Château Mouton Rothschild has partnered with the Palace of Versailles to offer 75 Limited Edition Celebration Cases containing five Château Mouton Rothschild vintages with labels by outstanding contemporary artists who have also exhibited at the Palace of Versailles.
© Photo by Deepix Alain Benoit
The first 25 cases will be up for auction at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong on 1 April.
Each lot includes an invitation for two people to the private black-tie Versailles Celebration Gala Dinner for 150 guests at the Palace of Versailles on 21 September 2019, where the legendary Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 will be served.
Wine’s association with art is centuries old, and Château Mouton Rothschild has prided itself on its collaboration with the leading names in contemporary art since 1945. Since 2008, guest artists have featured in the annual personal exhibition organised by the Palace of Versailles. The Château Mouton Rothschild Versailles Celebration Cases pay homage to the five guests of Versailles who have also illustrated vintages of Mouton Rothschild: Giuseppe Penone, Bernar Venet, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons and Lee Ufan.
© PHOTO BY DEEPIX ALAIN BENOIT
“Wine alone could have forged a bond between the Palace of Versailles and Mouton Rothschild,” said Catherine Pégard, President of the Public Establishment of the Palace, Museum and National Estate of Versailles. “It is associated with that French art of living of which the former is a symbol and the latter its emissary in the world. But there, as here, artistic creation has encountered the spirit of place and paid homage.
“For the past ten years, the greatest contemporary artists have engaged in a dialogue with the illustrious builders of Versailles. Before or after stopping off at Versailles some of them – Giuseppe Penone, Bernar Venet, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Lee Ufan – entered the unique museum created by Baron Philippe de Rothschild in 1945 and enhanced by his daughter, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, around the labels of the most prestigious of their wines.
“This presentation case, reminiscent of puzzle boxes holding the most precious or fabulous secrets, bears witness to this shared history and to Mouton Rothschild as a patron of Versailles.”
Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, Chairman and CEO of Baron Philippe de Rothschild, S.A., described each presentation case as a “supremely elegant collector’s item” that would “honour those artists with a receptacle worthy of their creative genius”.
He added: “Everyone is aware of the close link forged since 1945 between Château Mouton Rothschild and the leading names in contemporary art, who each year give us a unique artwork to illustrate the label of our First Growth wine. This precious limited-edition presentation case bears witness to that tradition.
“Château Mouton Rothschild, one of the world’s finest wines with a long and rich tradition, and the Palace of Versailles, a landmark of the world’s cultural heritage, thus team up to proclaim with a single voice their enduring modernity by paying tribute to the art of our time.”
Serena Sutcliffe, MW Honorary Chairman, Sotheby’s Wine, said Sotheby’s was thrilled to partner with Château Mouton Rothschild and the Palace of Versailles.
“The glory of Versailles and the magnificence of Mouton are a symbol of France’s brilliance and talent. The link between art and wine is centuries old, illustrating the strength of creativity and devotion to excellence in both these fields, and it is the moment to celebrate this marriage of the senses. Mouton Rothschild has fostered art, both ancient and modern, throughout generations of the owning family, acquiring treasures for their museum at the Château and commissioning the greatest international artists of our time to design labels for each vintage,” she said.
“We at Sotheby’s are thrilled to be part of this symbiosis, enabling our wine-and-art-collecting friends to participate in this venture – and to attend a truly glittering occasion at Versailles! Mouton at the Palace, philanthropy and pleasure, this is French flair at its best and an extraordinary opportunity to spread Gallic splendour to all corners of the world.”
Besides the glittering private black-tie Versailles Celebration Gala Dinner in September, successful bidders will have the opportunity to schedule a visit and tasting, with a member of the team, at Château Mouton Rothschild. The tasting will feature Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild and Aile d’Argent, as well as the classified growths Château Clerc Milon and Château d’Armailhac.
All the proceeds of this act of patronage will go towards the conservation and enhancement of that great palace, especially the renovation of the royal apartments and certain fountains of the Grand Trianon.
Edited by Lee Ng
