C oinciding with the re-opening of the National Portrait Gallery in London on 22 June, and forming part of their Portrait Mode programme, this summer Sotheby’s will host a celebration of portraiture with a season of exhibitions and events, complementing the traditional marquee auctions of fine art. A genre revered within the grand arc of the Western art historical canon, portraiture has been integral to the way artists tell stories about people, history and culture across the ages.
Face to Face, our debut evening auction dedicated to the artform of portraiture, will offer a tightly curated selection of masterpieces exploring the connections between artist and subjects.
Standing alongside the evening auction, Portraits from Chatsworth – A Loan Exhibition will be on extended view from 30 May to 4 July.
Made possible through generous loans from the Devonshire Collection, this exhibition of seven portraits through the ages, spanning Dutch, British and Italian masters through to a twentieth-century giant, Lucian Freud, reflects the Devonshire family’s passion for collecting and commissioning art and portraiture over five centuries. As well as their dedication to sharing this collection as widely as possible through the work of the Chatsworth House Trust. Displayed in galleries that will feature imagery of the exquisite interiors of Chatsworth House, the exhibition brings to London some of Chatsworth’s treasures and in turn offers a window into this world-renowned and historic collection.
Portraits from Chatsworth – A Loan Exhibition
The London Sales
The London Sales: Exhibitions
9–11 June, Zurich
9–11 June, New York
30 May–13 June, London, Curated & Loaned Exhibition
20–27 June, London, The London Sales
Masters Week
Masters Week: Exhibitions
31 May–13 June, London, Curated & Loaned Exhibition
30 June–5 July, Masters Week London
Sotheby's Talks: Celebrating Portraiture
Beyond the unique opportunity to view seven magnificent artworks from Chatsworth House, generously loaned from the Devonshire Collection, we are partnering with Intelligence Squared to deliver a programme of cultural and historical talks surrounding the portrait genre, with contemporary artists, creatives and art historians.
‘Modern Goddesses’ at The Story Cafe
This Summer, Sotheby’s Story Cafe will exhibit Tatler’s portraits of today’s society swans photographed by Luc Braquet in Madame Yevonde’s dreamy style for their July issue, paying homage to the pioneering London photographer who spearheaded the use of colour photography in the 1930s. Yevonde: Life and Colour, sponsored by The CHANEL Culture Fund, will be a highlight of the re-opening programme at the National Portrait Gallery from 22 June until 15 October.
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