F rom Medieval enamels and alabasters, to Italian Renaissance bronzes and Neoclassical terracottas, this auction showcases a selection of some of the finest examples of European sculpture and works of art available on the market. Including works of art from the collections of David and Louise Carter, Carlos Alberto Cruz, and the Estate of Alexis Gregory, among many others, this sale provides collectors with an opportunity to build or add to their collections with an array of objects and sculpture in wood, enamel, bronze, terracotta, maiolica and marble from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
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The splendid assemblage of European sculpture, Old Master Paintings and Decorative Arts, spanning from the Italian Renaissance to Neoclassicism, were meticulously selected by an American couple over three decades of international travel. Their exposure to and interest in Renaissance bronzes and sculpture began at a young age, which lead them to eventually frequent the top dealers in the sculpture field as well as auctions in Europe and in America. They filled their stunning Beaux Arts townhome in Washington, D.C. with works evocative of the drama and splendor of an Italian palazzo- large, substantial paintings complemented by a compelling selection of Italian and French sculpture and decorative arts (works that were sold in these rooms in October 2020). Through an early partnership with Juan Pablo Molyneux and guidance from the curators at the National Gallery of Art, their rooms were created by analyzing museum exhibitions and strolling through the myriad palazzi of Rome. Their home, became a place where furniture, sculpture and paintings collected over multiple generations and stylistic periods blended harmoniously in a tasteful and resplendent manner. The fine sculpture offered here includes a beautiful and rare bronze relief after Jacopo Sansovino, a terracotta bozzetto by the Genoese Baroque sculptor Filippo Parodi, a pair of grand 17th century Venetian andirons and terracotta figure of Alexandre Dumas by Carriere-Belleuse.
Sotheby’s is honored to be offering the collection of David and Louise Carter, including paintings, sculpture, and drawings, throughout Masters Week 2021. David G. Carter and Louise Belknap met at the Met in the museum’s library stacks where she was cataloguing for her first job after graduating as an Art History major from Bryn Mawr. David had a newly established Metropolitan Museum of Art fellowship after completing his doctoral studies at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. His earlier days saw him graduate from Princeton as an Art & Archeology major in a wartime accelerated class, then service as a diplomatic courier during WWII, followed by an MA at Harvard / the Fogg and his doctoral studies at NYU. The subsequent union of David and Louise in 1951 began a lifetime passion for building a superb Art Collection that they enjoyed surrounding themselves with over their 63 wonderful years together. While David came to be known as a Dutch & Flemish scholar with a specialty in Rembrandt, his was also a fine and discerning eye as a connoisseur with deep understanding of artistry and quality when selecting Artworks for their personal collection or as the director of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design and The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (where he nearly doubled the size of the exhibition space during his tenure). Art was the framework for his entire world.
