borsani, Arnaldo Pomodoro
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Beautiful and important sculpturakl form brass single bed or day bed circa 1958-1963 by Osvaldo Borsani for 'Arredamento Borsani', Varedo , Italy. The small series of Borsani beds designed were produced in several different designs ,each in very limited numbers and all hand made by the Arredamento Borsani in Varedo, italy. This series of beds never went into serial industrial production , a fact confirmed to me by the Arredamento Borsani archives. Beginning in the late 1950s,Osvaldo Borsani went on to collaborate with many great artists such as Lucio Fontana, Fausto Melotti, Agenore Fabbri, Aligi Sassu and Arnaldo Pomodoro, amongst others entrusting each to provide decorative elements to his designs. The brass headboard features a series of heavy cast solid brass interlocking geometric elements each featuring a beautiful organic three dimensional surface finish creating a supremely elegant and timeless repetitive motif . The bed still retains all its original decorative brass nuts ,bolts and finials which feature the same three dimensional decorative finish as the decorative sculptural forms contained in the headboard. We have had a new bespoke mattress and bolster pillow made with a natural latex foam surface as they would have originally had which also has the benefit that latex breathes. The mattress has an opulent decorative buttoned finish . Botht the mattress and pillow have been finished in 100% wool 'PLOEGWOOL' fabric by the high quality Dutch fabric manufacturer DE PLOEG. MATTRESS DIMENSIONS : Width 100cm x length 200cm / 3ft 3.37inch x 6ft 6.74inch BOLSTER PILLOW DIMENSIONS: Width 100cm diameter 24cm / 3ft 3.37inch x 9.45inch The mattress is supported on a 20mm ( 0.75 inch ) thick plywood board ,with breathing holes, which spans across the transverse brass plated steel frame elements. When used as a day bed SEATING...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Brass

George Nakashima, Rare Sculptural Pair of Conoid Chairs in Walnut, Signed, 1989
By George Nakashima
Located in New York, NY
George Nakashima (1905–1990) An exceptional pair of Conoid chairs by Pennsylvania studio craft movement patriarch George Nakashima, among the last he sculpted before his death. In ...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Hickory, Walnut

Rare English Silver-Gilt Book-Form Chess and Backgammon Game Board, circa 1976
By Asprey & Garrard Limited
Located in New York, NY
Rare English silver-gilt book-form chess and backgammon game board, circa 1976. This exceptional and rare solid silver chess board converts into a backgammon board and can also be placed in a bookshelf to add more opulence. (3 in 1). This was most definitely a private commissioned piece by the House of Garrard...
Category

20th Century British The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Silver

Rare and Exceptional Pair of Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Egg Chairs
By Arne Jacobsen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A rare and exceptional pair of Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Egg chairs and matching ottoman. Having its original midcentury ...
Category

1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Aluminum

Peter Hvidt "Pinwheel" Tables
By John Stuart, Peter Hvidt
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Complete set of six teak Model 523 tables, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard-Nielsen, imported by John Stuart. The clever design allows for the tables to be used as singular side tables or configured into multiple arrangements. Configured all together, the tables form an impressive pinwheel coffee...
Category

1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Brass

Carved Swiss Black Forest Chalet Clock, circa 1880
Located in Evergreen, CO
Intricate, painstaking detail is featured in this rare and magnificent, hand-carved, Black Forest chalet clock, which has professionally restored woodwork...
Category

1880s Swiss Black Forest Antique The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Walnut

George Nelson Marshmallow Sofa
By George Nelson
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
George Nelson Marshmallow sofa, model 5670 Manufactured by Herman Miller A great example of an iconic form.
Category

1950s American Vintage The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Chrome, Stainless Steel, Steel

Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. ‘Flag on the Moon’ Dye Sublimation Print on Aluminium
By Buzz Aldrin
Located in Los Angeles, CA
110 hours, 10 minutes, and 33 seconds into the mission: Buzz Aldrin takes a moment from the busy timeline to salute the American flag, a familiar splash of...
Category

1960s The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Dye Transfer

Pablo Picasso "Grand Tête" (Portrait de Jacqueline aux Cheveux lisses)
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Los Angeles, CA
PABLO PICASSO (1881-1973) Grand Tête (Portrait de Jacqueline aux Cheveux lisses) linocut in colors, on Arches paper, 1962, signed in pencil, numbered 12/50, with full margins, pale ...
Category

20th Century Cubist The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Linocut

Grande Tête De Femme Au Chapeau Orné (Woman’s Big Head with Decked Hat)
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1964, this red earthenware clay big rectangular plaque printed with engobe pad is #15 from the edition of 50. This work is stamped with the 'MADOURA PLEIN FEU’ and ‘EMPREINTE ORIGINALE DE PICASSO’ stamps on the reverse. Pablo Picasso Grande Tête De Femme Au Chapeau Orné (Woman’s Big Head with Decked Hat), 1964 A.R. 518 is a remarkable and beautiful work. It represents Picasso’s most important relationships at the time, namely his artistic partnership with the Ramiés and his romance with Jacqueline Roque. It is also notably one of two ceramic works Picasso has ever made of this scale. Picasso takes immense care in depicting this portrait of his greatest muse Jacqueline; its wonderful texture and delicate variations in line weight are testaments to the artist’s innate creative skill. Composed of a simple linear carved design in an earth tone clay plaque...
Category

1960s Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Ceramic

Massimo Listri, Castello Racconigi
By Massimo Listri
Located in New York, NY
CASTELLO RACCONIGI 2007 Chromogenic print Edition of 5 Signed, dated, and numbered on verso label Mounted on aluminum Framing options available 39.5 x 47.5 inches edition of 5 ...
Category

2010s Contemporary The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

C Print

Out Chorus, Jazz Etching by Romare Bearden
By Romare Bearden
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Romare Bearden Title: Out Chorus Year: 1979-80 Medium: Photoetching on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Image Size: 12 x 16 inches Paper Size: 22 x 30 inche...
Category

1980s American Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Photogravure, Etching

The Forest
By Alexander Calder
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A painting by Alexander Calder. "The Forest" is a Post-War abstract painting, gouache and ink on paper in bold colors of reds, blacks, yellows, and blues by artist Alexander Calder. The artwork is signed lower right, "Calder 72...
Category

Mid-20th Century Post-War The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Pichet Poisson, Pablo Picasso, Ceramic, Madoura Vallauris, Fish, Sculpture, 50's
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Geneva, CH
Pichet Poisson, Pablo Picasso, Ceramic, Madoura Vallauris, Fish, Sculpture, 50's Pichet Poisson Ed. 500 pcs 13.5 x 22.5 x 9 cm Red earthenware clay, de...
Category

1950s Post-War The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Ceramic, Earthenware

Edmund from Men in the Cities
By Robert Longo
Located in Miami, FL
Hand signed in pencil and dated '85 lower right corner with edition number in lower left corner. Published by Brooke Alexander Editions, New York. This is AP 2/10 and the edition is 38.
Category

1980s Contemporary The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Lithograph

Santa Maria al Bagno diptych - large scale Mediterranean beach scene (framed)
By Massimo Vitali
Located in San Francisco, CA
large format photography diptych by Italian photographer Massimo Vitali, renowned for his grand scale topographical observations of the rites and ritua...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Plexiglass, Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Wood, Archival Paper

Slim Aarons 'Poolside Pairs' (Aarons Estate Edition)
By Slim Aarons
Located in New York, NY
Slim Aarons Poolside Pairs 1970 C Print Estate stamped and numbered edition of 150 January 1970: The Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs, California...
Category

1970s Modern The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Lambda

Bust of Pope Innocent XI Odescalchi by Domenico Guidi
Located in New Orleans, LA
This monumental bust is a museum-quality example of Roman Baroque sculpture. Crafted by the legendary Domenico Guidi and carved from Carrara marble, the impressive portrait captures the visage of Pope Innocent XI, Benedetto Odescalchi (1611-1689). It presents a larger-than-life example of Guidi’s remarkable skill as a sculptor, which ultimately made his workshop one of the most important in Rome during his age. Today, his works are rarely found on the market, particularly his extraordinary works in marble. Pope Innocent XI was born Benedetto Odescalchi into an Italian noble family of prominent bankers. Spending his early years in banking, he eventually turned to the law, earning his doctorate in 1639. His background would serve him well in his service to the papacy, and he became known as a frugal and devout member of the Church. In 1676, he was unanimously elected Pop after the death of Clement X. During his nearly 13-year reign, he instilled his own personal ideals of austerity and frugality onto the Church, with a deep commitment to reform and piety. He is captured here by Guidi in his traditional Pope’s mozzetta and camauro cap. A wide stole is draped over his shoulders, ornamented by acanthus leaves and the coat of arms of the Odescalchi family. It displays Guidi’s mastery over the chiaroscuro effect, particularly in the high level of contrast in his cheeks and his eyes, which Guidi achieved through various methods of high polish. A very similar portrait sculpture of Pope Innocent XI by Guidi can be found in the collection of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Warsaw bust belongs to a series of portraits of popes which the Odescalchi family commissioned from Domenico Guidi in the 1690s. Compared to that example, the present bust is far more dramatic, with deeper cut lines and a more precise expression. It is likely that the present piece was seen by the Odescalchi family, who ordered a similar one to be made. The piece was almost certainly intended to be displayed in a niche, given its dramatic cutting and its roughly carved back. Others of Guidi’s busts can be found in important collections throughout Italy, England and the United States, though many of these are lesser bronze repetitions. A bronze bust of the Pope Alexander VIII by Guidi is currently in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), while a terracotta version of the same is in the Los Angeles County Museum. A bronze of Pope Alexander VIII can be found in the Princely Collection of Lichtenstein, and his impressive marble papal bust of Clement IX graces the pope’s tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore. The present bust of Pope...
Category

17th Century Baroque The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Marble

Pichet Gothique aux feuilles, Picasso, Pitcher, Ceramic, Design, Deco, Leaves
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Geneva, CH
Pichet Gothique aux feuilles, Picasso, Pitcher, Ceramic, Design, Deco, Leaves Pichet Gothique aux feuilles Ed. 76/100 pcs 1952 White earthenware with cut engobed decoration in blue,...
Category

1950s Post-War The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Earthenware

REFLECTIONS ON SODA FOUNTAIN
By Roy Lichtenstein
Located in Aventura, FL
Hand signed, numbered and dated in pencil. Screenprint in colors, on Rives BFK. (C. 257; G. 1498). Co-published by the artist and Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, with their blindstamps a...
Category

1990s Pop Art The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Paper, Screen

Petit masque central, Pablo Picasso, 1960's, Unique, Design, Plate, Theater
By Pablo Picasso
Located in Geneva, CH
Petit masque central, Pablo Picasso, 1960's, Unique, Design, Plate, Theater Petit masque central Unique work 16.5.63 Painted and partially glazed ceramic D. 25.4 cm / 9.8 in. D. 33 ...
Category

1960s Post-War The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Ceramic, Earthenware

Joan Miro, "Le Pitre Rose", etching, aquatint, hand signed
By Joan Miró
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Joan Miró "Le Pitre Rose", 1974 Original etching and aquatint From the edition of 50 on arches paper, hand signed and numbered 9/50. Sheet measures: 55 x...
Category

1970s Abstract The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

C19th Portrait Princesse de Joinville of Brazil - Spectacular fit for a palace
By Henri d'Ainecy Montpezat
Located in London, GB
Portrait of Princess de Joinville riding a Bay Horse Henri d’Aincy, Le Comte Monpezat (French 1817-1859) Painted circa 1837-9 oil on canvas 113 x 92 inches (including frame) 92 x 70 inches (unframed) Provenance – from a private royal collection This magnificent portrait depicts Princess de Joinville, the daughter of Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil and the King of Portugal. Through her illustrious family she was directly related Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia and the Russian royal family, as well as to many of the great ruling families of Europe. The work clearly confirms Monpezat as one of the most accomplished equestrian portrait painters in France in the early nineteenth century. In terms of scale, quality and dramatic power, it must surely be considered amongst his finest works. The stance of the powerful thoroughbred - in half rear - emphasises the calm nature and courage of the Princess. Francisca of Brazil (1824-98) married a son of Louis Philippe I, the King of the French, and had three children. Born at the Imperial Palace of Saint Christopher, her youngest brother was the future Pedro II...
Category

1830s Old Masters The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Oil

Red Petals, Blue Moon
By Alexander Calder
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A painting by Alexander Calder. "Red and Black Spiral" is a Post-War abstract painting, gouache and ink on paper in bold colors of reds, blacks and blues by artist Alexander Calder. The artwork is signed lower right, "Calder 72...
Category

Mid-20th Century Post-War The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Grey Red
By Sean Scully
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Grey Red" is an oil painting on aluminum by Sean Scully. It is signed verso, " Gray Red, Sean Scully 1 12". The frame of reference for Irish American Sean Scully’s signature blocks and stripes is vast. From Malevich’s central premise that geometry can provide the means for universal understanding to Rothko’s impassioned approach to color and rendering of the dramatic sublime, Scully learned how to condense the splendor of the natural world into simple modes of color, light, and composition. Born in Dublin in 1945 and London-raised, Scully was well-schooled in figurative drawing when he decided to catch the spirit of his lodestar, Henri Matisse, by visiting Morocco in 1969. He was captivated by the dazzling tessellated mosaics and richly dyed fabrics and began to paint grids and stipes of color. Subsequent adventures provided further inspiration as the play of intense light on the reflective surfaces of Mayan ruins and the ancient slabs of stone at Stonehenge brought the sensation of light, space, and geometric movement to Scully’s paintings. The ability to trace the impact of Scully’s travels throughout his paintings reaffirms the value of abstract art as a touchstone for real-life experience. Painted in rich, deep hues and layered, nuanced surfaces, Grey Red is both poetic and full of muscular formalism. Scully appropriately refers to these elemental forms as ‘bricks,’ suggesting the formal calculations of an architect. As he explained, “these relationships that I see in the street doorways, in windows between buildings, and in the traces of structures that were once full of life, I take for my work. I use these colors and forms and put them together in a way that perhaps reminds you of something, though you’re not sure of that” (David Carrier, Sean Scully, 2004, pg. 98). His approach is organic, less formulaic; intuitive painter’s choices are layering one color upon another so that contrasting hues and colors vibrate with subliminal energy. Diebenkorn comes to mind in his pursuit of radiant light. But here, the radiant bands of terracotta red, gray, taupe, and black of Grey Red resonate with deep, smoldering energy and evoke far more affecting passion than you would think it could impart. As his good friend, Bono wrote, “Sean approaches the canvas like a kickboxer, a plasterer, a builder. The quality of painting screams of a life being lived.” Provenance: Timothy Taylor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Lady Caroline Price
By George Romney
Located in Miami, FL
DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the best Romney in private hands. If Vogue Magazine existed in the late 18th century, this image of Lady Caroline Price would be ...
Category

1970s Old Masters The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jeune femme à l’éventail (Young Girl with a Fan)
By James Tissot
Located in New Orleans, LA
Conjuring the brilliance of late 18th-century costume with infusions of 19th-century modernity, James Jacques Joseph Tissot’s Jeune femme à l’éventail illustrates the remarkable technique for which he was renowned. His delicate portraiture, combined with his fascination with conveying texture, demonstrates why he was one of the most revered artists of the Belle Époque. Grouped with Tissot’s “keepsake pictures” of beautiful women in fashionable dress, this work is noteworthy not only for the fresh face of its sitter but also for the appearance of some of Tissot’s most beloved props. The delicate fan and paisley cashmere shawl, a favorite prop of Tissot’s artistic idol Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, made frequent appearances in his paintings, as did the exquisite dress the sitter wears. Its identifiable styling can be seen in several of Tissot’s most notable works of the period, including La chéminée and Un déjeuner à la riviere. The playful feel of this painting is grounded by Tissot’s exceptional attention to detail. A master of conjuring an array of textures, Tissot showcased this ability in this composition by juxtaposing many types of fabrics and patterns within one costume. This intricacy, which he carried even to his depiction of the woman’s manicure and jewelry, set him on par with the best artists of his day and contributed to his commercial success. Born in 1836 in the port town of Nantes, Tissot traveled to Paris at the age of 20 in order to join the studios of Hippolyte Flandrin...
Category

19th Century Realist The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Panel, Oil

At the Mirror
By Frederick Carl Frieseke
Located in New Orleans, LA
the most important American Impressionists of his age. While many of his contemporaries focused on the landscape, Frieseke gained his inspiration from the figural, and in particular the theme of femininity. His works capture female figures engaging in traditionally feminine roles — strolling in the garden or posed in a domestic interior. At the Mirror...
Category

Early 20th Century Impressionist The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Bather by Childe Hassam
By Childe Hassam
Located in New Orleans, LA
Childe Hassam 1859-1935 American The Bather Signed and dated “Childe Hassam” (lower right) Oil on canvas Considered by many to be America’s foremost Impressionist painter, Childe Hassam composed his tranquil and intimate oil on canvas The Bather in the early years of the 20th century. The creation of the artwork aligns with a period of Hassam’s career where the artist’s palette was transforming, matching ever closer with the pale and pastel hues of French Impressionists like Claude Monet. Even the subject — a nude woman — represents a greater alignment with the Impressionist project, as artists of the movement and their non-mythological and non-biblical nudes still generated cries of indecency. With Hassam’s signature brushwork and attention to color, The Bather serves as a dream-like vision, serene and sensuous, of a young woman bathing in a lush forest. While the artist's skill for landscape painting is on display, it is Hassam's command of form, light and color that brings this canvas to life. He creates a captivating composition, placing the nude subject in the bottom left of the canvas. The soft, undulating curves of the woman's body in contrapposto and the glow of her fair skin are balanced by the strong verticals and deep earth tones of the tall trees to her right. Hassam delicately frames the nude in the vivid blues of the distant water, building luminous color that further draws the viewer’s eye and results in a somewhat voyeuristic appeal — endowing his nude with both a natural innocence and an intentional sensuality. Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Childe Hassam began his artistic career as a freelance illustrator, working for national publications such as Harper’s Weekly, Scribner’s Monthly, and The Century. His first solo exhibition of watercolors took place in Boston in 1883, and he quickly catapulted onto the international scene, winning a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1889. The year before the present work was created, he received the Webb Prize from the Society of American Artists for another landscape painted at Gloucester. Hassam would receive numerous other awards throughout his career, most notably the Gold Medal for Distinguished Services to Fine Art from the American Dealers Association. A true master, Hassam depicted a way of life characteristic of both American and French society, and his work elucidates a critical chapter in American art history. Today, his work resides in the Oval Office of the White House and in numerous important museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, among others. This painting will be included in Stuart P. Feld's and Kathleen M. Burnside's forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work. Circa 1905 Canvas: 24 1/2“ high x 20 18” wide Frame: 35 7/8“ high x 31 1/4” wide x 3 1/4“ deep Provenance: Private Collection of William Young...
Category

20th Century Impressionist The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Sunset Over the Shawangunks
By Sanford Robinson Gifford
Located in New York, NY
Estate stamp on verso
Category

19th Century Hudson River School The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Oil

Living Mannequin, The Saturday Evening Post cover, March 5, 1932
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed lower right: JC Leyendecker Living Mannequin sold at the U.S. War Bond at the United States Treasury-Saturday E...
Category

1930s The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Easter, Saturday Evening Post Cover April 19, 1930
By Joseph Christian Leyendecker
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Canvas Signature: Signed Lower Right Saturday Evening Post Cover, April 19, 1930
Category

1930s The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Canvas, Oil

BARELY LEGAL SET
By Banksy
Located in Aventura, FL
Banksy's Barely Legal is a set of six screen prints on paper named after the Barely Legal exhibition held in 2006 in a warehouse in Los Angeles. From the unsigned edition and each numbered 59/500 (there are also 17 artist's proofs). Published by Modern Multiples Fine Art Editions, Los Angeles, with Pictures on Walls and the publisher's blindstamp. Pest Control authentication certificates included. The Barely Legal Set includes the following: Grannies (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Sale Ends (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Applause (29.92 x 44.89 inches) Trolleys (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Festival (22.05 x 29.92 inches) Morons (22.05 x 29.92 inches) About the Artist: Banksy (British, born 1974) is a contemporary street artist and activist who, despite his international fame, has maintained an anonymous identity. Aimed as a form of cultural criticism, the artist often targets established social and political agendas with his witty illustrations produced with stencils and spray paint in cities such as New Orleans, New York, and Paris. “The art world is the biggest joke,” he said. “It’s a rest home of the over privileged, the pretentious, and the weak.” Although details of the artist’s life are largely unknown, it is thought that Banksy was born in Bristol, United Kingdom, c. 1974, starting his career as a graffiti artist in the city. Better Out Than In, Banksy’s month-long residency in New York during October 2013, featured a man hawking the artist’s paintings for $60 a piece outside Central Park. In 2015, Banksy opened Dismaland Bemusement Park, a temporary art exhibition that functioned as a theme park. After a 36-day run, its workers and materials were sent to the Calais migrant camp in France to build additional housing. Among the artist's most famous stunts include his shredded painting: When a painting by Banksy was sold at auction for $1.4 million in 2018, a mechanism was triggered to cause the artwork to partially destroy itself, resulting in a new piece titled Love in the Bin (2018). The ongoing question as to who Banksy is continued to reach the headlines when in 2017 Robert Del Naja...
Category

Early 2000s Street Art The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Paper, Screen

Untitled (Iron Forest)
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis (1923-1994) Untitled (Iron Forest) 1989 Acrylic on prepared paper 91.4 x 182.9 cms (36 x 72 ins) SF012
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist The Most Beautiful Things

Materials

Acrylic

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