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PRESS RELEASE | NEW YORK | 22 January 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONVERSATION ACROSS THE CENTURIES:


LONDON FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS OF POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE ON VIEW IN NEW YORK DURING OLD MASTER AUCTION WEEK 27-29 JANUARY 2013

PETER DOIG (B. 1959) The Architects Home in the Ravine 78 x 98 (200 x 250cm.) Painted in 1991 Estimate : 4,000,000-6,000,000 / $6,100,000-9,000,000

New York/London This month, during Old Masters Week, Christies New York presents a special preview exhibition of twelve important works from the February Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction in London, including works by artists such as Richter, Judd and Warhol. Such contemporary masters will be shown alongside works from the Old Master sales, featuring the best of European art from the 14th to 19th centuries, from Botticelli to Drer, Raphael to Gericault, Chardin to Brueghel. The preview will be exhibited alongside an innovative contemporary video showcase New Media Old Masters, presenting works by Eve Sussman and Bill Viola (see separate press release for details). Amongst the highlights from Christies London Evening sale on view in New York will be David Hockneys unique, landmark painting entitled Great Pyramid at Giza with Broken Head from Thebes (1963) (illustrated on page 3; dedicated press release also available). The work remains Hockneys only picture that commemorates his first trip to Egypt when he was twenty-six. The trip, which he took just after he graduated from the Royal institute of Art, proved to be a lasting influence: according to the artist, Egypt is one of the most thrilling countries Ive ever been to in the sense that these monuments are the oldest known buildings anywhere. After all, when Cleopatra showed Julius Caesar the pyramids, they were already two thousand years old and more. It is quite awe-inspiring; not even in China are there things older, and I think you feel connected with them, whoever you are. Commissioned by art critic David Sylvester and The Sunday Times journalist Mark Boxer, the 1963 work illustrates a turning point in Hockneys art with its innovative style, scale and composition. Held in an important British collection for more than forty years, the work will be available at auction in February for the very first time (estimate: 2,500,000-3,500,000 / $3,800,000-5,300,000).

Peter Doigs The Architects Home in the Ravine (1991) is a mysterious scene of a small wood cabin obscured by a dense network of trees rendered with virtuoso skill (estimate: 4,000,000-6,000,000 / $6,100,000-9,000,000; illustrated on page 1). The depicted house in the background alludes to Le Corbusiers own home, Le Cabanon in Roquebrune-CapMartin. The painter remembered, When I went to see the Le Corbusier building for the first time, I never dreamed that I would end up painting it. I went for a walk in the woods on one visit and as I was walking back I suddenly saw the building anew. I had no desire to paint it on its own, but seeing it through the trees, that is when I found it striking. Inspired by Corbusiers iconic panels of colour, Doig depicts the house in bright hues so that its yellow faade and purple roof penetrate through the veil of snow and Redwood trees. Created in the heyday of the Pop movement, Study for Sweet Dreams Baby! reflects Roy Lichtensteins early embrace of mass-media imagery, which allowed the artist to detach from the emotional abstract style of the post-war years (illustrated on page 3; estimate: 700,000-1,000,000 / $1,100,000-1,500,000). While Andy Warhol also appropriated popular motifs with his Batman and Dick Tracy paintings of the early 1960s, Lichtenstein delved further by appropriating scenes he found in comic strips. The media-derived image and wry tagline of the present work suggests a deliberate assault on the gestural abstraction and machismo pretensions of the Action Painters. According to Lichtenstein, 'I was very excited about and interested in the highly emotional content yet detached, impersonal handling of love, hate, war etc., in these cartoon images It is an intensification, a stylistic intensification of the excitement which the subject matter has for me; but the style is, as you say, cool. One of the things a cartoon does is to express violent emotion and passion in a completely mechanical and removed style.

NEW YORK PREVIEW


A Selection of Highlights From the London Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Auction On view in New York, 27-29 January 2013

Gerhard Richter (b. 1932) Abstraktes Bild signed, numbered and dated `889-14 Richter 2004' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 88.5/8 x 78.3/4in. (225 x 200cm.) Painted in 2004 Estimate on request

Peter Doig (B. 1959) The Architect's Home in the Ravine signed, titled and dated `THE ARCHITECTS HOME IN THE RAVINE PETER DOIG 1991 (on the reverse) oil on canvas 78.1/4 x 98in. (199 x 249cm.) Painted in 1991 Estimate4,000,000-6,000,000 / $6,100,000-9,000,000

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) Round Jackie gold paint and silkscreen ink on linen each: 17.3/4 x 17.3/4in. (45.1 x 45.1cm.) Executed in 1964 Estimate: 2,000,000-4,000,000 / $3,100,000-6,100,000

David Hockney (b. 1937) Great Pyramid at Giza with Broken Head from Thebes oil on canvas 72 x 72in. (183 x 183cm.) Painted in 1963 Estimate: 2,500,000-3,500,000 / $3,800,000-5,300,000

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) Enob signed, titled and dated `1985' (on the reverse) acrylic, oil, oilstick, xerox collage and wood collage on panel 80 3/8 x 37 x 4 in. (204 x 94 x 10.2 cm.) Executed in 1985 Estimate: 1,500,000-2,000,000 / $2,300,000-3,000,000

Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997) Study for Sweet Dreams, Baby! signed with the artist's initials `rfl' (lower right) graphite, coloured felt-tip pens and colour pencils on paper 5.1/2 x 5in. (14 x 12.6cm.) Executed in 1964-1965 Estimate: 700,000-1,000,000 / $1,100,000-1,500,000

Donald Judd (1928-1994) Untitled (84-19) stamped with the artist's signature, number and date `DONALD JUDD 84-19, LEHNI AG, SWITZERLAND' (on the reverse) pulver on aluminium 11.7/8 x 70.7/8 x 11.7/8in. (30 x 180 x 30cm.) Executed in 1984 Estimate: 250,000-350,000 / $380,000-530,000

VIEWINGS:
Christie's New York 20 Rockefeller Plaza Sunday 27 January Monday 28 January Tuesday 29 January 1pm 5pm 10am 5pm 10am 5pm

PRESS CONTACTS: New York - Capucine Milliot | +1 347 403 1564 | cmilliot@christies.com London - Cristiano De Lorenzo | +44 207 389 2283 | cdelorenzo@christies.com

About Christies Christies, the world's leading art business, had global auction and private sales in 2012 that totaled 3.92 billion/$6.27 billion. Christies is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James Christie, Christie's has since conducted the greatest and most celebrated auctions through the centuries providing a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christies offers over 450 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewellery, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie's also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War and Contemporary, Impressionist and Modern, Old Masters and Jewellery. Private sales totaled 631.3 million/$1 billion in 2012, an increase of 26% on the same period last year. Christies has a global presence with 53 offices in 32 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zrich, and Hong Kong. More recently, Christies has led the market with expanded initiatives in growth markets such as Russia, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, with successful sales and exhibitions in Beijing, Mumbai and Dubai. *Estimates do not include buyers premium. Sales totals are hammer price plus buyers premium and do not reflect costs, financing fees or application of buyers or sellers credits. ### Images available on request Visit Christies Website at www.christies.com FOLLOW CHRISTIES ON:

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