One of LA's most famous private art collections is leaving town. Much of Sidney and Frances Lasker Brody's modern collection has lived at their A. Quincy Jones and Billy Haines house in Holmby Hills, but following Frances's death in November, most of it is off to New York to be sold at Christie's in May. At least some of the proceeds will go to the Huntington Library in San Marino, where Frances was a board member. She promised the infamous ceramic Henri Matisse mural The Sheaf (the couple rejected Matisse's original designs) to LACMA, and the LA Times reports that a couple of weeks ago "the 1-ton work was hoisted by crane from the atrium it had occupied for more than 50 years, lifted over trees, and transported intact to the museum." It will go on display sometime in the next six months. Stephanie Barron, a senior curator at LACMA told the LAT "I hope the house, which is itself a masterpiece of mid-20th century architecture, finds a good new owner." But if the nine bedroom, eight bathroom house is for sale, it's being shopped very quietly (let us know if you've heard anything). As for the art, Christie's in America's honorary chairman called it "a little tougher-edged than the Park Avenue collections that were put together at the same time." [Image via the LAT]
· Christie’s Wins Bid to Auction $150 Million Brody Collection [NYT]
· Private art collection may bring more than $150 million [LAT]
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