A rare lithograph created by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec as a poster for the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret is expected to bring $50,000 at Heritage Auctions on June 13.
 An Englishman tries his luck... |
The poster will feature as a highlight of Heritage's 20th century design signature auction, which will range from artwork and furniture to sculptural works.
The Lautrec lithograph was created in 1892, just three years after the Moulin Rouge opened its doors. Many other artists had turned down the job of designing the cabaret's posters, but Toulouse-Lautrec seized the opportunity, grateful to earn a living aside from the income provided by his aristocratic family.
The posters eventually became some of the artist's most famous works, with the Moulin Rouge permanently reserving a seat for him and regularly displaying his paintings. This piece, entitled L'Anglais au Moulin Rouge, depicts a suave Englishman chatting with the cabaret dancers.
An 1893 Lautrec poster for a small café concert in Paris sold for $46,000 in May.
Elsewhere in the sale, a rare collaboration between Italian architect Gio Ponti and painter Piero Fornasetti is expected to bring $30,000-40,000. The spectacular cabinet, which was designed in 1952, has been lithographed with architectural designs to astounding effect. It is one of several similar pieces designed by the duo, known as the Trumeau series.
Also featuring is a stately walnut and gilt bronze vitrine, designed by the renowned Louis Marjorelle. Marjorelle is noted for his outstanding Art Nouveau designs and as vice-president of the École de Nancy, which he helped establish. A characteristically French piece, the vitrine is estimated at $30,000-50,000.
Paul Fraser Collectibles has some fantastic items of antique furniture currently in stock, including this majestic John Linnell demi-lune commode.
