Rare Books & Fine Art From the Estate of Huguette Clark to be Offered at Christie’s
Christie’s is honored to confirm it has been entrusted with the sale of property from the Clark Family Collection. In the spring of 2012, Christie’s International successfully sold jewelry and real estate from the Estate of Huguette M. Clark on behalf of the Honorable Ethel J. Griffin, New York County’s Public Administrator, by the authority of the Surrogate’s Court of the State of New York, County of New York. This next series of sales, to be held in the spring of 2014, will feature fine art, musical instruments, Gilded Age furnishings, decorative arts and rare books owned by the Clark family, including a number of items first acquired by Senator William A. Clark, who established the family’s fortune in the late 1800s. These never-before-seen family treasures will open a new chapter in the story of the Clarks, who stand among the cornerstone dynasties of the Industrial Age in America.
All further details about the contents of the sales and will be announced in late January.
“Despite their prominence among the wealthiest families in our nation’s history, the story of the Clark Family remains something of a mystery for most Americans, especially in comparison to their contemporaries—the Rockefellers, the Carnegies and the Vanderbilts. This spring, we are honored to tell the story of the Clark Family through the incredible personal treasures they left behind,” noted Doug Woodham, President of Christie’s Americas. "Senator W.A. Clark, who went West as a young man in the mid-1800s to build his vast personal fortune in American mining, shared his interest in fine art, furniture and literature with his wife and last surviving child, Huguette M. Clark. Across these two generations, they built one of the finest estate collections we have ever had the privilege of offering at Christie’s.”
In total, approximately 400 items from the family’s collection will be offered for sale; the sales are estimated to achieve in excess of $50 million US total.
The proceeds of the sales will go back to the Estate for distribution under the terms of Mrs. Clark’s will, as reformed by a settlement agreement. The entire residue of the Estate is bequeathed to the Bellosguardo Foundation, a charitable foundation to be dedicated to fostering and promoting the arts.
