Sotheby’s Spotlight: George Wachter on Icon and Celebrity from The One

New York | 27 January

Certain individuals throughout history have managed to forge a legacy that resides within the collective consciousness of mankind. We remember these individuals not always for the flawed humans they may have been, but for their status as almost deified icons. In the Renaissance, these individuals often achieved this status by virtue of belonging to the noble class, like Archduke Ernest of Austria, likely depicted on this beautiful emerald cameo. Obsession with Royal celebrity continues into the present day, perhaps embodied best with the late Princess Diana. In America, where royalty was never part of the foundational fabric, icons and celebrities tend to hail from the world of politics, entertainment and sports. All three are represented here, the first two with a ticket to the 1962 birthday party of then President John F. Kennedy, where he was famously serenaded by Marilyn Monroe. Finally, a jersey worn by basketball legend Kobe Bryant, whose very name has become synonymous with athletic excellence.

The One Sale will take place on 27 January at Sotheby’s New York.

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