Sotheby’s

July 8, 2023July 8, 2023

Destination: Art

ENTERPRISING COLLECTORS ARE CREATING LUXURIOUS LOCATIONS WHERE LOVERS OF ART, ARCHITECTURE, WINE, AND FINE FOOD CAN EXPERIENCE THEM ALL, SAYS CHRISTINA MAKRIS

People who love art usually enjoy the other finer things in life, such as good food, wine, picturesque landscapes, and elegant architecture. Now it is increasingly possible to enjoy these pleasures all at once. Across the world, owners of historic buildings and vineyards are boosting their potential as tourism destinations by using them as a backdrop for their art collections. From wineries in Chile, Tuscany, and California, to castles in Ireland and Italy, a former monastery in Croatia and a coaching inn in Scotland, they have created immersive spaces where a range of cultural and culinary offerings meet in beautiful surroundings. Some provide luxury accommodation and spas, others are the perfect spot for a day trip. All eight are a feast for the senses.

The Fife Arms’ Drawing Room with Pablo Picasso’s Femme assise dans un fauteuil (Woman seated in an armchair), 1953, on show

THE FIFE ARMS, SCOTLAND

Hidden in the Scottish Highlands in Braemar, close to the Balmoral Estate—which was bought by Queen Victoria in 1852 and is beloved by the British royal family—the 46 sumptuously decorated bedrooms and suites of this 19th-century coaching inn are inspired by local places and famous visitors to the town. Among them were novelist, poet, and essayist Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote parts of Treasure Island while on holiday in Braemar, and fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who
is now commemorated in the art deco Elsa’s cocktail bar.

The Fife Arms belongs to the art dealers and philanthropists Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the international gallery Hauser & Wirth. The hotel incorporates 14,000 antiques and artworks, ranging from the 16th century to modern masterpieces and contemporary commissions. There is a self-playing Steinway piano decorated by Mark Bradford, portraits by Picasso and Lucian Freud, photographs by Man Ray and Hans Bellmer, and a ceiling painted by Zhang Enli. The main restaurant is the Clunie Dining Room, which features a mural by the Argentinian artist Guillermo Kuitca that was inspired by the local landscape. thefifearms.com

The Viña Vik winery, Chile

VIK, CHILE AND URUGUAY

Norwegian financier, investor and art collector Alexander Vik and his wife Carrie founded their 11,000-acre Chilean winery, Viña Vik, in central Chile in 2004. Guests can enjoy award-winning wines while dining on a seasonal organic menu devised by executive chef Rodrigo Acuña Bravo.

A visit to the vineyard and adjacent hotel, Vik Chile, involves an extensive encounter with art. The 22 rooms and seven glass-walled bungalows were each designed in collaboration with architect Marcelo Daglio, enabling guests to stay in an immersive artwork while enjoying 360-degree panoramic views of the spectacular landscape. The futuristic winery building was designed by the Chilean-Croatian architect Smiljan Radic, who designed the 2014 Serpentine Pavilion in London, and the couple’s art collection is spread throughout the building. Works include paintings by Roberto Matta, a light work by James Turrell, and a diptych by Anselm Kiefer.

There are three other Vik hotels on the Atlantic coast of Uruguay, in José Ignacio near Punta del Este: Estancia Vik, Playa Vik, and Bahia Vik. vikwine.com

Daniel Buren’s installation Sulle Vigne: punti di vista, 2001, on the grounds of Castello di Ama

CASTELLO DI AMA, ITALY

A visit to the Castello di Ama vineyard, between Siena and Florence in the Chianti region of Italy, is a sensory feast. Since 1999, the estate’s proprietors, Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti, have commissioned sculptures and installations as an offering of thanks to the land and its spirit, which also infuses the philosophy of their wine-making. Artists who have made works include Michelangelo Pistoletto, Daniel Buren, Giulio Paolini, Anish Kapoor, Carlos Garaicoa, Cristina Iglesias, Louise Bourgeois, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Chen Zhen, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Lee Ufan, and Roni Horn.

The latest work to be unveiled is a garden installation by Jenny Holzer, which features heavily scented helichrysum flowers and excerpts of poetry by Patrizia Cavalli and WS Merwin.

There are five bedrooms in the 18th-century manor house, allowing guests to stay and experience the sculptures at different times of the day in different light. The main restaurant is headed by the family’s personal chef. castellodiama.com

Lopud 1483

LOPUD 1483, CROATIA

The history of this former Franciscan monastery on the small island of Lopud, just off the coast of Dubrovnik, is a little hazy. It was built in 1483, but many of its records were lost in the massive earthquake that hit the area in 1667, which largely destroyed the city. The monastery fell into disuse, and while there was still a functioning church on the site in the 1990s, the surrounding buildings were becoming increasingly dilapidated, a situation highlighted by the World Monuments Fund in 1996.

The following year, the collector and philanthropist Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza began what would become a 20-year project to restore the monastery buildings. The 13 monks’ cells have been sympathetically transformed into five suites that fuse ancient and modern. Traditional plaster walls and woodwork are combined with handmade furniture by the Italian designer Paola Lenti and carefully curated works from Thyssen-Bornemisza’s extensive TBA21 contemporary art collection.

Lopud 1483 offers a variety of locations that can be tailored to every taste, from
private gatherings to high-profile events, as well as seminars, performances, and concerts. lopud1483.com

The Drawing Room at Lismore Castle

LISMORE CASTLE, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The Anglo-Norman Castle was built in County Waterford in 1185, on the site of a seventh-century monastery within sight of the imposing Knockmealdown Mountains. In the late-16th century the statesman and adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh bought the castle, but had to sell it after he was imprisoned for high treason in 1602. It later became the Irish home of the dukes of Devonshire, who acquired it in the mid-18th century. William Cavendish, the sixth duke, commissioned the Gothic revival architect Augustus Pugin to add a medieval hall, and asked Sir Joseph Paxton, the designer of the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, to create the lower garden.

The castle is still owned by the family, and their 15-bedroom residential wing is available for hire, but only in its entirety, rather than as individual rooms. The castle is an ideal venue for a celebration as it can accommodate up to 27 guests. One wing has been converted to house Lismore Castle Arts, which promotes contemporary Irish art and stages temporary exhibitions.

The seven-acre gardens, which are open to the public between March and October,
are divided into upper and lower areas. The upper garden dates from the early 17th century and is considered by many to be the oldest cultivated garden in Ireland. The flower borders and lawns coexist with sculptures by Antony Gormley, Franz West, Bridget McCrum, and Eilis O’Connell. The lower garden has an impressive collection of plants that love its acidic soil, including magnolia and camellias. lismorecastlegardens.com; lismorecastlearts.ie; thehallandlismorecastle.com

Gao Weigang, Maze, 2017, Donum Estate

THE DONUM ESTATE, CALIFORNIA, USA

Founded in 2001, the Donum Estate in Sonoma, northern California, is a leader in single-vineyard pinot noir and chardonnay wines. Spread over 200 acres of hillside, it also includes groves of olive and eucalyptus trees and lavender fields.

The estate was acquired by the Danish entrepreneur and businessman Allan Warburg and his wife Mei in 2010, and the collectors have spent the past 13 years transforming the landscape with sculptures from their personal collection. Their taste is broad: artists whose work they have acquired include Ai Weiwei, Lynda Benglis, Anselm Kiefer, Louise Bourgeois, Gao Weigang, Ugo Rondinone, Zhan Wang, Keith Haring, Jaume Plensa, Elmgreen & Dragset, Fernando Botero, Richard Hudson, and Yue Minjun.

Warburg first went to China as student, and by the 1990s had set up a joint venture there with the Danish fashion company Bestseller, importing and selling western fashion into a fast-growing emerging market. Bestseller Fashion Group now has about 7,000 stores in the Far East. Warburg now resides in Hong Kong with his wife Mei. There isn’t a hotel at the Donum Estate as yet, but there are daily tours for visitors to taste the wines in a specially commissioned pavilion designed by the artist Olafur Eliasson and the architect Sebastian Behmann. thedonumestate.com

Michele Mathison, Everything and Nothing, 2019, San Basilio, Basilicata

CASTELLO SAN BASILIO, ITALY

This fortress, near Matera in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, was built to protect a monastic community in the seventh century. It is now owned by the Berlingieri family, who have housed their art collection throughout the property for the past five decades. In 2019 the young collector Aloisia Leopardi was invited to start a program dedicated to artistic research, experimentation, and collaboration. The castle is now a project space for cultural exchange between artists, curators, collectors, and arts professionals, which aims to encourage the local communities in the surrounding villages to experience contemporary art.

Visiting the artists in residence and exhibitions is by appointment only; it is also possible to book a suite or room at the nearby agriturismo, Il Filaro del Castello del Castello San Basilio. Basilio alumni include the emerging artists Oren Pinhassi, Lucy Henshall, Michele Mathison, and Sheida Soleimani. The artists for 2023 are Kat Lyons and Anna Perach. castellosanbasilio.com

Photos: Andrea Bosio; Sim Cannetty-Clark; Alessandro Moggi; Lucy Henshall; Robert Berg; courtesy of @vik_wine and @vikchile, The Fife Arms, Lismore Castle and Lopud 1483

July 8, 2023July 8, 2023

Wine: Witnessing Steady Growth Since the Pandemic, Champagne Sales Continue to Pop

SPARKLING JOY

Champagne moves in such exalted circles—glamorous parties, society weddings, Grand Prix podiums—that it is easy to forget that it is actually a wine. And, like every wine with the potential to age, it is much in demand both from collectors and investors, and never more than now. Over the past two years, leading cuvées have soared in value: 1992 Krug Clos du Mesnil has jumped 92% from £1,176 a bottle to £2,260, 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal by 68% from £167 to £281 and the 2007 vintage of the prestigious growers’ champagnes, Pierre Péters, has leaped from £125 a bottle to £282, up 126%.^*

Richard Young, vice president, senior specialist, wine for Sotheby’s, explains that interest in champagne has been increasing since the start of the pandemic. Despite champagne’s production levels being at their highest, even for many of the most prestigious cuvées, Young identifies two main factors that led to the hike in prices. “Emerging markets have pushed up global demand, while market leaders—Dom Pérignon, Krug, Louis Roederer Cristal, and some of the best growers’ champagnes—have tightened allocations, driving prices up and fuelling speculation from both trade buyers and collectors.”

The temptations for investors are obvious: Young also credits “a string of outstanding vintages—2002, 2008, 2012—that have strongly encouraged speculation. And it’s interesting to note that collectors now desire champagne in their cellars just as much as fine burgundy or bordeaux.” And champagne, he thinks, is promoting and marketing itself “very successfully to a younger, more diverse and affluent clientele”.

And what of the future? Can champagne sustain the growth levels of the past few years? Young feels that champagnes that have been allowed to age and those with a smaller production will do best. The fizzing interest in champagne is unlikely to slow down anytime soon.

The three main grapes for champagne are chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier

THREE 2008 VINTAGE BOTTLES TO BUY NOW

Salon, Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut 2008 (magnum/1.5L), $5,635

Unusually for Salon, this cream of the Mesnil crop was only bottled in magnums in 2008: a mere 8,000 of them, so demand certainly outstrips supply for this magnificently concentrated and complex wine.

Jacques Selosse Extra Brut Millésime 2008 (750ml), $4,295

There is something almost burgundian about the texture and power of Selosse’s champagne—it is vinified in old barrels from Domaine Leflaive —and the hauntingly herbal, lemon-scented 2008 is a fine example from a great vintage.

Louis Roederer Cristal 2008 (magnum/1.5L), $1,295

60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay, from the vintage in which Roederer first used biodynamically grown grapes (40% of them): stunningly rich and opulent champagne that will easily last another decade.

All available at sothebyswine.com

*Data from Liv-Ex. Photos: John Heseltine/Alamy Stock Photo

May 1, 2023May 1, 2023

Keeping It Surreal

Daniel Roseberry at Maison Schiaparelli, overlooking the Place Vendôme

Daniel Roseberry, the artistic director of Schiaparelli, has long been fascinated by Elsa Schiaparelli’s collaborations with the leading lights of Surrealism. After establishing her venerable fashion house in the 1930s, Schiaparelli became one of the first couturiers to collaborate with artists, working with Salvador Dalí and Man Ray, among others.

“I’m always so nostalgic for that period,” Roseberry says. “I think of those collaborations as ones that were happening between people who were creating culture around them, and who found themselves in real relationships. I often wonder if they had any idea that their work would be romanticized and fetishized for generations after. Even if it was transactional in some way, those creative partnerships feel so deeply natural compared to most of what we observe today.”

Marcel Vertès, Schiaparelli, 21 Place Vendôme, 1953, on display in the salon of Maison Schiaparelli
Photo Credit: Christophe Coënon; Matthieu Salavaing; © Archives Snark; ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images; courtesy of Schiaparelli; courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Arts.

Texas-born Roseberry has been reinterpreting Schiaparelli’s historic vision through his dramatic collections since taking the reins of the house in 2019. This March, the Surrealism and Its Legacy sale at Sotheby’s Paris brings together works by artists associated with the movement, including René Magritte, Francis Picabia, Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst, and works from those influenced by it—such as Lucio Fontana and Alexander Calder.

The sale reflects a period of renewed interest in Surrealism, with recent auctions and international exhibitions including last year’s Venice Biennale adopting it as a central theme. For Roseberry, the enduring appeal of the Surrealists is obvious. “Generations and times shift and change, but the urges of the subconscious feel timeless and truly inescapable. They were able to tap into this and exploit it,” he says.

Elsa Schiaparelli with Salvador Dalí, 1949

Elsa Schiaparelli was born into a family of intellectuals and aristocrats in 1890 in Rome, and her encounter with the Surrealists was utterly fortuitous. Sailing on an ocean liner in 1916 to North America with her husband, she met Gabrièle Buffet-Picabia, first wife of the Dada artist Francis Picabia. Buffet-Picabia introduced her to New York’s avant-garde art scene via Société Anonyme, an arts organization founded in the city by the painter and collector Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. Returning to Paris in 1922, Schiaparelli made her foray into fashion, encouraged by a new acquaintance: preeminent designer Paul Poiret. Her first success was the now-renowned trompe-l’œil bow jumper, a design hand-knitted by Armenian women in Paris. Schiaparelli then went on to set up business in a garret on Rue de la Paix and, in 1935, moved to a boutique in the prestigious Place Vendôme. Her connections with artists became central to the brand’s success.

It is her work with Dalí that stands out most. “From my point of view, it is the most striking and influential [collaboration] in the history of the house of Schiaparelli,” says Marie-Sophie Carron de La Carrière, head curator of the fashion and textile collections after 1800 at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, which hosted the exhibition Shocking! Les mondes surréalistes d’Elsa Schiaparelli (July 2022–January 2023). Among other pieces, Schiaparelli and Dalí worked together on the Shoe Hat, 1937–38, absurdly fashioned from an upside-down black shoe, and the Lobster dress, 1937, for which Dalí designed a crustacean to appear on a white organdy dress, which was interpreted into a fabric print by silk designer Sache.

After returning to Paris from the US after the Second World War, Schiaparelli commissioned the Catalan artist to design the crystal bottle for her new fragrance, Le Roy Soleil, in homage to the “Sun King”, Louis XIV. The resulting bottle comprised a golden sun painted with swallows above a gold and blue sea.

Schiaparelli’s Shoe Hat, 1937–38;

Other memorable creations include two pairs of spiral spectacles that Man Ray made for Schiaparelli in 1936. Jean Cocteau, the Surrealism polymath, brought his passion for optical illusion and metamorphosis to Schiaparelli’s collections in 1937 and 1938. Designs include a linen evening jacket featuring a woman in profile, her hair rendered in gold thread, shimmering down the right arm with two hands encircling the waist. On a silk jersey coat, Cocteau designed two facing profiles to form the shape of a vase, filled with a bouquet of pink taffeta flowers. Surrealist artist Leonor Fini designed the bottle for Schiaparelli’s fragrance Shocking, inspired by the hourglass torso of Hollywood film star Mae West, one of Schiaparelli’s clients. Artist Meret Oppenheim traded Schiaparelli a design for a piece of jewelry: a brass bracelet covered in animal fur that Schiaparelli included in her Fall/Winter 1936 collection.

A nod to Jean Cocteau’s evening dress for Fall 2021 Couture

Schiaparelli held these collaborations close to her heart. “Working with artists like Bébé Bérard, Jean Cocteau, Salvador Dalí, Vertès, Van Dongen; and with photographers like Hoyningen-Huene, Horst, Cecil Beaton and Man Ray gave one a sense of exhilaration,” she wrote in her autobiography, Shocking Life. “One felt supported and understood beyond the crude and boring reality of merely making a dress to sell.” They helped her to become one of the most important designers of the 20th century, rivaling contemporaries such as Coco Chanel.

Salvador Dalí, Dream of Venus, 1939

Today, the Surrealists’ influence is carried forward by Roseberry through his own designs for the house, which closed in 1954 and was relaunched in 2012 by Diego Della Valle, the founder of Italian luxury group Tod’s. Roseberry had not worked in a couture atelier before, joining from upmarket fashion brand Thom Browne, but his eye for tailoring and experimentation has made him a perfect fit, and he has resurrected iconic Schiaparelli motifs in bold new ways. Pink silk roses, a nod to Cocteau’s evening dress, cover the billowing arms of a black mini dress from his Fall 2021 Couture collection. For Spring 2022 Couture, he presented a “cage” dress exquisitely crafted from gold leaf and vintage gemstones, which resembles more of a giant brooch than a garment.

To keep the founder’s intentions alive in a new century, Roseberry has “learned to stay loose”. “When you look at Elsa’s process, it feels free and unburdened, and spontaneous,” he says. “It’s like the shower principle: that the best ideas come to you when you’re not thinking about them, or when you’re in the shower. I think her work has this free-wheeling intelligence that feels so ahead of its time. It wasn’t just about beauty, or of the ‘line’ of a dress. It was about a concept, an idea, a notion of reality. She would take this notion and bend it to her will.”

Roseberry’s love of Surrealism extends to his own art collection, too. He has “just bought a small painting by the Belgian surrealist Marcel Delmotte”, who drew from a range of sources, including the Italian Mannerists to contemporaries such as Giorgio de Chirico for his dreamlike works. “French Surrealism in the 1950s has something I love. I am repeatedly drawn to French and Italian art from the 1920s and the 1930s, such as Gaston Lachaise [known for his exaggerated bronze nudes], and I’d love to one day own an important piece of American art from the 1950s or 1960s, like a giant Helen Frankenthaler.”

Like Schiaparelli, Roseberry is eager to collaborate with artists of his time: “I love Katie Stout”—the artist and furniture designer who pushes the boundaries of functionality, and often references organic matter and female figures. “The photographer Nadia Lee Cohen, and my friends—the sculptor F Taylor Colantonio, and the writer and playwright Jeremy O Harris [his Slave Play made waves on Broadway in 2021],” he adds. “I would love to make a short film with Janicza Bravo [her work includes the movies Lemon and Zola]. Tilda Swinton would make an amazing Elsa Schiaparelli one day in a film, and I’d love to be involved in that.”

In the meantime, Roseberry’s eyes are firmly focused on his work with Schiaparelli and, just like the house’s imaginative founder, “creating things that people might remember, and that might last more than a moment”.

Schiaparelli coat designed in collaboration with Cocteau

February 12, 2023April 9, 2023

Sotheby’s Launches New You Tube Channel Trailer

Welcome to Sotheby’s YouTube, where we bring you inside the world’s premier auction house for art and luxury. Hear from our world-renown specialists, experts in their fields, and watch the bidding action live from the auction room. We’ll take you behind the scenes in artist studios and into the living rooms of some of the greatest collectors around the world.

December 3, 2022February 3, 2023

Contemporary Landscapes, Party Barns, and Bespoke Home Cocktail Bars are All The Rage

This article first appeared on SothebysRealty.com

Landscape painters are telling stories that reach far beyond stars, sky, and sea; backyard barns are playing host to elaborate get-togethers; and custom cocktail bars are serving drinks in style at home.

Here are the latest trends in art, architecture, and design.

Amy Bennett’s Camp, 18 by 24 inches, oil on panel, 2020.

Photo Credit: Chris Snook Photography

ART

In the hands of contemporary artists, landscapes—which for centuries have served as voyeuristic travelogues of exotic locales—are pushing traditional boundaries.

From edgy scenes to outright abstractions, these new works have become settings for imaginative interpretations and narratives that allow viewers to see the world in a vastly different way.

Amy Bennett, whose studio is in Cold Spring, N.Y., sees herself as an omniscient narrator, an explorer not of the geographic terrain but of inner themes such as “isolation, family, time, and the difficulty of knowing and relating to one another.”

Her works, which she says offer a “God’s eye view,” start with a realistic miniature 3-D model that serves as a still life as well as a stage set.

For Small Changes Every Day, a 48-inch by 60-inch agrarian-themed oil painting, she created an eight-square-foot model that ultimately featured over 500 structures that she cut out of wood and painted by hand.

The models, which she often takes apart so she can reuse pieces for future works, allow her to control everything from lighting and poses to colors and to remove walls and “peer into places I don’t belong.”

Bennett’s inspiration, for the most part, comes from her own life and observations, including things she has read and watched. “The scenes usually percolate in my imagination,” she says.

She’s more interested in depicting a scene that makes viewers wonder than in painting a setting purely for its aesthetic appeal. A cocktail bar by Emma Green Design

Photo Credits: Galleri Magnus Karlsson, Stockholm

ARCHITECTURE

Bespoke backyard barns, which are being built to host big events as well as private parties in primary residences, are expanding the concept and physical boundaries of the traditional family room.

“They serve multiple uses,” says Daniel K. Glick, founder and partner of B&D Builders, an award-winning barn-building company based in Paradise, Pa. “People are drawn to spending time in a barn structure because of the inherent feelings of comfort and relaxation the atmosphere naturally provides.”

He notes that the company’s barns, which typically are made of Douglas fir, include accent beams, wall paneling, and furniture crafted from reclaimed wood. They also feature hand-forged hardware, and are used for everything from large-scale charity events to family reunions and weddings to yoga studios, basketball and tennis courts, and art studios.

In some cases, existing barns are renovated. For a private historic estate in Chester Springs, Pa., B&D Builders was commissioned to reimagine a working barn as an events space that features heated floors, a full kitchen, restrooms fashioned out of old horse stalls, a guest suite, a bar, several seating areas, and fireplaces.

The trend for party barns, Glick adds, took off in high gear when people were forced to stay home during the pandemic.

“Typically, they are a labor of love for the owners,” he says. “And we end up being invited to the first big event, which is always fun.”

DESIGN

Sophisticated and glamorous, the bespoke cocktail bar has taken up residence in the private abode.

“Clients want the option to entertain more from home without forgoing the fun or luxury of a night out,” says Emma Green, whose namesake interior design firm is based in London. “They are using them to reward themselves with a drink at the end of a stressful day or busy week and as a reason to have their guests in their best room, which is often the living room, and to create something of a spectacle.”

The cocktail bars offer sparkle power to new and old homes alike. Outfitted with illuminated mirrors and glass shelves that showcase glittering collections of cut-crystal bottles and drinks glasses, they are comfortably inhabiting alcoves, including those on each side of the fireplace, and hallways adjacent to public rooms.

“I tend to design the bars to be a feature in themselves,” Green says. “Who wants to hide a gorgeous cocktail cabinet away?”

Called into action for before-dinner aperitifs and after-dinner cocktails, they often feature a refrigerator/freezer that promptly produces ice cubes as well as a small sink for washing all those lemons

A barn renovated by B&D Builders

Photo Credit: Jana Bannan Photography

November 9, 2022February 3, 2023

Sotheby’s Expands in Georgia and Michigan

Sotheby’s International Realty announced its expanding presence in the state of Georgia with the opening of Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty in Blue Ridge. The addition marks the Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s eighth affiliated office in the state.

The office is owned by David Boehmig, president and CEO, and Jenny Pruitt, executive chairman, of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. The new location will be led by Lisa Johnson, executive vice president and managing broker, and will service the entire North Georgia mountain market. Johnson possesses 25 years of experience in residential real estate and maintains numerous leadership roles within the state of Georgia’s leading real estate association.

“Blue Ridge is considered the jewel of North Georgia,” said Philip White, president and CEO, Sotheby’s International Realty. “The market began developing years ago among retirees and second homeowners but became more popular for buyers looking for large outdoor space. The area also offers affordability compared to the surrounding areas and is within driving distance to Atlanta. The addition of the Blue Ridge office allows the company to further service their clients and I am thrilled to support their continued growth.”

“Given the demand we are seeing for homes in the North Georgia area, it made sense for us to expand to better support this growing market,” said Boehmig. “While the availability of mountain and lakefront homes are highly competitive, our company is able to provide on-the-ground knowledge, a white-glove level of service, and international marketing opportunities through our affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty.”

Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty will have several agents supporting the new office who bring an extensive familiarity of the North Georgian market.

Sotheby’s International Realty also announced the opening of Great Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty, signifying the brand’s continued growth in the state of Michigan. The addition marks the brand’s seventh office in the state.

Great Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty is owned and operated by Dean Groulx and Wendy Groulx, who bring more than 60 years of collective experience to the company. Headquartered in the city of Elk Rapids, the office will serve the greater Traverse City area in Michigan including Alden, Bellaire, Elk Rapids, Elk Lake, Lake Leelanau, North Port, Suttons Bay, Torch Lake, and Traverse City.

“Greater Traverse City has a robust luxury home market,” said Philip White, president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s become attractive for high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs and we’re seeing both U.S. and international buyers purchasing primary and secondary homes in the area. Our continued growth in the state enables our brand to service this growing market and I look forward to supporting Dean, Wendy, and the entire Great Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty team.”

“The Traverse City area boasts a lifestyle and culture that few other places can match,” said Groulx. “Our area has access to some of the largest and most pristine freshwater lakes and access to world-class entertainment and fine dining. Few real estate companies can match the background and experience of our brokers and sales associates, and our affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty will offer sellers and buyers in the greater Traverse City area an experience like no other thanks to its prestige, global presence, and marketing capabilities.”

The company has plans for future growth in Alden, Bellaire, Traverse City, Northport, and Leelanau. Great Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty was launched in partnership with Russ Post, owner/broker of Ocean Sotheby’s International Realty.

The Sotheby’s International Realty® network currently has nearly 26,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 1,000 offices in 81 countries and territories worldwide. Mountain Sotheby’s International Realty listings are marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm’s brokers and clients will benefit from an association with Sotheby’s auction house and worldwide Sotheby’s International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.

October 2, 2020

Three Artists and the Places that Made Them

Reposted from Sotheby’s International Realty’s RESIDE Magazine at sothebysrealty.com .

Art lovers around the world have long been entranced by the icons Paul Cézanne, Salvadore Dalí, and Jackson Pollock. To fully understand and appreciate these masters, it helps to visit the places that nurtured and continue to display their talents. Each locale is a thrill to visit in its own right; add in these stops and you’ll come away with a newfound artistic education covering some of the art world’s biggest names.

Salvador Dalí’s Madrid
While Salvador Dalí was born in 1904 near the French border in Catalonia and spent his formative years there, the titan of Spanish surrealism casts an imposing shadow over Madrid.

In 1922, Dalí moved into the city’s Residencia de Estudiantes (Students’ Residence) and studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Today, both facilities are open to visitors looking to delve deeper into the artist’s background; the Residencia de Estudiantes, one of the oldest cultural centers in Madrid, hosts myriad conferences, panel discussions, concerts, poetry readings, and exhibitions.

The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía allows Dalí fans to mix with Picasso lovers; the museum holds world-class collections from Spain’s two greatest 20th-century masters.

In 1985, the Madrid City Council decided to dedicate a public space to Dalí and commissioned the artist to create a work for the space. The Plaza de Salvador Dalí is dominated by the only urban monument in the world designed by the artist, a hulking granite dolmen (a single-chamber megalithic tomb). Within the 43-foot structure, in which an oval-shaped natural rock was placed on three carved granite pillars, resides a bronze sculpture of an abstract, masculine figure standing on a pedestal of polished black granite.

Visitors looking to tap into Dalí’s mind can stop by the Westin Palace Madrid, a historic property that was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII in 1912. Back when it was known as the Hotel Palace, Dalí enjoyed jazz nights with friends and preferred to stay in the suites overlooking the iconic Fuente de Neptuno (Neptune Fountain); the artist was notorious for making elaborate demands of the staff. Today, visitors to the hotel, which sits in the shadow of one of the world’s most famous art museums, the Museo del Prado, can enjoy a cocktail in the 1912 Museo Bar. (A case next to the bar holds a piece of hotel stationery bearing a note and poem penned by Federico García Lorca, and embellished with doodles by Dalí.)

Salvador DalÍ, reportedly enjoyed jazz nights while staying at what is now the Westin Palace Madrid.

Paul Cézanne’s Southern France

Perhaps no artist is more associated with the South of France than Paul Cézanne. The postimpressionist master, who spent much of his life in his native Aix-en-Provence, was one of the most influential 19th-century painters. (Both Matisse and Picasso reputedly said he was “the father of us all.”)

Cézanne was passionate about Aix-en-Provence—he was famously quoted as saying: “When you’re born there, it’s hopeless, nothing else is good enough”—and present-day visitors can walk in Cézanne’s footsteps. A well-marked pedestrian route allows visitors to discover the landmarks of Cézanne’s early years, including his childhood homes and schools, the addresses of his family and acquaintances, and other notable spots that shaped him.

To see one of the key places in Cézanne’s life, take a guided tour of his family’s manor house, the Bastide du Jas de Bouffan, where the artist established an atelier in the attic and often painted in the garden, looking out to the Montagne Sainte-Victoire mountain ridge from different vantage points. For the last few years of his life, Cézanne painted in his studio in Les Lauves, around an hour from Aix, and after his death it became memorialized as Atelier Paul Cézanne. Visitors can peruse models, furniture, and equipment as the artist left them in his studio.

Cézanne devotees head to the east of Aix to explore the labyrinthian Bibémus quarries. In 1897, the artist rented a cabin there and produced works based on the deserted landscapes; paintings like “The Red Rock” went on to inspire the cubist style.

Active types can take a hike up Montagne Sainte-Victoire, known by some as “Cézanne’s mountain,” which was the subject of more than 60 works by the artist. After a two-hour jaunt up the mountain, which is recognizable for its white limestone cliffs, visitors enjoy gorgeous panoramic views of the region and out to the Mediterranean Sea.

Paul Cézanne, painted the Sainte-Victoire mountain ridge in southern France.

Jackson Pollock’s Hamptons
Some 60-plus years after his death, Jackson Pollock, the pre-eminent figure of abstract expressionism, continues to captivate. His wall-size drip-and-pour painting One: Number 31 has been bringing crowds to the $450 million expansion of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and his large-format works entrance audiences around the world.

Pollock acolytes commonly make pilgrimages to the Hamptons on Long Island, home to the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, a National Historic Landmark open from May through October (guided tours by reservation only). The house, built in 1879, is typical of the area’s 19th-century farmers’ and fishermen’s homes.

Pollock—who lived there with his wife, artist Lee Krasner—converted a barn into a studio. There, without heat or artificial light, he perfected his distinctive “drip” technique of using paint, in which he laid the canvas on the floor and walked around it, applying paint from all sides. The energy in the studio is palpable, especially whenever visitors spot the floorboards, which still bear original drips from Pollock’s very own brushes, sticks, and basting syringes.

A visit to Pollock’s Hamptons comes full circle at Green River Cemetery. After Pollock was buried there in 1956 (Krasner was laid to rest by his side in 1984), the cemetery became famous as a final resting place for notable artists and writers, with numerous headstones that resemble works of art.

Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, bought their home, now a National Historic Landmark, with help from art patron

March 2, 2020

Sotheby’s International Realty Opens First Office in Montenegro

March 2, 2020

MADISON, N.J., March 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced that Luxury Properties LLC is the newest member of its global network and will now operate as Montenegro Sotheby’s International Realty – the brand’s first affiliated office in Montenegro

.Montenegro Sotheby’s International Realty will be owned and operated by Hunter Milborne and will serve the luxury residential real estate market in the region. The company will have a special focus on the coast of Montenegro, including Porto Montenegro, Boka Bay, and the Budva region. Milborne brings more than 40 years of real estate experience to the company.

“Montenegro is experiencing considerable growth, thanks in part to its prioritization in investment, tourism and foreign interest,” said Philip White, president and chief executive officer of Sotheby’s International Realty. “The region’s wide variety of luxury properties and high-class accommodations continues to develop. Hunter and his team have experience representing the country’s finest properties and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Montenegro Sotheby’s International Realty to the network.”

“The mission of our company stems from our desire to provide clients with professional and ethical service from start to finish,” said Milborne. “Montenegro is an excellent choice for buying a property and is a perfect second home destination. Sotheby’s International Realty is synonymous with world-class marketing for a true global reach, and our affiliation will enable us to showcase our listings on an international scale.”

Montenegro Sotheby’s International Realty has an office in the town of Tivat. The company and its agents actively support the community and deliver food and clothes to those in need.

The Sotheby’s International Realty^® network currently has more than 23,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in 1,000 offices in 70 countries and territories worldwide. Montenegro Sotheby’s International Realty listings are marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm’s brokers and clients will benefit from an association with the Sotheby’s auction house and worldwide Sotheby’s International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 1,000 offices located in 70 countries and territories worldwide, including 45 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.

The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Both Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

CONTACT

Melissa Couch
PR Manager
Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC
973-407-6142
melissa.couch@sothebysrealty.com

SOURCE Sotheby’s International Realty

February 25, 2020

Sotheby’s International Realty Expands Maryland Presence

MADISON, N.J., Feb. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced that Atlantic Shores Realty is the newest member of its global network and will now operate as Atlantic Shores Sotheby’s International Realty. The addition marks the Sotheby’s International Realty^® brand’s continued growth in the state of Maryland.

Owned and operated by Ryan Haley and Kristy Haley, the firm is located in Ocean City, Maryland with 12 sales associates and will serve the surrounding region.

“Ocean City, Maryland continues to be a popular destination for those looking to match a home with their lifestyle,” said Philip White, president and chief executive officer of Sotheby’s International Realty. “Ryan and Kristy have led a successful company for 10 years and are true experts in their community. They strive to help their clients achieve a luxury beach lifestyle and we look forward to welcoming them to the network.”

“We work daily to provide our clients with the greatest real estate experience possible,” said Ryan Haley. “Our company and agents are deeply embedded in the community. We have raised our kids here, retired here and vacationed here – we know the beach! Our affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty permits us to combine our hyper-local knowledge and expertise with the Sotheby’s International Realty brand’s best-in-class marketing, innovative technology and global reach.”

The company and its agents actively support the Ocean City Surf Club’s Adopt Your Beach program, which works with residents to create permanent solutions to shoreline and marine debris. Atlantic Shores Sotheby’s International Realty supports a variety of local groups through the initiative including Worcester County GOLD, Worcester Youth & Family Counseling Services, Kenille’s Kupboard Pet Pantry & Rescue, Inc. and Casey Cares Foundation.

The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has more than 23,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in 1,000 offices in 71 countries and territories worldwide. In 2018, the brand achieved a record global sales volume of $112 billion USD. Atlantic Shores Sotheby’s International Realty listings are marketed on the sothebysrealty.com global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm’s brokers and clients will benefit from an association with the Sotheby’s auction house and worldwide Sotheby’s International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 1,000 offices located in 71 countries and territories worldwide, including 44 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.

The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company-owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Both Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

CONTACT

Melissa Couch
PR Manager
Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC
973-407-6142
melissa.couch@sothebysrealty.com

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019

Ex-Miami Dolphins stars Frank Gore and Kenny Stills put Florida homes for sale

By Jennifer Gould Keil LINK TO FULL STORY

December 5, 2019

LINK TO FULL STORY

Two Miami football stars are making big real estate plays. NFL legend Frank Gore, 36, has listed his Florida home, on Stoneway Court in Davie, for $1.8 million. The veteran Buffalo Bills running back has strong ties to the Sunshine State: He played for the University of Miami and the Miami Dolphins. READ MORE

Kimberly Knausz of One Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.