THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST AT CHRISTIE S THIS SPRING

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For Immediate Release April 28, 2011 Contacts: Sophia Chabbott schabbott@christies.

1 For Immediate Release April 28, 2011 Contacts: Sophia Chabbott tel THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST AT CHRISTIE S THIS SPRING POST-WAR & CONTEMPORARY EVENING SALE IN NEW YORK EXPECTED TO EXCEED $230 MILLION MAY 11 AUCTION TO SPOTLIGHT MASTERPIECES BY ROTHKO, BACON, TWOMBLY AND RAUSCHENBERG AND THE TOP LOT OF NEW YORK AUCTION SEASON: ANDY WARHOL S SELF PORTRAIT, 1986 ESTIMATED TO GENERATE UPWARDS OF $40 MILLION Andy Warhol Self-Portrait, 1986 Estimate: $30,000,000-40,000,000 New York Christie s New York Spring 2011 Evening sale of Post-War and Contemporary Art takes place on May 11 and will present 66 magnificent works representing major movements across the category. Significant masterpieces by Post-War masters Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Francis Bacon, Cy Twombly, Richard Diebenkorn and Robert Rauschenberg will be offered alongside highly sought-after works by Contemporary artists such as Urs Fischer, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gerhard Richter, Richard Prince and Cindy Sherman. The auction is expected to realize upwards of $230 million.

Brett Gorvy, Deputy Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, states: An exceptional group of museum-quality works establishes this as a landmark season for Post-War and

The auction is replete with fresh-to-market masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg and we are pleased to have assembled one of our highest quality sales for

Following up on our successful Post-War and Contemporary Sale in February, we are optimistic that the vigor in the market will thrive, with collectors vying for these prime masterworks.

2 Brett Gorvy, Deputy Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, states: An exceptional group of museum-quality works establishes this as a landmark season for Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie s. The auction is replete with fresh-to-market masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon, Mark Rothko and Robert Rauschenberg and we are pleased to have assembled one of our highest quality sales for the May 11th auction. Following up on our successful Post-War and Contemporary Sale in February, we are optimistic that the vigor in the market will thrive, with collectors vying for these prime masterworks. A Season of Discoveries. Christie s has unveiled several works that have been hidden from view in private collections for decades. Untitled No. 17, by Mark Rothko, is a rare discovery and a heralded addition to the great Rothko canon. Francis Bacon s Untitled (Crouching Nude on Rail), 1952, was uncovered in 1998, in a trove of Bacons found in a shuttering art supply store in London s Chelsea district. In a serendipitous event, Roy Lichtenstein s drawing Study for Kiss V, a study for one of Lichtenstein s most famous paintings was acquired for a mere $10 in 1965 at a New York City Happening. The event culminated in a climactic scavenger hunt, with the seminal Lichtenstein bequeathed to the lucky winner. The drawing is estimated to realize more than $1 million. Robert Rauschenberg The Tower, 1957 Estimate: $12,000,000-18,000,000 The Art of the Self-Portrait. Christie s presents an astounding cadre of self-portraits that poignantly touch on one of the greatest themes of art history, including selfexpression re-invention and existentialism. The very first and last self-portraits of Andy Warhol evince the life journey of Warhol as a man and an artist, from the Self-Portrait, , a four-panel piece in symbolizing the birth of cool in four electric shades of blue, to the Self-Portrait, 1986, where the artist dons his signature Fright Wig and hovers in the void with his most penetrating gaze. The work ranks not only as one of the most iconic portrayals of an artist s own image, but its multi-panel format and use of mechanically-produced photographic imagery are also acknowledged as the most radical advancements in portraiture since Cubism. Path-breaking Detroit art collector Florence Barron commissioned this first major self-portrait and, here, we glimpse the enigmatic superstar coolly denying us the look within, behind wayfarer sunglasses, trench coat, unbuttoned shirt and loosened necktie. The demand for Warhol self-portraits of supreme quality is great, as evidenced at Christie s London in February, at which Andy Warhol s Self-Portrait from 1967 sold for 10,793,250 against an estimate of 3 million to 5 million. Mark Rothko Untitled No. 17, 1961 Estimate: $18, ,000,000 Andy Warhol Self-Portrait, Estimate: $20,000,000-30,000,000

Equally significant and brilliant is Francis Bacon s Three Studies for Self- Portrait, 1974, a triptych that follows in the vein of Bacon s heroes, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, in exploring the

Immediately recognizable despite the distortions brought to bear upon his face, the work speaks in simple and universal terms not just of mortality and of the fleetingness of human life, but also the

It is indeed a privilege to encounter such a wealth of exquisite paintings from Abstract Expressionist luminaries such as Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Philip Guston, Hans Hoffman, Willem de

3 Equally significant and brilliant is Francis Bacon s Three Studies for Self- Portrait, 1974, a triptych that follows in the vein of Bacon s heroes, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, in exploring the deterioration of life. Immediately recognizable despite the distortions brought to bear upon his face, the work speaks in simple and universal terms not just of mortality and of the fleetingness of human life, but also the unique and beautiful miracle of the fact of its existence at all. Francis Bacon Three Studies for Self-Portrait, 1974 Estimate on Request Abstract Expressionism. It is indeed a privilege to encounter such a wealth of exquisite paintings from Abstract Expressionist luminaries such as Richard Diebenkorn, Sam Francis, Philip Guston, Hans Hoffman, Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, Mark Rothko and Cy Twombly in one sale. The works from these artists not only represent the finest execution of color and technique, but they are prime examples from the artists most fruitful periods of painting. Each work s expressive brush strokes and energetic marks formulate a lexicon unique to each painter. They convey the vitality that results in one of the most emotional and expressive sets of visual language ever created. Cutting-Edge Contemporary Works. Urs Fischer, Chris Ofili, Mark Bradford and Cindy Sherman are just some of the provocative contemporary artists included in this sale. Fischer s Untitled (Lamp/Bear), , inspired by the artist s childhood memories combined with a deadpan depiction of quotidian objects is regarded as the most important and exciting example of monumental contemporary sculpture to come to the auction market. Cindy Sherman s Untitled, 1981 is one of the most important examples of her oeuvre which will come under renewed attention in a major retrospective of her work, the first in over a decade, at New York s Museum of Modern Art in Originally commissioned as part of a project for Artforum magazine in 1981, the scale of the work and the boldness of Sherman s tight compositional framing exude a sense of shock and confrontation; the figure at the center of the work, however, is also curiously vulnerable. In its exploration of identity it is a work of ambiguity and shocking power. Philip Guston Painter s City, Estimate: $4,500,000-6,500,000 Sam Francis Reefs, 1955 Estimate: $1,800,000-2,500,000

Richard Diebenkorn Ocean Park #121, 1980 Estimate: $7,000,000-9,000,000 Urs Fischer Untitled (Lamp/Bear) 2005-2006 Estimate

$1,500,000-2,000,000 The complete e-catalogue for the Evening Sale is now available online at http://www.christies.

id=1155067b01aee91d852577e5005cbec7 Auction: Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale May 11 at 7:00 pm Viewings: Christie s

auction and private sales in 2009 that totaled 2.1 billion/$3.3 billion. For the first half of 2010, art sales totaled 1.

4 Richard Diebenkorn Ocean Park #121, 1980 Estimate: $7,000,000-9,000,000 Urs Fischer Untitled (Lamp/Bear) Estimate Upon Request Cy Twombly Untitled, 1967 Estimate: $10,000,000-15,000,000 Cindy Sherman Untitled (#96), 1981 Estimate: $1,500,000-2,000,000 The complete e-catalogue for the Evening Sale is now available online at Auction: Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale May 11 at 7:00 pm Viewings: Christie s Rockefeller Center Galleries May 7-May 11, 2011 About Christie s Christie s, the world's leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2009 that totaled 2.1 billion/$3.3 billion. For the first half of 2010, art sales totaled 1.7 billion/$2.57 billion. Christie s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th

5 centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie s offers over 450 sales annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie s has 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. *Estimates do not include buyer's premium # # # Images available on request Visit Christie s Website at Complete catalogue available online at or via the Christie s iphone app

For Immediate Release September 22, 2009 Contact: Milena Sales Tel

For Immediate Release September 22, 2009 Contact: Milena Sales Tel +1 212 636 2680 msales@christies.com CHRISTIE S TO OFFER PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOHN CAGE AND MERCE CUNNINGHAM SOLD TO BENEFIT