Works From the Collection of Harry Frank Guggenheim To Be Offered at Sotheby’s New York

One of The Most Significant Ceramics by Paul Gauguin Offered at Auction,

La Femme noire
(Est. $700,000- $1m)

“Harry Frank Guggenheim exhibited an extraordinary drive for innovation, with contributions that profoundly influenced the very fabric of American life. These works, which will be coming to the market for the first time in nearly 70 years, serve as a testament to his bold vision, offering rare insight into the personal tastes of a man who was so critical in shaping modern art as we understand it today. They present a unique opportunity for collectors to continue in that esteemed legacy.”

FERGUS DUFF, SOTHEBY’S SENIOR DIRECTOR AND INTERNATIONAL SPECIALIST

“A visionary leader and thinker who propelled the Guggenheim family into a new era, Harry Frank Guggenheim dedicated his life to innovative artistic, scientific, and philanthropic endeavors of great impact, driven by a belief that wealth should be used to advance the betterment of humanity. The proceeds of these works will support The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation’s mission to understand and control urgent problems of violence through research and other forms of knowledge creation that shape scholarship, inform policy, and drive meaningful change.”

PETER LAWSON-JOHNSTON II, CHAIR, THE HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION

NEW YORK, 3 OCTOBER 2024 – This November, Sotheby’s will present three remarkable works at auction from the esteemed collection of Harry Frank Guggenheim, the distinguished American businessman, philanthropist, and diplomat instrumental in founding the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Offered during Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction in New York will be Franz Marc’s Das Lange Gelbe Pferd (Est. $8–12 million), a striking example of Marc’s most iconic subject, completed on the eve of World War I; Alberto Giacometti’s Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego), (Est. $10–15 million), a bust of Diego Giacometti acquired by Guggenheim soon after it was cast and lent to the artist’s first-ever museum exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in 1955; and Paul Gauguin’s La Femme noire (Est. $700,000–$1 million), a key ceramic work  showcasing the artist’s signature blend of earthy materials and bold, primal forms. It is one of the most important ceramics by the artist to ever appear at auction.

Acquired by Harry Guggenheim nearly 70 years ago, these works reflect the pioneering taste of a true Renaissance man whose legacy spans art, philanthropy, sport, and beyond. Not only do the works showcase Harry’s discerning eye, but they also offer a rare glimpse into one of America’s most important collecting dynasties, illuminating the particular visionary tastes of the man who propelled the Guggenheim family into a new era, where they led the way as global innovators of the visual arts.

Throughout his life, Harry devoted himself to philanthropy of great impact and innovative scientific ventures, driven by a belief that wealth should be used to advance the progress of humanity. In keeping with his lasting legacy, proceeds of the sale will benefit The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, which was founded in 1929 and advances groundbreaking research into the problems of violence, such as war, crime and human aggression, through vigorous scholarly inquiry.

“I believe there is a responsibility to use inherited wealth for the progress of man and not for mere self-gratification which I am sure does not lead to a happy life.”

HARRY F. GUGGENHEIM

Image Credit: Bettmann / Contributor

WORKS COMING TO AUCTION THIS NOVEMBER

Franz Marc

Das Lange Gelbe Pferd

1913

Estimate: $8,000,000 – $12,000,000

Franz Marc’s Das Lange Gelbe Pferd (The Long Yellow Horse) from 1913 presents a vivid interpretation of one of the artist’s most renowned subjects. Created on the eve of World War I, the painting captures Marc’s transition from German Romanticism and is one of his final works to depict his most famed subject, that of the horse, before he fully embraced abstraction.

The artist’s fascination with horses was deeply rooted in the work of Théodore Géricault, who often depicted horses alongside heroic cavalry officers, symbolizing courage and French nationalism. While Géricault’s horses were typically shown in domesticated contexts, reflecting the Romantic ideal, in works like Das Lange Gelbe Pferd Marc omits riders and focuses on the horse’s intrinsic energy and spirituality, reflecting his belief in the superiority of animal over human essence. For Marc, these depictions were less about accurately portraying the animal and more about capturing its core spirit. He aimed to depict animals “from the inside,” believing they embodied a divine purity lost to humankind. As he reflected in 1915, “People with their lack of piety, especially men, never touched my true feelings. But animals, with their virginal sense of life, awakened all that was good in me.”

Marc’s masterful use of vivid color also carries symbolic weight; “Blue is the male principle, astringent and spiritual. Yellow is the female principle, gentle, gay, and spiritual. Red is matter, brutal and heavy, and always to be opposed by the other two.” The bold palette here reflects Marc’s belief in the emotional resonance of color— the luminous paint and rich brushwork evoke a spiritual warmth, strength, and vitality suggesting hope amidst impending turmoil, as the world stood on the edge of war.

Alberto Giacometti

Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego)

Conceived in 1953 and cast by 1954

Est. $10,000,000 – $15,000,000

In 1914, Alberto Giacometti first utilized his brother Diego as a model; Diego would go on to become one of the great sculptor’s most significant subjects. By the 1950s, Diego had inspired numerous sculptures that bore a striking resemblance to both Alberto and Diego, lending these works a semi-autobiographical quality.

The sculptures featuring “knife-blade” heads, denoted by the thinness and frontal verticality of the face, are the most significant works ever created by Giacometti. As in his Grand tête mince, these iconic features are intensely encapsulated in the present work.

Alberto Giacometti moved to Paris in 1920, where Diego became his trusted assistant, helping with essential aspects of his work. Over time, Alberto shifted from elongated post-war figures to more naturalistic sculptures, often working from memory. Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego) exemplifies this shift, with its rough, expressive surfaces capturing both the artist’s hand and the complexity of human presence. Giacometti’s work continues to challenge viewers’ perception, blurring the line between material and form, distance and intimacy.

Soon after its conception and casting, Harry acquired Giacometti’s Buste (Tête tranchante) (Diego) and lent it to an exhibition devoted to the artist’s work at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1955 – Giacometti’s first-ever museum exhibition, and also the Guggenheim’s first major exhibition dedicated to sculpture. It was a landmark moment for the artist’s lasting reputation in North America.

Paul Gauguin

La Femme noire

1889

Est. $700,000 – $1,000,000

Executed before the artist’s visit to Tahiti and after his tumultuous visit to Vincent van Gogh in Arles, this ceramic marks a turning point for Paul Gauguin. Gauguin visited the island of Martinique in late 1886 and by 1889, upon his return to Brittany, he created La Femme noire, a rare work in glazed stoneware that showcases the artist’s signature blending of cultural motifs from western and pre-colonial iconographies.

The sculpture features a Martiniquais woman with a male head on her lap, blending references to Venus with allusions to biblical narratives, particularly the beheading of John the Baptist, as well as Gauguin’s own experience witnessing the beheading of notorious murderer Prado in Paris in late 1888.

 This work marks a significant shift from Gauguin’s earlier Judeo-Christian themes, instead utilizing a new, more personal symbolism whose complex motifs explore themes of death, regeneration, and spirituality. The sculpture features a Martiniquais woman with a male head on her lap, blending references to Venus with allusions to biblical narratives, particularly the beheading of John the Baptist, as well as Gauguin’s own experience witnessing the beheading of notorious murderer Prado in Paris in late 1888. This work marks a significant shift from Gauguin’s earlier Judeo-Christian themes, instead utilizing a new, more personal symbolism whose complex motifs explore themes of death, regeneration, and spirituality. Gauguin’s approach to ceramics is believed to have been inspired by French ceramicist Ernest Chaplet, who encouraged him to try the medium. He was also reacting to a revival in artisanal craft, which drove a generation to turn away from the mass-production of the French Industrial Revolution and focus on the importance of hand-facture in art and design. Coming to public sale for the first time, La Femme noire by Paul Gauguin is widely recognized as one of the most important surviving sculptures produced by the artist.

THE HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION

A force of nature in both the public and private spheres, Harry Frank Guggenheim embodied a unique blend of ambition, intellect, and leadership which enabled him to traverse a wide array of fields, including diplomacy, military service, business, and philanthropy. Serving as a naval aviator in both world wars, and later as the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba from 1933 to 1934, he famously earned the trust and counsel of five U.S. presidents.

Harry was also an avid contributor to the world of sport—competing in the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in 1913—before turning his attention to horse racing as a successful owner and breeder, winning the Kentucky Derby in 1953. Most notably, his passion for aviation led to a pivotal role advancing early flight technology and research.  As president of the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, he sponsored much of Dr. Robert H. Goddard’s pioneering development of modern rocket and jet propulsion. As president of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics, Harry also supported initiatives that nurtured a nascent commercial aviation sector, advanced the science and availability of meteorology, and founded schools of aeronautical engineering throughout the United States.

Harry’s contribution to the establishment of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York is difficult to overstate. As chairman of the board of trustees of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation after Solomon’s death in 1949, he championed the controversial choice of Frank Lloyd Wright as the Museum’s architect and played the role of mediator between Wright and director James Sweeney.  He helped drive important acquisitions for the Museum’s collection, worked with leadership to build a programming strategy, and conceived of a global awards competition, ‘Guggenheim International’, for groundbreaking artists, connecting the New York art world to artists abroad. First won by Ben Nicholson in 1956, two years later the honor was awarded to Joan Miró.

Founded in 1929, The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation supports rigorous research and scholarship on human violence, inspired by Harry Guggenheim’s firsthand experiences with the brutality of war and revolution. The Foundation seeks to deepen understanding of the causes, manifestations, and effects of human violence, with the ultimate goal of reducing its impact on individuals and societies.  The Foundation awards competitive grants and fellowships, conducts and commissions original research, publishes reports, and hosts conferences, research seminars, and public conversations on topics of violence, often in collaboration with peers in academia, philanthropy, and civil society to contribute to a safer, better-informed world.