Demi Moore Brings Two Paintings To Auction

Jerry Hall isn't the only beautiful woman sending art to auction this fall. Demi Moore is selling two 19th-century European paintings through Sotheby's. William Bouguereau's Frere et Soeur, an oil painting of a young woman holding her baby brother, could bring in up to $1.5 million at Sotheby's New York on November 4. It was painted in 1887. Moore bought both this painting and Mere et Ses Enfants by Belgian painter Alfred Stevens in 1995 at a Christie's auction. She paid $178,500 for Frere et Soeur and $200,500 for the Stevens painting which is estimated to sell for up to $200,000. Although Bougereau was was popular in his own time those in painting's avant-garde sneered at his fussy sentimental style. The last 30 years have seen an increase in both regard for his work and in the prices for his paintings.

"I find Bouguereau to be particularly engaging for me personally and have chosen to hold on to a smaller piece to carry with me throughout the years," said Demi Moore in a press release. "I love his combination of mythological themes, classical subjects and his photo realistic style. There is a gentleness, a serenity, particularly in his depiction of women, combined with incredible strength that has inspired me. I have owned these paintings, both the Bouguereau and Stevens, for 15 years and although I adore them, with the renovation and new direction our home is taking, it is time for a change. I am excited for a new owner to be able to share in the joy these paintings have brought us."

The November 4 auction offers 82 works with an overall pre-sale estimate of $20/30 million. The sale is timed to coincide with Sotheby's auction of Impressionist & Modern Art. Other highlights of the auction include The Finding of Moses, which stands as one of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema's greatest masterpieces (estimated at $3/5 million), two excellent portraits by leading Italian Impressionist Giovanni Boldini, and important works by influential Orientalist, Sporting, French, Spanish and Polish artists. The works will be on exhibition in New York beginning October 29 in advance of the sale.

Art We Love: A Great First Step for Aspiring Art Collectors

When I first started writing about the art market, in the white-hot auction climate of the summer of 2007, I had the chance to interview Prof. Michael Moses of NYU. Co-founder of the Mei-Moses Index used to gauge the direction of art prices, he's pretty much the de facto source for issues at the intersection of art and investing. I'll never forget the advice he offered to my readers: start with prints of your favorite pieces, and as you can afford to, replace them with the real thing.

This is the exact concept I saw in action when I stopped by the Art We Love booth at the Affordable Art Fair to visit company founder Laurence Lafforgue.

Art We Love focuses on making works by high-caliber artists available to entry-level collectors. The prints and giclees offered by the company are limited-edition reproductions of museum-caliber pieces from well-known artists who have agreed to work with Lafforgue to make the art luxury attainable to a broader constituency.