NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s is proud to present Rothschild Masterpieces, taking place this fall. These will be the first-ever North American sales of objects belonging to one of the great collecting families in history, an unprecedented opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs. The sales will include a magnificent selection of decorative and fine art that reflects the discernment, art de vivre, and – above all – the taste of this storied dynasty. Rothschild Masterpieces brings together some 600 lots, with a total estimate in excess of $20 million, of furniture, enamels, maiolica, Renaissance jewels, silver, and paintings of the highest quality, assembled by two generations of Rothschilds in France, largely during the latter half of the 19th century. Christie’s will conduct this landmark series of auctions at Rockefeller Center, with an evening sale 11 October, two day sales 12 and 13 October respectively, and a concurrent online sale. An international touring exhibition took place in Hong Kong 24-28 May, and will be in London 1-7 July.

Deputy Chairman of Christie’s Americas, Jonathan Rendell, said, “It is a huge honor for us at Christie’s New York to be chosen as the venue for the first Rothschild sale to be held in America. Characteristically, both scholarly and sumptuous, the objects we are bringing to sale have been treasured by generations of the family and demonstrate the very essence of the term ‘goût Rothschild.’”

Le Goût Rothschild

For generations, the Rothschild family has shown a passion for living with the very best of everything down to the smallest detail, of taking pleasure in experiencing the highest quality in every object you own, a style known as, le goût Rothschild (Rothschild taste). The works in these auctions helped define that taste. Baron James and his wife Betty, and their son Baron Alphonse and his wife Leonora purchased these objects for their palatial Château de Ferrières outside Paris (which opened in 1862 with a gala attended by Napoleon III) and for their houses in the city. In keeping with the Rothschild family’s grand tradition of philanthropy, the Rothschild family donated the Château de Ferrières to France in 1975, and it is now owned by the town of Ferrières.

The Rothschild taste, which we might define as sumptuous domesticity, was a profound influence on the great Gilded Age families of the United States, including the Vanderbilts, Astors and Rockefellers. They furnished their residences in New York, Newport and Rhode Island by acquiring and installing entire interiors of stately homes in France and England in their residences. The Rothschild taste has remained important down to our own time, influencing designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, who was inspired by the interiors of the Château de Ferrières during the decoration of his own home.