Christie’s to auction Herbert Lust collection, projected to exceed $50 million

Christie’s has secured the consignment of the late Herbert Lust’s extensive art collection, with total sales projected to exceed $50 million. The collection, belonging to the banker and scholar who passed away in May, will be offered during marquee auctions in New York this November, with additional sales planned for London and Paris.

The collection’s centerpiece is Alberto Giacometti’s 1949 bronze sculpture, ‘Figure, demie grandeur (no. 2)’, which Christie’s estimates will fetch between $20 million and $30 million. The piece holds historical significance as one of the first complete post-war bronze figures and stems from a lifelong friendship between Lust and the artist, which began while Lust was studying in Paris.

Other notable works include Frank Stella’s 1962 painting ‘Les Indes Galantes’, estimated at $7 million to $10 million. This piece is one of four large-scale works from the ‘Mitered Squares’ series and has not appeared at auction in nearly 25 years. The collection also features works by Hans Bellmer, Robert Indiana, and Yves Tanguy.