Rare Arshile Gorky Paintings to Be Sold at Paris Auction

Rare Arshile Gorky Paintings to Be Sold at Paris Auction

Dickran Kouymjian

(International Press Service, Paris) A major three-day auction sale
by François Tajan will take place in Paris next week on three
successive days, October 5, 6, 7. On sale will be a part of the
massive private collection of the New York art dealer Julien Levy, in
whose gallery Arshile Gorky had a number of shows in the 1940s.
Among the more than 800 paintings and drawings to be placed on the
block are four paintings and eleven drawings by Gorky, a few of which
are barely known to the public. Among the scores of artists who
works are in the sale – Hans Arp, Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec, Marcel
Duchamp, Max Ernest, Fini, Lichtenstein, Magritte, Man Ray, Matta,
Naguchi, Tanguy, the highest estimated price for any single item in
the sale is a the painting by Gorky entitled Pirate 1 of 1942, with a
suggested price of 1,300.000. 1,600,000 euros or close to two million
dollars. Pirate II of 1943 is estimated at 1,100,000-1,300,000
euros. Several drawings are priced at 5,000 to 8,000 euros or
$6-9,000.

Tajan is among the most famous of Paris auctioneers his own auction
house, like Sothebys and Christies, rather than using the famous
Parisian establishment, the Hotel Drouot. Articles in the French
press on this major sale of the fall season have featured the Gorky
paintings, emphasizing the rarity of Gorky works on the art market.

The expert who organized the sale and prepared the massive 515 page
large format catalogue, “Hommage à Julien Levy,” is Marcel Fliess and
son David. A couple of years ago Fliess also had an exhibit and sale
in his own Galerie 1900-2000 in Paris of Gorky works from the
collection of the famous surrealist and friend of Gorky, André Breton.

The auction will take place at the Espace Tajan, 37 rue des
Mathurins, 75008 Paris. In formation is available by phone (33) 1 53
30 30 30, fax (33) 1 53 30 30 31 or on the website