NEW YORK, NY.- Lévy Gorvy Dayan announced LGD Hammer—a bespoke live bidding platform that is new to the art world. Led by auction-house veterans and founding partners Dominique Lévy, Brett Gorvy, and Amalia Dayan, LGD Hammer is an exciting development to the traditional public auction model. Responding directly to the buying patterns of the gallery’s clients, this service utilizes the unrivaled expertise and the firsthand experience of the LGD senior team to make accessible major works of art to the world’s top buyers through competitive bidding. LGD Hammer provides the utmost curatorial focus, confidentiality, and transparency for both buyers and sellers.

LGD Hammer uniquely presents a single work of art or a collection for auction at a designated time and date that is ideal for the chosen object—and invites a targeted list of the most active global buyers to bid in real time. Combining a museum-quality exhibition experience with the advantages of live bidding, its goal is to bring to the international market individual works and collections of exceptional quality and freshness, which have been specifically sourced for the platform through the expertise and extensive relationships of the gallery. A single work presented at the right time allows for absolute focus, in comparison to the inevitable internal competition of large evening sales at the main auction houses each season.

On Saturday, May 16, LGD Hammer will launch with the sale of Willem de Kooning’s late masterpiece Milkmaid (1984). This monumental and joyful canvas, presented with a presale estimate of $10,000,000 – $15,000,000, is recognized as one of the outstanding paintings from de Kooning’s late period, in which the pioneering Abstract Expressionist chose a new approach to harmony, balance, and light as his creative preoccupations. Formerly in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, this is the first time that Milkmaid is available at auction.

As part of its extensive promotion, Willem de Kooning’s Milkmaid will be exhibited in a stand-alone presentation, open by appointment, at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, New York (19 East 64th Street). Priding itself on the curatorial caliber of its exhibition program and installation, the gallery is excited to share the insights of an artist at his peak with collectors, curators, and the public. The presentation of Willem de Kooning: Milkmaid coincides with the exhibitions The Adventure of Domenico Gnoli (First and Second Floors) and Armig Santos: Baladas (Fifth Floor).

Willem de Kooning’s Milkmaid will be available to view (10 am to 6 pm) from Saturday, May 2, until the auction on Saturday, May 16, at 6:30 pm. Founding partner Dominique Lévy will be the auctioneer for LGD Hammer, utilizing her training and experience from her career at Christie’s. Bidding will be conducted by phone and potential buyers will be able to view the auctioneer and the artwork online; the bidders’ identities will remain confidential.

LGD Hammer builds on the gallery’s previous private auction experience, as well as the team’s role as advisors for sellers and buyers at the major international auction houses. All three founding partners at LGD have formative career experience in the auction industry.

Brett Gorvy was the Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie’s for over 23 years and was responsible for the house’s first billion dollar various-owner sales, as well as record prices for artists including Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Willem de Kooning, and Andy Warhol. Amalia Dayan was a specialist at Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg in the early 2000s, overseeing high value single-owner and artist-focused sales. Dominique Lévy began her career at Sotheby’s and founded the Private Sales department at Christie’s in 1999 as its International Director.

Remarking on LGD Hammer, Brett Gorvy states, “We are listening to our clients, who want exclusive access to the best of what’s available on the private market, but with the open competition and transparency of live bidding. We are the only major gallery whose founding partners are auction veterans, and we are leveraging this experience and knowledge for the benefits of both buyer and seller. We are using our outreach and expertise to engage with collectors for a fun and rewarding buying experience.