Now

1000 Ways of Seeing:
The Private Collection of the late Stanley J. Seeger

RESULTS

The sale of the extraordinary collection of the late Stanley J. Seeger concluded with an outstanding total of £7,348,009, well above pre-sale expectations. Over the course of two full days, over 2,000 collectors, dealers and art institutions from across the globe participated in a sale which reflected the engaging intelligence, wry sense of humour and sheer joie de vivre of one of the greatest collectors of our time. Over 600 collectors raised their hands in the room, while others participated remotely, with almost 1,600 bids executed over the telephone and a quarter of participants choosing to bid online. Together, they drove the percentage of lots sold to almost 95%.

Many of the works in the collection had irresistible stories to tell, making them even more desirable to collectors in search of beautiful objects that at the same time had brushed with history. Among such pieces were Orson Welles’ own working copy of the script of Citizen Kane, 'Al Capone’s' cocktail shaker, Nelson’s Teapot, a Claret Jug from the Titanic and Sir Winston Churchill’s Armchair.

OVERVIEW

Fossilised dinosaur eggs, Winston Churchill's armchair, Orson Welles' working draft for Citizen Kane, 'Al Capone's' Cocktail Shaker, an 800-year-old stained glass window from Canterbury cathedral - welcome to the extraordinary world of Stanley J. Seeger, one of the great collectors of our time.

This spring, Sotheby's presents 1000 Ways of Seeing: The Private Collection of Stanley J. Seeger. Consisting of 1000 lots curated into 12 thematic chapters, the sale spans 250 million years of history, representing over 50 countries and 25 collecting categories. One of the most ambitious and wondrous sales Sotheby's has had the opportunity to present, it features an exceptional breadth of artists, makers and designers across the fields of fine and decorative art, including Pablo Picasso, Diego Giacometti, Gustave Courbet, Leon Bakst, Peter Lanyon, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Paul de Lamerie, Tiffany and Baccarat, to name but a few.

Whimsical, humorous and historically resonant, the sale is a celebration of human ingenuity and imagination, and of the remarkable vision and mind behind it.

"Seeger is like a magician who allows us glimpses into a secret world, and this magic touches all the pieces he has collected." - Michael Raeburn

Please note that for this sale we will only be able to offer telephone bidding for Lots with a low estimate of £3000 and above.  

As an alternative, please submit absentee bids or register for on-line bidding – (BIDnow).

For further enquiries please contact the London Bids Office on +44 (0)207 293 5283.