Highlights from the Prints & Multiples Auction

For Immediate Release April 16, 2010

Contact: Jessie Edelman [email protected] 212.636.2680

Highlights from the Prints & Multiples Auction: April 26-27

New York –Christie’s New York is honored to announce the Prints & Multiples Sale on April 26 and 27. The auction features 482 lots including an impressive variety of American, Modern, Post- War, and Contemporary prints estimated in the region of $7 million. Highlights in the sale include works by Edvard Munch, as well as Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton — best-selling author, screenwriter, film director and producer — and Pop Art prints by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean- Michel Basquiat, and Roy Lichtenstein.

Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton

JASPER JOHNS JASPER JOHNS Light Bulb (ULAE 170), lithograph, 1976 Two Flags (Whitney Anniversary) (ULAE 207), lithograph Estimate: $5,000 - 7,000 in colors, 1980 Lot 238 Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000 Lot 239

The Print Department is pleased to offer Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton. Crichton was renowned for his riveting scientific thrillers such as The Andromeda Strain, Jurassic Park, Timeline, The Lost World, Rising Sun, and State of Fear, as well as the dramatic television series ER. This rich collection of Post-War prints will be spread over three sales including the Prints & Multiples Sale on April 26-27, the Post-War & Contemporary Art Evening Sale on May 11, and the Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale on May 12. The Prints & Multiples Sale will contain a selection of fourteen prints from the collection. Among the works to be offered are two prints by Jasper Johns, Two Flags (Whitney Anniversary) (ULAE 207) (estimate: $20,000-30,000) and Light Bulb (ULAE 170) (estimate: $5,000-7,000). Please see the separate press release devoted to the Works from the Collection of Michael Crichton for more information.

Prints by Edvard Munch

EDVARD MUNCH EDVARD MUNCH EDVARD MUNCH, Das kranke Madonna, lithograph with Kind I, drypoint with roulette and Der Kuss, etching and drypoint woodcut, 1895-1902, with burnisher, 1895, burnisher, 1894, Estimate: $350,000 - 500,000 Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000 Estimate: $150,000 - 250,000 Lot 163 Lot 162 Lot 161

Leading the sale are three rare and distinguished prints by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The works Der Kuss (estimate: $150,000-250,000), Madonna (estimate: $350,000-500,000), and Das kranke Kind I (estimate: $100,000-150,000) are each intimate and emotionally charged images. The intertwining nude bodies in Munch’s Der Kuss create a physical and psychological tension, as the viewer becomes a voyeur peering in on the lovers’ intimate embrace. First shown in Oslo in 1895, Der Kuss was considered so provocative that officials decreed it immoral and prohibited it from exhibition. An equally evocative image, Madonna is often assigned an eroticized interpretation. The dark background of the Madonna frames and isolates the nude torso in the center of the composition, emphasizing the significance of her sexuality. In contrast to the swirling blackness behind the figure, the relaxed face of the Madonna creates a sense of peacefulness and calm. One of Munch’s most acclaimed subjects, it is a work for a true connoisseur.

Pop Art Prints

A robust selection of Pop Art works are offered in the Prints & Multiples Sale including works by Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein and Tom Wesselmann. ANDY WARHOL ROY LICHTENSTEIN JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT Mickey Mouse, from Myths Nude with Yellow Pillow, from Back of the Neck, screenprint in screenprint in colors with Nudes Series, colors with hand-coloring, 1983 diamond dust, 1981 relief print in colors, 1994 Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000 Estimate: $70,000 - 100,000 Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000 Lot 262 Lot 457 Lot 371

Nude with Yellow Pillow (estimate: $100,000-150,000), a later work by Lichtenstein, is a homage to his own oeuvre. Toward the end of his life the artist reflected on his own career and art historical legacy through new experimentation in his work, creating works that were self-referential. The figure in the print references art historical nudes while also suggesting that Lichtenstein believes himself to be a part of that tradition. And yet the confrontational gaze of the women rendered in a Pop style also marks his break from that convention, a suggestion of how the artist would like to be remembered.

American Prints: George Wesley Bellows

GEORGE WESLEY BELLOWS GEORGE WESLEY BELLOWS Splinter Beach Tennis (Tennis Tournament) lithograph, 1916 lithograph, circa 1921 Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000 Estimate: $4,000 - 6,000 Lot 2 Lot 3

A selection of American prints, including eight works by George Wesley Bellows, also highlight the sale. Bellows was a member of the Ashcan School and was famous for depicting images of class struggle. Splinter Beach (estimate: $6,000-8,000) and Tennis (Tennis Tournament) (estimate: $4,000-6,000) are both scenes indicating the rise of social mobility in the United States. In these prints members of the middle class are taking part in leisurely pastimes, spending a day at the beach and watching a tennis match. Before the turn of the century, leisure activities were only enjoyed by high society; Bellows shows that times were changing. His images have a rigorous quality which reflects the tumultuous nature of the class struggle. This extensive selection of lithographs provides iconic examples of Bellows’ unique style.

A complete e-catalogue of the sale will be available online at http://www.christies.com and via Christie’s free app for the iPhone and iTouch.

Auction: Prints and Multiples April 26 and 27 Viewing: Christie’s Galleries at Rockefeller Center April 23- 25

About Christie’s Christie’s, the world's leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2009 that totaled £2.1 billion/$3.3 billion. Christie’s 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 conducted the greatest auctions of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and today remains a popular showcase for the unique and the beautiful. Christie’s offers over 450 sales 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 $80 million. Christie’s has 53 offices in 30 countries and 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai and Hong Kong. More recently, Christie’s has led the market with expanded initiatives in emerging and new 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 buyer's premium # # #

Images available on request