News-Antique.com - Mar 18,2010 - Sotheby’s is delighted to present an auction of fine and decorative arts from the contents of Albemarle House, the
magnificent home of vintner and philanthropist Patricia Kluge. The two-day auction, which will take place on June 8 and 9, will be held on the premises, located outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. Albemarle House, a 45-room English country manor, was conceived by Mrs. Kluge and renowned designer David Easton and is regarded as one of the most important residences created in America since the ‘Golden Age’. Among its neighbors are Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland. Mrs. Kluge’s collection of several hundred items of outstanding Georgian furniture, decorative objects and paintings is estimated in excess of $13.5 million*. Prior to the two-day auction, Mrs. Kluge’s collection will be exhibited on-site at Albemarle House, beginning 31 May. Access to the exhibition will be available to the public with the purchase of an auction catalogue. Available in May, the catalogue will offer collectors a room-by-room walkthrough of Albemarle House with hundreds of photographs of the interior and surrounding gardens and outbuildings.
“For the past three decades, building and maintaining this collection have been among my greatest joys,” commented Patricia Kluge. “Now, I look forward to sharing this very extraordinary collection with fellow collectors as I focus my energy on my new home, travel and expanding the business of Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard. I am eager to share with the world the top quality wine that can be made from this unique terroir.” Alistair Clarke, Worldwide Head of French, Continental and English Furniture, commented, “Sotheby’s is delighted to offer the Collection of Mrs. Kluge and to celebrate her style. Albemarle House, her collaboration with designer David Easton, rejuvenated high-style country living in the United States in the English tradition, which had declined since the early 20th century. The home and the magnificent grounds surrounding it lend themselves beautifully to an auction on-site. Collectors will witness the result of Mrs. Kluge’s search for the very best, each piece representative of her vision and sourced from leading dealers in the United Kingdom as well as private collections around the world. For all those who visit, it will be a wonderful opportunity to see first-hand the genius of Patricia Kluge and David Easton, and to view the collection and setting they have crafted together.”
Highlights of the Collection
The sale will offer a wide range of material, appealing to many different types of collectors. English furniture collectors will find exemplary works purchased from many of the field’s top London dealers. The sale will comprise the entire contents of the house, including Chinese paintings and works of art, Books, Sporting Guns, Jewels, Lighting and Decorative Objects. It will also include Mrs. Kluge’s collection of designer gowns by Givenchy, Christian LaCroix and Arnold Scaasi. Patricia Kluge commented, “I have lived in different parts of the world and developed elements of my style from those experiences. Each piece in this collection has a unique story and memory for
