S otheby’s is thrilled to present Design, an online auction with bidding open from 12 October through 19 October, 2023. The sale encompasses design across movements and materials, from international Art Nouveau decorative arts to Postmodern and Contemporary furniture, featuring works by Claude Lalanne, Jean Royère, Finn Juhl, Frank Lloyd Wright, Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Ettore Sottsass and many more.
Property will be available to view by appointment at Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries and Sotheby’s Gantry Point location in Long Island City.
Stuart Cary Welch (1928–2008) was a uniquely gifted scholar and a hugely influential figure in the study of the art and aesthetics of India and the Middle East. He shared this journey with his life-long companion Edith, with whom he built the most extraordinary and eclectic collection of artworks. For the couple, collecting was a pathway to knowledge and a never-ending source of inspiration and pleasure. Offered in the present sale is a curated collection of furniture and objects attesting to the couple’s passion for 20th century design, from the Wiener Werkstätte to mid-century French decorative arts, all augmented with esteemed provenances.
A particularly significant grouping of furniture by Jules Leleu and Ateliers Jean Prouvé from the Martel de Janville Sanatorium in Plateau d’Assy is included, providing a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire a significant number of works from this commission. In line with his preferred mode of crafting, Leleu first produced the prototypes in wood and once finalized, the models were mass produced by Prouvé in a painted sheet metal of bright, Venetian red hue, mirroring accents on the exterior of the sanatorium. The partnership was a dream pairing as Prouvé’s interest in new materials and techniques such as steel, aluminum and welding met Leleu’s proclivity for classical forms and sensibilities.
