An American Dynasty: The Clark Family Treasures Christie's New York 2014
$350
[300] pp.
w/ 1001 lots
Christie's New York
2014
10 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Held on June 18, 2014, at Christie’s New York, An American Dynasty: The Clark Family Treasures was a landmark auction featuring over 400 items from the estate of the reclusive heiress Huguette M. Clark. The auction realized a total of $8,463,938, showcasing fine art, Gilded Age furnishings, rare books, and musical instruments.
The sale featured notable historical pieces and set three world auction records. Highlights included:
Top Lot: John Singer Sargent's Girl Fishing, which anchored the sale and drove immense international bidding.
The "Kreutzer" Stradivari Violin: Recovered from a closet in the Clark family's Fifth Avenue apartment, this legendary 1731 instrument was among the most prized musical artifacts.
Huguette's Personal Works: The auction uniquely offered never-before-seen paintings created by Huguette Clark herself.
World Records: The sale set world auction records for works by Walt Whitman, Lionel Walden, and Felix Lorioux.
This single-owner sale capped off an extraordinary series of sales from her estate, which cumulatively brought her Gilded Age collection to the global market.