View sale results online at www.sothebys.com

Film producer and director Gary Winick died last year at the age of 49 and left behind collections of photographs, fine art prints, move posters, books, and personal memorabilia.

Highlights from the collection include:

Photographs by William Eggleston, Harry Callahan, Walker Evans and others, including Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Swan lake, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, silver print, 1954, printed 1980s, shown top left.

Prints and drawings, including Shoe Design for Redbook Magazine by Andy Warhol, gouache, circa 1955.

Movie posters, over 20 posters for Hitchcock films like Vertigo and other classics.

The afternoon session of 19th & 20th Century Photographs & Photobooks features vintage photographs by Edward S. Curtis (Chief of the Desert, Navajo Orotone, 1904, shown left,) Stieglitz, Wilson A. Bentley and others.

Among the photobooks, Robert Frank’s The Americans, first American edition, New York, 1959.

Sotheby’s is delighted to present the Old Master, Modern & Contemporary Prints on 29th March 2012. This sale will draw together some of the finest exponents of printmaking spanning across five centuries, embodying a variety of styles and techniques.

In the Old Master section, Rembrandt is represented by a particularly strong group, notably with a fine, fourth-state impression of Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: ‘The Three Crosses’. Often singled out as the masterpiece of his printed oeuvre, this impression demonstrates Rembrandt’s technical virtuosity and ability to create a dramatic atmosphere and narrative. Also included are Woman at the Bath with a Hat Beside Her, The Descent from the Cross by Torchlight and a ‘black sleeve’ impression of La Petite Tombe. Additionally, a ‘Basan receuil’ published by H. L. Basan amasses over 80 etchings by Rembrandt. Works by Albrecht Dürer, William Blake and After Bosch are also included, among others artists.

The Modern section comprises a vibrant group of British prints by C. R. W. Nevinson, Cyril Power and Sybil Andrews. These eye-catching prints capture an important moment in time: the inter-war period in Britain. This group includes Divertissement and The Runners by Cyril Power, Sledgehammers by Sybil Andrews, The Road from Arras to Bapaume and Building Aircraft: Banking at 4000 Feet by C. R. W. Nevinson. These dynamic images embody the movement, noise and atmosphere of this era in British history and mark a significant chapter in the history of British printmaking.

‘Portrait of Anna Maria Borghese’ (née de Ferrari, 1874-1924), painted by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (Italian, 1859-1933), oil on canvas, 71 x 43¾-inches, est. $15,000-$25,000. Sterling Associates image.

CLOSTER, N.J. – Following the overwhelming success of its inaugural Estates Auction in December, Sterling Associates is preparing a March 31 follow-up event that features an exciting array of antiques and art from some of New Jersey’s finest homes.

The 350-lot sale includes a superb selection of paintings, sculpture, 18th- and 19th-century furniture, and autographed historical ephemera. A special offering of Chinese ivories and Asian porcelain has been added in response to the strong demand shown for this category in Sterling’s debut.

The fine art section is led by the wonderful Portrait of Anna Maria Borghese (née de Ferrari, 1874-1924), painted by Vittorio Matteo Corcos (Italian, 1859-1933). The framed 71 x 43¾-inch oil-on-canvas portrait depicts the young Italian noble in a pastel pink dress, her arm resting upon a terrace railing. Exhibiting outstanding technique in both its delicate flesh tones and shadings of background foliage, the appealing artwork is entered in the sale with a $15,000-$25,000 estimate.

Art Nouveau gilt bronze vase with foundry mark “E. Blot Paris Vrai Bronze,” signed ‘Jouant,’ 25½-inches tall, est. $4,000-$6,000. Sterling Associates image.

One of the highlights of the decorative arts section is a 25½-inch patinated gilt bronze Art Nouveau vase with the foundry mark “E. Blot Paris Vrai Bronze.” The artist, Jules Jouant (French, 1882-1921), skillfully created a relief image of a seminude young woman playing a lyre beneath a crescent moon and stars, with a swan swimming in nearby willows as its background. The dual-handled vessel is profusely carved with telescoping tree branches that terminate in flowering branches. The vase’s presale estimate is $4,000-$6,000.

A pair of figural gilt bronze compotes came from a home whose owners appreciate the elegance and perfection of 19th-century French design. Scrolling cabriole embellishments and a bird and acanthus leaf motif garnish the pedestals, each of which supports a shell-shape bowl. The pair will be offered with a $6,000-$8,000 estimate.

Another elegant duo is the pair of circa-1840 French chenets of gilt bronze mercury. Created for use as fireplace adornments, the 16-inch-tall chenets depict a three-dimensional cherub and fairy, respectively, each figure seated on a pedestal and holding a lengthy garland of flowers. Together, they are estimated at $4,000-$6,000.

Pair of circa-1840 French chenets of gilt bronze mercury, 16 inches tall, est. for pair $4,000-$6,000. Sterling Associates image.

Sterling Associates’ owner, Stephen D’Atri, is especially pleased to have amassed an exceptional grouping of Asian antiques to offer to bidders in his upcoming sale. He said he is giving bidders what they want, based on the results of his first auction.

“The star of our December sale was an 18th-century Qianlong cloisonné censer with kirin lid, which we had estimated at $6,000-$8,000. It attracted multiple Asian bidders over the phone and Internet, and ended up selling for $28,750 (inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium). That sent a clear signal that the demand for top-quality Asian antiques is not relenting,” said D’Atri.

A selection of 19th- to early 20th-century Chinese, Japanese and Indian ivory figures from three different estates. Sterling Associates image.

The March 31 auction includes a sizable grouping of Chinese, Japanese and Indian ivory figures coming from three different estates. All are of old ivory, and date to the 19th or early 20th century. A few of the figures are of Shiva goddesses, and one particular highlight depicts Quan Yen with a baby, riding atop a wave with a dragon emerging. The group of four Immortals exhibits very fine tooling and could possible be Japanese.

An interesting lineup of antique and vintage ephemera has been cataloged, as well. A portrait of George Washington, framed together with a 1795 document signed by the first U.S. president, is estimated at $12,000-$16,000. The document confirms the appointment of “Richard Dickinson of Connecticut” to the position of “Inspector of the Revenue for the Port of Saybrook.” The historical 18th-century document signed in Philadelphia was acquired from the home of a distant Dickinson relative who is now deceased.

1946 letter written by Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy, then a prep school student, to “Miss Ethel Skakel, Manhattanville College.” Skakel ended up marrying one of Kennedy’s elder brothers, Robert. Estimate: $400-$600. Sterling Associates image.

A holographic letter written by Edward M. “Ted” Kennedy in 1946, long before his days in politics, is addressed to “Miss Ethel Skakel, Manhattanville College.” [Skakel ended up marrying one of Kennedy’s elder brothers, Robert.] The chatty letter, written in longhand on Cranwell Preparatory School stationery, speaks of upcoming exams, having to do “manual labor” for getting caught “fooling around one night,” and also reminds Ethel that she “forgot to include six dollars and the stubs for the chances” in her last letter. The lot is estimated at $400-$600.

Antique doll collectors won’t want to miss the grouping of 16 antique and vintage dolls to be auctioned. Many types are represented, including German bisque-head, composition and cloth dolls. Manufacturers include Simon & Halbig, DEP, Heubach Koppelsdorf, and J.D. Kestner.

Estate collection of antique and vintage dolls, mostly of German manufacture; bisque, composition and cloth examples. Sterling Associates image.

Stephen D’Atri will be exhibiting highlights from the March 31 auction at Stella’s Pier Antiques Show in Manhattan on March 17-18. He invites all interested parties to view a handpicked auction selection and visit with Sterling Associates staff members at booth #4300.

Sterling Associates’ Spring Fine & Decorative Arts and Furniture Auction will be held on Saturday, March 31, starting at 12 noon Eastern time. It is structured as a hybrid auction in which previewing is available at the physical gallery, but all bidding is exclusively absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com.

“The way our auctions work, all bidding is conducted remotely, but we’re very much a permanent brick-and-mortar company where anyone can come in to inspect the goods,” said D’Atri. “It will be run exactly like a live auction, but without a live audience.”

The live gallery preview is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 27-30 inclusive. The gallery is located at 70 Herbert Ave., Closter, NJ 07624.

For additional information on any item in the auction, call 201-768-1140 or e-mail info@antiquenj.com. Visit Sterling Associates online at www.antiquenj.com. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Veteran celebrity journalist Barrett to donate proceeds to foundation benefiting seniors

Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French/Swiss, 1859-1923), ‘La Rue: Affiches Charles Verneau,’ lithographed color poster, artist-signed and dated 1896, 90½ by 116¼ inches, est. $50,000-$70,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – The southern California auction house Clark’s Fine Art is preparing its spacious gallery for a March 10 sale filled with beautiful artworks, quality furniture and decorative art. The 310-lot sale features several important West Coast consignments, including artworks from the collection of trailblazing entertainment columnist Rona Barrett. Proceeds from the sale of the Barrett collection will benefit The Rona Barrett Foundation, which provides assistance to seniors in need.

Additionally, the auction includes highly collectible drawings from the Diane and Sandy Besser collection; and desirable contemporary prints from the Irv Wiener collection. Furniture, paintings and decorative art objects have come directly from the Estate of Harold Berkowitz and the Estate of Guy McElwaine, who was chairman and CEO of Columbia Pictures during the 1980s.

Alexandre-Marie Colin (French, 1798-1873), ‘Man and Woman by the Shoreline,’ oil on canvas, est. $6,000-$9,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

The caliber of fine art to be offered sets the tone for the entire sale. The selection is led by a Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen (French/Swiss, 1859-1923) lithographed color poster, artist-signed and dated 1896. Titled La Rue: Affiches Charles Verneau, the vividly colored impression depicts a bustling street scene populated with a cross-section of French society. Bright and lively, the massive six-panel Art Nouveau poster measures 90½ by 116¼ inches and is expected to make $50,000-$70,000.

Other 19th-century paintings to be auctioned include an Alexandre-Marie Colin (French, 1798-1873) oil on canvas titled Man and Woman by the Shoreline, est. $6,000-$9,000; and Hugh Bolton Jones’ (American, 1848-1927) Farmers Tilling the Fields, a 30 by 50-inch oil on canvas that could harvest a winning bid of $4,000-$6,000. Boy with Dog, a 19th-century Continental school oil on canvas, measures 40 by 30 inches and is estimated at $2,000-$4,000. All three artworks are from the Estate of Guy McElwaine.

Jacob Thompson (British, 1806-1879), ‘River Landscape with Horsemen and Peasants,’ est. $20,000-$30,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

An outstanding 1837 British painting, after 17th-century artist Aelbert Cuyp, is Jacob Thompson’s (1806-1879) River Landscape with Horsemen and Peasants. A signed work, it is estimated at $20,000-$30,000. Peasant Girl in Field, a 1917 oil on canvas by the Polish artist Antoni Piotrowski (1953-1924), is signed and dated both at lower right and on verso. Its estimate is $5,000-$10,000.

The distinctive grace of the hand of Vietnamese artist Le Pho (1907-2001) is seen in his signed Flower Still Life, a tranquil 28¾ by 21¼-inch work that the consignor acquired from the Wally Findlay Gallery in Beverly Hills. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000.

Guy Dill (American, b. 1946-), monumental painted and welded-steel sculpture, est. $15,000-$25,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

California artists are well represented in the sale. A monumental painted and welded-steel sculpture by Guy Dill (b. 1946-) could realize $15,000-$25,000; while Charles Arnoldi’s (b. 1946-) acrylic painting on chain-sawed multilayered plywood, titled Untouchable, is entered in the sale with a $7,000-$9,000 estimate. A 48-inch-square untitled mixed media on canvas by Mary Ann Corse (b. 1945-) was acquired directly from the artist, whose abstract works have been shown at the Guggenheim and Whitney Museum of American Art. It carries an estimate of $5,000-$7,000.

Other American artists include visualist and sculptor Robert Longo (b. 1953-), whose 1989 End of Season – a mixed media work numbered 9/11 on the artist’s label on verso – carries an $8,000-$12,000 estimate. The Longo comes from the Irv Wiener collection, as does a selection of prints by Louise Nevelson, Terry Winters, Carroll Dunham, Barbara Bloom and Helen Frankenthaler. The art selection continues with an Edward Curtis (1868-1952) platinum photograph titled Standing Woman in Dress and drawings by John Sloan and David Burliuk (Russian, 1882-1967).

Robert Longo (American, b. 1953-), ‘End of Season,’ mixed media, numbered 9/11, est. $8,000-$12,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

A Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941-) blue and gold work of acrylic and metallic paint on paper is framed with glass, reflecting the medium for which the Seattle-based artist is so widely acclaimed. It is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

A beautiful array of Reuge music boxes will be auctioned, with estimates ranging from $200-$400 for an inlaid marquetry box that plays four songs to $1,000-$2,000 for a singing automaton bird box with oval pop-up. Also by Reuge, a musical erotic pocket watch, Louis XVI style, has a 15-inch gold chain and colored stone inlays and key. Estimate: $2,000-$4,000.

Archive of letters written by Charles Manson to his attorney, Irving Kanarek, during the infamous Helter Skelter trial, est. $1,000-$2,000. Clark’s Fine Art image.

Interior furnishings include a dining set, sideboard, mahogany cheval mirror and a sparkling leaded-crystal chandelier with 20 lamps, estimated at $2,000-$4,000. In addition, the auction features Chinese porcelains, sterling silver wares, an antique carousel horse, and a collection of letters Charles Manson wrote to his attorney, Irving Kanarek, during the infamous Helter Skelter trial.

Clark’s Fine Art welcomes all forms of bidding for its March 10 auction, including live at the gallery, absentee, by phone, or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com. The gallery is located at 14931 Califa St., Space A, Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), CA 91411. The auction will begin at noon Pacific Time. Preview 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 9, and from 10 a.m. till noon on auction day.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 818-783-3052 or e-mail gallery@pacbell.net. View the fully illustrated catalog online at www.LiveAuctioneers.com. Visit Clark’s website at www.estateauctionservice.com.

Rare 15th-century Ming Xuande porcelain sprinkler, est. $250,000-$350,000. I.M. Chait image.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – When the doors are opened to I.M. Chait’s elegant Manhattan gallery space during Asia Week New York (March 16-24), the management and staff of the family-owned southern California firm expect to welcome many old friends to their preview and March 21 auction of Important Chinese Ceramics & Asian Works of Art.

The company’s venerable founder and auctioneer Isadore “I.M.” Chait, who is celebrating his 45th year as a specialist dealer of Asian art, takes pride in the fact that collectors who bought from him decades ago are still amongst his active clientele.

“What is particularly interesting about the Asian market is the cycle of buying, holding and selling,” Chait said. “We’ve noticed that pieces purchased five to fifteen years ago in Hong Kong or New York auctions are now resurfacing. It has been an ongoing practice for some Chinese art collectors to buy an object, put it in their collection, then 10 or 20 years later, put it up for sale at the same venue and buy something else they like.”

But what is changing, Chait said, is that nowadays there are so many private museums establishing or adding to their Asian collections, that many rare pieces are being removed from the cycle. “They’re going into institutional collections and staying there. This is one factor that is driving auction prices upward,” Chait said.

Mark on the Ming Xuande porcelain sprinkler. I.M. Chait image.

There are many rare and exotic artworks in the 300+ lot March 21 auction that Chait predicts will attract intense interest. Topping the list is a marked 15th century Ming Xuande Period porcelain sprinkler of Islamic shape. Chait explained that, at the height of its manufacture, Chinese porcelain often went to Middle Eastern potentates, hence the distinctive bulbous style with graduated cylindrical spout.

“Anything from the 15th century is exceedingly rare. This sprinkler comes from a major collection that was started 35 to 40 years ago. The only reason this piece is being sold is because the consignor is fortunate enough to have another one in their collection,” Chait said.

An estimate of $250,000-$350,000 for the sprinkler is conservative when measured against recent comparables. “At a show one or two years ago we saw an example that sold for half a million dollars,” Chait said. “It showed up a few months later in a Chinese auction with a million-dollar estimate.”

Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain bowl, est. $120,000-$150,000. I.M. Chait image.

Another highlight with a six-figure estimate is the Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain bowl with expectations of reaching $120,000-$150,000. The bowl comes to auction with outstanding provenance, having once been part of the renowned T.T. Tsui Museum of Art Collection in Hong Kong.

An estate collection local to the auctioneer’s Beverly Hills gallery was the source for an important spinach jade brushpot that Chait describes as “one of the most exquisitely carved brushpots we’ve ever seen.” Under its base is a label – possibly from the 1960s/’70s – from the London auction house Spink & Son.

Important spinach jade brushpot, est. $40,000-$50,000. I.M. Chait image.

Chait noted that the object is deeply and intricately carved from a single piece of jade, a method that requires great artistic skill. The carver’s technique masterfully rendered a three-dimensional, “layered” effect to the piece. The presale estimate has been set at $40,000-$50,000.

The rich cobalt hue of lapis lazuli is the immediate focal point of a Qianlong table screen from an old Shanghai collection. According to Chait, it may have Imperial provenance.

Qianlong lapis lazuli table screen, est. $35,000-$40,000. I.M. Chait image.

“Most table screens of this type are made of wood. Lapis is more rare,” he said. The lot is estimated at $35,000-$40,000.

Additional objects of exceptional quality are still arriving for consignment to Chait’s Asia Week auction, including a collection of 70 extremely fine 20th-century netsukes, most being of ivory and all by important carvers. The collection was purchased at auctions and from top dealers in the 1990s, bearing out Isadore Chait’s theory about a 20-year buying-and-reselling cycle.

Chait’s Asia Week auction is the firm’s most important sale of the year. Each object selected for inclusion in this year’s premier event was personally selected and vetted by Isadore Chait and comes with the company’s guarantee of authenticity. Mr. Chait is an internationally acknowledged expert in both Oriental sculpture and gemology. He is a recommended appraiser to many museums and educational institutions, including the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Norton Simon Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

All auction items will be available to preview daily from March 16-20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (10 a.m. till noon on auction day) at I.M. Chait’s gallery on the 6th floor of the historic Fuller Building, 595 Madison Ave. at 57th St., New York, NY 10022. A West Coast preview will take place from Feb. 27-March 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment, at I.M. Chait’s flagship gallery located at 9330 Civic Center Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

The March 21 Asia Week New York auction will commence at 2 p.m. Eastern Time at the Fuller Building gallery, with all forms of bidding available, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Four of I.M. Chait’s staff are fluent in Mandarin and will be on hand to greet Asian visitors to the New York gallery space and to assist Chinese-speaking bidders over the phone during the auction.

For additional information on any lot in the sale or to obtain a fully illustrated color catalog ($35 + shipping), call 1-800-775-5020 or 310-285-0182; or e-mail joey@chait.com. Visit the company online at www.chait.com.

From their Geneva residence, the collection of Giovanni and Gabriella Barilla, descendants of the famous dynasty of pasta makers, encompasses pieces for both the passionate and composed collector. Among one of the most important European collections of German and Italian porcelain, early Meissen by Böttger, Baroque commedia dell’arte figures by Kändler, and rare models and harlequins from the Wiessenfels group, mix happily with exceptional and very rare Capodimonte pieces, Buen Retiro, Vezzi and Fabrica Ferdinandea, Napoli groups and figures – altogether encapsulating the vibrance of ‘carnival’. Together with colourful Maiolica, Faenza and Della Robbia, these compliment and enrich the collection of elegant 18th century Venetian furniture and paintings, drawings, silver, works of art, books and 15th century manuscripts.