Robert William Burke’s unpublished collection for sale at Artcurial
 

On 25^th October Artcurial will be auctioning the unpublished collection from Robert William Burke’s flat. Collector and gallery owner, he was closely associated with Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly and Gilbert & George. An American by birth, he chose to settle in Paris where he meticulously preserved the collection he had painstakingly accumulated over the course of his career and through his artistic friendships.

An exceptional collection, a testament to good taste and sound artistic choices
Within this unique collection, composed of nearly 300 works, many specialities are represented: Contemporary Art, Photography, Prints and Books (Andy Warhol, Gilbert & George, Cy Twombly, Sol Lewitt, Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Sarkis, Christopher Makos, Michel Comte, David Seidner, Robert Demachy, Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst), Design (Jacques Adnet), as well as Primitive Arts, Archaeology and Oriental Arts, Old Paintings and Asian Art.

Alongside a previously unseen silkscreen ink on canvas by Andy Warhol called Warren (1962), estimated at €400,000 - 600,000, two others by the same artist will be presented: This Side Up (1962), estimated at €200,000 - 400,000 and a third, VIP Tickets - Studio 54 (1978), estimated at €80,000 - 120,000. All three artworks are signed gifts from Warhol to his friend, Robert William Burke.

A rare example of a parchment-covered wooden column floor lamp by Jacques Adnet, formerly located in Warhol’s Paris flat, estimated at €40,000 - 60,000, is also offered for sale.

In photography, Gilbert & George’s Dusty Corners - No. 16 (1975), estimated at €200,000 - 300,000, will be presented. This collection also includes numerous pieces of Primitive Arts, Archaeology and Oriental Arts, including a 1st century Roman marble male head estimated at €18,000 - 22,000.

Robert William Burke: an American in Paris
Born in the small town of Marianna, Arkansas, Robert William Burke studied literature and history at Hendrix College. He then chose to study for his third year at the Institut d’Études Européennes in Paris.

After Robert William Burke’s career began at the legendary Gotham Book Mart in New York in the late 1960s, he decided to settle permanently in Paris. He started at Art Service International with Bénedicte Pesle, who was responsible for introducing many avant-garde American artists, dancers and musicians, to the European public. He soon became friends with many key figures from the intellectual and artistic world of the time, including Roland Barthes, Robert Wilson, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Gilbert & George and Andy Warhol.

In 1972, he moved to Ileana Sonnabend’s gallery on Quai des Grands Augustins, and later Rue Mazarine. The gallery presented American Pop Art and Minimal Art artists who were still unknown in Europe, such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Gilbert & George and Andy Warhol. Working directly with Cy Twombly, he developed a true friendship that was based on their shared roots. In 1975, he and Samia Souama opened the gallery La Remise du Parc, which displays both rare 19^th century photographs and contemporary works. The gallery, a pioneer in the field, contributed to introducing the photographic medium to the art market, giving it a strong position.

Andy Warhol and Cy Twombly each had a significant influence on the way Robert William Burke lived, dressed and wrote; an influence that is felt almost instantly when you see his home and his collection, in which Archaeology, Contemporary Art and Photographs are combined in a world of mystery and timelessness.

Information
Browse Catalogue
 

Auction
25^th October 2022 – 3pm

Exhibitions
Artcurial Paris
20 October, 11am-7pm
21 October, 11am-7pm
22 October, 11am-6pm
23 October, 2pm-6pm
24 October, 11am-6pm

Contact
Pearl Metalia
Tél. +33 1 42 99 20 18

Artcurial Austria
From 4^th to 7^th October 2022 – from 12pm to 7pm
harald bichler_rauminhalt
Schleifmühlgasse 13
1040 Wien

Contact
Caroline Messensee
Tél. +43 1 535 04 57