Jean Dubuffet

Sotheby’s is delighted to present a selection of five works from the Estate of Irene Kreitman, a lifelong lover and collector of art and important donator to the Tate Gallery.

Born in the United Kingdom in 1926, Irene Kreitman was the elder daughter of Sir John Cohen, the founder of the Tesco supermarket chain. Together with her late husband Hyman, she set up the Kreitman Foundation and devoted her life to the patronage of arts and culture, giving generous gifts to London’s music halls and theatres, as well as endowing numerous university fellowships. However, having trained and practised as a volunteer guide at the Tate Gallery for more than 25 years, her focus was on the visual arts and the Tate held a special place in her affections. Many gifts were made to enable purchases, such as the acquisition of Sir Anthony Caro’s Night Movements in 1994 and the opening of the Hyman Kreitman Research Centre at Tate Britain which allowed the Tate Library and Archive to be made more fully available to readers and researchers.

 Through her experiences at the Tate Gallery, Irene Kreitman developed a keen eye for contemporary art and became the driving force behind her and her husband’s collection. In the course of their lives, the Kreitmans assembled works by the most influential contemporary painters and sculptors of the day. The following five lots, including a serene abstract painting by Morris Louis from his late Stripes series, and two playful and ironic works by the French artists Jean Dubuffet and Niki de Saint Phalle, reflect the breadth of Irene Kreitman’s eclectic taste and her acute sense for artistic excellence.

A further group of works from the collection will be offered in the 20th British Art auction on 24th October 2005.