Downtown Los Angeles, CA, USA, September 8, 2021 — Andrew Jones Auctions will burst into autumn with a pair of outstanding online-only auctions: the collection of Lady Victoria White of Beverly Hills, best described as English country house meets California chic, on Sunday, October 10th; then, Part 1 in a series of auctions dedicated to the John Nelson collection on Sunday, October 24th.
The string of sales for the John Nelson collection will be a celebration of the unerring eye of a more than 50-year Los Angeles design and antiques institution, the man behind the eponymous John Nelson Antiques. The collection features Chinese porcelain, paintings, French decorative arts, sculpture, antiquities, Grand Tour objects, European furniture, mirrors and chandeliers.
“We are incredibly honored to have been entrusted with these two incomparable collections,” said Andrew Jones, President and CEO of Andrew Jones Auctions. “The collection of Lady Victoria White tells a story that is elegant and personal, with a range of genres and quality that rarely comes to market. John Nelson was not only a client, but a close personal friend for years.”
Mr. Jones said he’s very much familiar with the story behind the chase and acquisition of most of the pieces in Mr. Nelson’s collection. “I only wish the auction were not happening for many more years,” he said. “I will certainly miss John sitting at the back of the auction room on sale days, bidding passionately and enjoying the cut and thrust of battling it out with other bidders.”
Lady White’s lifelong love of horses is reflected in a number of equestrian paintings, including two by the celebrated equestrian Impressionist artist Sir Alfred Munnings, highlighted by The Kilkenny Horse Fair (estimate: $200,000-$300,000); and Making a Polo Ground at Princemere (estimate: $100,000-$150,000). Also by Munnings is Lark III, an Irish Setter (estimate: $25,000-$35,000); and a landscape evocative of country life in Munnings’ home village of Dedham titled Winter at Flatford Mill (estimate: $15,000-$25,000).
British Impressionism is blended with Modernism including four lithographs by California Pop Art innovator Ed Ruscha that feature a lot of two works titled Two People Temporarily Separated and Two Happy People (estimate: $8,000-$12,000) and a unique screen print by Andy Warhol, $(1) (estimate: $30,000-$50,000) and a of range pieces by Jules Cavailles, Charles Van den Eycken, Paul Gustav Fischer, Ormond Gigli, Robert Longo, Richard Serra and Kiki Smith.
Lady White’s international life of exploration and glamor are reflected in the pieces chosen to create her home sanctuary. Furniture and decorative arts include an international selection of fine silver, porcelain, a Régence gilt bronze mounted kingwood commode en tombeau (estimate: $20,000-$30,000), gorgeous Chinese and Delft blue and white porcelain pieces and rare books. The extensive library includes her husband Robert Evans’s copy of the screenplay for Chinatown (1983) (estimate: $1,500-$2,000).
Her items also feature bronzes, jewelry and garden sets by Michael Taylor and Rose Tarlow. The layers of connoisseurship in this collection reveal a deep appreciation for the breadth of fine and decorative arts, punctuated with touches of whimsey.
John Nelson, while a student of art history, went with classmates on a trip to Europe. This would begin a lifetime of travel and art appreciation that saw him return to Europe over 70 times in the following 65 years. John and his partner, Robert Rounds, created a life that blended business and pleasure that afforded them the riches of friends around the world, whether it was dinner parties in London with Princess Margaret or drinking with waiters after hours at Café de Flore in Paris.
Part 1 of the John Nelson collection will include a magnificent pair of Italian carved marble life size dogs (estimate: $20,000-$30,00) that will greet clients at the front door during the preview, guarding over a treasure trove of art and antiques, including a monumental pair of Irish George II giltwood mirrors formerly in the collection of William Myron Keck (estimate: $10,000-$15,000).
Also sold will be a Louis XV style gilt bronze parquetry bureau plat (estimate: $7,000-$9,000), an 18th century German Baroque marquetry bureau cabinet (estimate: $8,000-$12,000), a 19th century Continental scagliola inset gilt bronze mounted mahogany center table (estimate: $2,000-$4,000), and Grand Tour bronze figures, an athlete and Spinario (each estimate: $4,000-$6,000).
A favorite of John’s is an elegant Baltic gilt bronze and cut-glass chandelier (estimate: $15,000-$20,000) and a charming Louis XV style gilt bronze boar form mantel clock (estimate: $3,000-$5,000). Fine art will be led by a captivating scene of the preparation of Noah’s Ark, featuring many exotic beasts done in the manner of Jakob Bogdani (1658-1724) (estimate: $3,000-$5,000).
A spokesperson for John Nelson Antiques commented, “The choice of which auction house to handle John’s estate was relatively easy. We have worked with Andrew Jones for nearly twenty years and his professionalism, knowledge and attention to detail have been invaluable to our business. He has been a trusted colleague and a good friend. We are delighted to be working with Andrew in bringing the nearly sixty years of John Nelson’s life’s work to the auction world.”
Internet bidding for both online-only auctions will be facilitated by AndrewJonesAuctions.com, Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com. Safe, physically distanced previews will be held by appointment only at the Andrew Jones Auctions gallery prior to each auction. Plans may change in accordance with Los Angeles County Department of health Covid-19 restrictions. Contact the gallery for details. The gallery is located at 2221 South Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. Absentee bids will also be accepted. To schedule a preview appointment, call (213) 748-8008.
To learn more about Andrew Jones Auctions and the two auctions planned for October 10th and October 24th, please visit www.andrewjonesauctions.com. Updates are posted frequently. They can be reached by phone at (213) 748-8008, or via email at info@andrewjonesauctions.com.
About Andrew Jones Auctions:
Opened in the summer of 2018, Andrew Jones Auctions is a full-service fine art and antiques auction house specializing in the liquidation of estates and collections featuring fine art, antiques and collectibles. The firm understands market trends and has foresight for the 21st century. The highly experienced staff has a wealth of knowledge with international savvy, having worked for many years at major international auction houses in North America and Europe, sourcing property from all corners of the United States. Andrew Jones Auctions’ sales are diverse and eclectic, and feature fine diamonds to contemporary art, spanning from the antiquity to today. To learn more about Andrew Jones Auctions, please visit www.andrewjonesauctions.com. Updates are posted often.