A bronze sculpture of a nude woman by Auguste Rodin is among pieces going up for sale and could fetch up to £1.5 million.
The piece, Eve au Rocher, will feature as part of a series of six specialist sales at Christie’s which will also include a number of paintings, sculptures and illuminations.
It is among the artwork from the Hon Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay’s private collection that will go up for auction between June and October.
The series of sales will start on June 30 with Classic Week where a number of Old Master paintings go up for sale including Mehmed II and the Patriarch Gennadius outside the Walls of Constantinople by Girolamo da Santacroce which is estimated to sell for between £100,000 and £150,000.
Melchior d’Hondecoeter’s A peacock on a branch with a squirrel in a tree, monkeys, a parrot, a pigeon and fruit on a marble ledge, and a hawk, a dove and a swallow flying will go under the hammer with a sales estimate of between £200,000-300,000.
Four more pieces from the collection will be offered in the autumn including the sculpture Cheval au Trot by Edgar Degas which has been estimated for £150,000 to £250,000 pounds.
Christie’s UK chairman, Orlando Rock, described the couple as “towering figures” in the auction house’s recent history with Patrick Lindsay directing the pictures department, until his death in 1986, while Lady Amabel was known for her eye for art, working as an interior decorator.
He said: “A brilliant Old Master paintings expert who led the firm with flamboyance and a hunger for speed – from racing cars to arriving at valuations in an aeroplane – Patrick’s enduring influence on Christie’s and the Old Master paintings market was legendary, and Amabel’s eye for beauty was equally inspired, in many ways pre-empting the ‘country house’ look later adopted by others.
“The most celebrated artworks from their private world, these important paintings, sculptures and illuminations, reflect two remarkable lives, imbued with curiosity, flair, elegance and an unwavering commitment to the arts.”
Patrick was the second son of the 28th Earl of Crawford and married Lady Amabel, the eldest daughter of the 9th Earl of Harwicke, in 1955.
A quote shared on behalf of their children, Laura, Ludovic, James and Valentine Lindsay, said: “Individually and collectively, the works of art coming up at Christie’s represent the best of the best from across our parents’ collection and the house that was home to us all.
“Each picture, sculpture and illumination has a rich history and is an integral part of the visual tapestry of our lives.
“The unique connection and shared history between our family and Christie’s makes it fitting that these highlights will be offered for sale at their headquarters.
“It is now time for these works to bring the same joy and inspiration to others.”
