Christie’s – Online Magazine No.181
From the mythical mines of Golconda, diamonds that were India’s most prized possession
The view is impressive from the top of the hill around which the mighty Golconda Fort is built. Much of the fort’s wall remains, while rusting cannons serve as relics from the days when the town, which is just a stone’s throw from Hyderabad, was the bustling centre of the world’s diamond industry
A collection of photographs that celebrates beauty, high fashion and consummate style
The auction’s title, Icons of Glamour & Style, describes the direction followed by collector Leon Constantiner. As a student, he had specialised in communications, photography and television, while following in a family tradition of regular viewing of pre-auction exhibitions across many artistic fields
As the Bauhaus marks its centenary, we look at the great artists who helped to shape it
As the 20th century’s most influential school of art, architecture and design celebrates its centenary, Alastair Smart focuses on the artists who shaped its beginnings — illustrated with works in our Impressionist and Modern Works on Paper Sale, 19 June
Collector Walter Vanhaerents on Warhol, waiting, and ‘how to spot the strongest work’
Walter Vanhaerents speaks to Jonathan Bastable about his journey as a collector, ahead of the opening of The Death of James Lee Byars at the Venice Biennale
Remarkable letters that trace Benjamin Franklin’s journey to becoming ‘the first American’
Written between 1760 and 1775, Franklin’s letters to Lord Kames, a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment, chronicle his transformation from British patriot to an advocate for American independence. They come to auction in New York on 12 June
The British sculptor whose prices have appreciated over 8,000 per cent since the 1970s
The sculptor whose art encapsulated mankind’s existential crisis in the post-war era, while also rejoicing in the vitality of birds and horses. Illustrated with works offered at Christie’s, including a group from The Collection of Mary Carswell on 17 & 18 June
