Date: Fri 29-May-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

Napoleon

Full Text:

Bidding Battle Erupts Over Napoleonica

LB

NEW YORK CITY -- Napoleon-mania erupted at Christie's East on May 19. An army

of collectors stormed the firm's saleroom and conducted a furious battle for

property relating to Bonaparte's reign and military career.

Triumphant bidders walked away with books and manuscripts from his personal

library, paintings, and an extensive group of French militaria.

"The tremendous performance of today's sale demonstrates Napoleon's allure.

His conquests excited the minds of artists, intellectuals and, as we witnessed

today, many collectors. Napoleon stood for the resurgence of glory in French

civilization, which influenced the entire Western world," commented Victoria

Shaw, head of the furniture and decorative arts at Christie's East.

"The sale was 100 percent sold by dollar and 100 percent sold by lot. Most of

the items soared far above their pre-sale estimates, many of them even selling

four, five, ten times higher than expected," she said.

An 1828 illustration by George Cruikshank, "Life of Napoleon Bonaparte,"

surpassed its high estimate of $800 and leapt to $8,625. A collection of 36

original drawings and 34 engraved plates estimated to fetch $600/800 realized

$3,795.

Napoleon's lock of hair taken during his life in exile on the island of Elba

shot to $9,200 against an estimate of $2/3,000. The sale more than doubled its

low pre-sale estimate of $500,000.

A collection of autograph letters by Napoleon and various members of his

family 1771-1932 sold to anonymous bidder for $63,000. "Napoleon at

Fontainbleau," an oil on canvas, from the studio of Paul Delaroche, fetched

$55,200.

Jan Van Chelminski, "A Contingent of the Garde Imperiale in a Winter

Landscape", an oil on canvas, made $50,600.

A Napoleon I, autograph manuscript, about 1200 words, produced during his

captivity in St Helena (1819-1821), brought $46,000.

A pair of Sevres style cobalt blue ground baluster vases and covers, late

Nineteenth to early Twentieth Century, made $41,400, selling to the trade.

An extensive collection of autograph letters and documents signed by Napoleon,

his family, and key Marshalls and Generals, most with an engraved portrait,

crossed the block at $28,750.

Bussy's History of Napoleon, illustrated by Horace Vernet, including more than

1,400 prints, caricatures, portraits and battle scenes, went for $25,300.

A set of 19 papier peinte panels depicting the 1840 funeral procession toward

Les Invalides fetched $18,400.

A Sevres assembled part-service from the Service A Chiffre Dore de l'Empereur

Napoleon III, circa 1836-1867, achieved $17,250.

A manuscript, eight pages long, jointly signed by Napoleon I, Josephine and

Marie-Louise, Paris, 20 and 21 January 1812, was knocked down for $14,950.

The sale of items from the David Z. Norton collection benefited the Western

Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland.