LONDON.- Photographs from the collection of Ellen and Dan Shapiro will form a focal point for the online-only sale First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art, which will be live for bidding from 23 February to 9 March 2022. Together, Ellen and Dan Shapiro have amassed one of the most highly regarded and extensive collections solely dedicated to photography. Christie’s will offer 44 photographs that represent the diversity and range of artists within the collection. Highlights include Diane Arbus, William Eggleston, Elger Esser, Andreas Gursky, Annie Leibovitz, Richard Mosse, Zanele Muholi, Irving Penn, Alex Prager, Viviane Sassen and Cindy Sherman. Estimates range from £600-£50,000, offering collectors of all levels an opportunity to acquire works from this visionary collection.
The Shapiros began collecting lithographs in the 1970s and 80s but Ellen developed a keen eye for black and white modernist photography and in the 1990s, they decided to shift their focus solely to photography. By the mid-90s they had begun to collect the Düsseldorf School, including Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Candida Höfer, while the first contemporary photograph they acquired was by Cindy Sherman. Ellen became very influential, working with MoMA’s Photography Council and London’s National Portrait Gallery Photography Committee. Ellen was always attracted to those qualities that made a photographer unique, whether that was their technique or subject matter. This quest for cutting edge creativity is exemplified by Richard Mosse’s Come Out (1966) IX, an image that captures war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo using reconnaissance infrared film, which turned the landscape red or pink as a result. The Shapiros collected select artists extensively, including Mosse, Diane Arbus, Irving Penn, and Zanele Muholi.
Isabel Millar, Head of First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art, and Jude Quinn, Senior Specialist, Photographs,
Christie’s: “Ellen and Dan Shapiro built this stunning collection on the founding belief that they should pursue the finest examples of photography by artists that have pushed the boundaries of the medium. This unerring principle led them to develop one of the most celebrated collections worldwide with Ellen’s influence unparalleled. We are thrilled that the 44 examples being offered to the market will form a core group within our ever-expanding First Open: Post-War and Contemporary Art online sale.”
Ellen and Dan Shapiro moved to London in 2002 bringing only selected items with them, one of those being Vik Muniz’ Action Painter, an image that recreated Jackson Pollock’s aesthetic using chocolate sauce. They then filled their home with an encyclopaedic archive of photographs.
A preview of the collection will be on view at Christie’s King Street from 9 to 16 February 2022.
