蘇富比贏得前總裁遺產拍賣爭奪戰
The chairman’s art collection is coming to Sotheby’s.
蘇富比拍賣行(Sotheby’s)獲得了其前總裁的藝術收藏品拍賣權。
After a heated, monthslong contest with its archrival Christie’s, Sotheby’s announced on Thursday that it had won the right to sell the estate of one of its former leaders, A. Alfred Taubman, the philanthropist and shopping mall magnate whose large and varied art collection, from old master classics to Modernist masterpieces, could be one of the most valuable private art collections ever brought to auction.
經過與主要對手佳士得拍賣行(Christie’s)數月的激烈競爭，週四，蘇富比宣佈獲得了前總裁A·艾爾弗雷德·陶布曼(A. Alfred Taubman)的遺產拍賣權。陶布曼是一位慈善家兼購物中心大亨，他的藝術收藏品豐富多樣——從繪畫大師的經典作品到現代主義傑作——可能是這家拍賣行迄今爲止得到的最有價值的私人藝術收藏。
The auction house estimated that the sales, planned for November and January, would bring in more than $500 million, placing it in the ranks of the Yves St. Laurent sale that raised $477 million in 2009 at Christie’s in Paris.
蘇富比計劃在今年11月和明年1月舉辦這些藏品的拍賣會，預計拍賣總額會超過五億美元，與伊夫·聖羅蘭(Yves St. Laurent)的遺產拍賣會旗鼓相當，後者是佳士得拍賣行2009年在巴黎舉辦的，拍賣額達到4.77億美元。
While the collection does not include a standout trophy like the 1955 “Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’)” by Picasso that sold for $179.4 million at Christie’s in May, it is broad and deep, with 500 pieces in all, including furniture, many of them created by coveted names like Mark Rothko, Amedeo Modigliani and Raphael. Several of the most expensive pieces, such as Willem de Kooning’s “Untitled XXI” from 1976, with an estimate of $25 million to $35 million, have never been publicly auctioned.
雖然藏品中沒有畢加索的《阿爾及爾女人（O版）》(Les Femmes d’Alger [Version ‘O’])那種特別突出的作品——今年5月，畢加索1955年的這件作品在佳士得拍賣行以1.794億美元售出——但是這些藏品廣博深遠，共有500件，包括傢俱，其中很多傢俱出自馬克·羅思科(Mark Rothko)、阿梅代奧·莫迪利亞尼(Amedeo Modigliani)和拉斐爾(Raphael)等令人仰慕的大師之手。最昂貴的幾件作品從未公開拍賣過，比如威廉·德庫寧(Willem de Kooning)1976年創作的《無題XXI》(Untitled XXI)，估價爲2500萬美元至3500萬美元。
For Mr. Taubman, who died in April at 91, the sale represents a from-the-grave lift to an auction house he had transformed from a struggling business into a global powerhouse during the 22 years he was the principal owner. In recent years, however, Sotheby’s has been trailing Christie’s in sales volumes.
今年4月，91歲的陶布曼去世。有22年時間，陶布曼是這家拍賣行的主要所有者。在此期間，他把它從一個垂死掙扎的公司變成全球頂尖的拍賣行。不過，近些年，在拍賣額方面，蘇富比落後於佳士得，所以這次拍賣對蘇富比來說簡直具有起死回生的意義。
Yet even as he transformed Sotheby’s, and the art market, with an aggressive retailing flair, Mr. Taubman was also associated with a less glorious period in the auction house’s history. In 2001, he was convicted in a price-fixing scheme with Christie’s that was said to have swindled customers out of more than $100 million. He served nine and a half months in prison.
不過，儘管陶布曼憑藉積極進取的零售天分改變了蘇富比和藝術市場，但他也與該拍賣行的一段不光彩的歷史有關。2001年，他因與佳士得合謀設定壟斷價格而獲罪，入獄九個半月。據說，客戶們因價格壟斷被詐取了一億多美元。
Winning the Taubman estate comes at a pivotal moment for Sotheby’s and its new president and chief executive, Tad Smith. He took over in March, promising shareholders that he would be judicious in the use of guarantees, the practice by auction houses of promising a seller a minimum price on a work or a collection. The house, or an outside guarantor, is on the hook if bidding falls short of that price.
對蘇富比及其新總裁兼首席執行官塔德·史密斯(Tad Smith)來說，獲得陶布曼的遺產拍賣權猶如趕上一場及時雨。今年3月，史密斯上任時向股東們承諾，他會謹慎使用擔保金。擔保金是拍賣公司就某件作品或收藏品向賣家擔保的最低價。如果最終售價低於擔保價，拍賣公司或外部擔保人將被套牢。
The Taubman estate is fully guaranteed as part of the Sotheby’s deal, a sign of the lengths to which the house went to avoid the embarrassment of losing a prized collection to a rival. The company would not reveal the minimum amount that had been guaranteed for the collection.
根據蘇富比的協議，陶布曼的遺產將獲得完全擔保。這表明，爲了避免這批珍貴的藏品落入對手手中而帶來的尷尬，蘇富比簡直不惜血本。蘇富比不會透露這批藏品的擔保價。
The timing of the first Taubman auction, Nov. 4, is yet another nod to the competition between two houses who have been dueling over consignments and commissions since the 18th century. Only this week, Christie’s had announced it would hold a special, period-spanning sale on Nov. 9, opening its fall auction season. Now Sotheby’s is starting its own season with a flourish a week earlier with the first Taubman sale of 70 works, drawing headlines, buzz and possible sales.
自18世紀以來，蘇富比和佳士得就開始了對委託權和佣金展開爭奪。定於11月4日舉行的第一場陶布曼遺產拍賣會只是兩大拍賣行漫長競爭的最新篇章。就在本週，佳士得已經宣佈，它將於11月9日舉辦一場跨越多個時期的特別拍賣會，揭開秋季拍賣季的序幕。現在，蘇富比也宣佈用一場盛大的拍賣會來揭開自己的秋季拍賣大幕，時間比佳士得還早一週。第一場陶布曼遺產拍賣會將包括70件作品，吸引媒體的關注和公衆議論，並可能帶動拍賣額。
“It’s a significant collection,” said Stephane C. Connery, an art dealer and adviser who formerly worked at Sotheby’s. “It seems fitting that Sotheby’s would be selling it, and it would be difficult to imagine it going to another venue.”
“這是一批重要藏品，”藝術交易商兼顧問斯特凡納·C·康納裏(Stephane C. Connery)說。他曾在蘇富比工作。“（陶布曼的遺產）由蘇富比來拍賣似乎很合適，很難想象它們會落入他人手中。”
The right to sell Mr. Taubman’s estate had by all accounts been hotly contested between the two auction houses with lots of back and forth between Christie’s and Sotheby’s and Mr. Taubman’s family since soon after his death. It would have been quite a blow to Sotheby’s if it had lost the right to sell the collection of a man so long associated with the company and the success it enjoyed in the 1980s and ’90s.
據衆人的描述，陶布曼去世後不久，佳士得和蘇富比就開始激烈爭奪他的遺產拍賣權，分別與陶布曼的家人進行了多次溝通。如果蘇富比沒有奪得對陶布曼藏品的拍賣權，那麼鑑於該拍賣行長期以來與陶布曼關係密切，以及它在20世紀八九十年代獲得的成功，對蘇富比來說都將是一個重大打擊。
Mr. Taubman is credited with recognizing that Sotheby’s was depriving itself of potential profits by mainly marketing to dealers and gallerists, not directly to the broad swath of rich collectors who love to buy art and for whom competing at auction would become another contest in which to cross swords.
陶布曼的功勞在於，他發現當年蘇富比主要面向交易商和畫廊老闆展開營銷，而不是直接致力於擴大富有的收藏家客戶羣，從而失去了潛在利潤。那些收藏家喜歡購買藝術品，對他們來說，在拍賣行競價是另一種交鋒。
Sotheby’s became a publicly traded company under Mr. Taubman, and he sold his controlling stake in 2005. After he left, he remained a presence at the auction house, attending sales and exhibitions, and the company hosted a 90th birthday party for him in London.
在陶布曼的領導下，蘇富比成爲一家上市公司。2005年，他賣掉了自己的控股權。離職後，他依然時常出現在該拍賣行的拍賣會和展覽上，該公司還在倫敦爲他舉辦了90歲生日派對。
The association continues to this day: In addition to his son Robert, who is a director of the company, his stepdaughter, Tiffany Dubin, works there.
陶布曼和蘇富比的聯繫一直持續到現在：他的兒子羅伯特(Robert)是該公司的一個主管，他的繼女蒂法尼·杜賓(Tiffany Dubin)也在這裏工作。
In their battle for the consignment, both Christie’s and Sotheby’s drew up mock catalogs showcasing the art. Their experts visited Mr. Taubman’s residences in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Palm Beach, Fla.; Southampton, N.Y.; and New York City to see the works. Sotheby’s made at least two main presentations at its offices in Manhattan to Mr. Taubman’s son William and daughter, Gayle Taubman Kalisman. Robert Taubman recused himself because he is a director. Mr. Smith led the process.
在委託權的爭奪戰中，佳士得和蘇富比都起草了展示那些藝術品的模擬目錄。他們的專家前往陶布曼的多處宅邸觀看藏品：密歇根州布盧姆菲爾德山、佛羅里達州棕櫚灘、紐約州南安普頓還有紐約市。蘇富比至少兩次在曼哈頓的辦公室向陶布曼的兒子威廉(William)和女兒蓋爾·陶布曼·卡利斯曼(Gayle Taubman Kalisman)展示重要提案。作爲主管之一，羅伯特·陶布曼主動迴避。整個過程由史密斯主導。
The negotiations included video presentations and discussions on how the collection would be presented, the valuations that Sotheby’s will put on individual works and how they will be marketed. As happens with most top consignments, Sotheby’s will pay for the artworks to be flown around the world for exhibition to potential buyers. Highlights are due to be exhibited in London, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and finally sold in New York in the building on York Avenue that Mr. Taubman helped rebuild.
談判包括視頻展示，以及討論蘇富比將如何對藏品進行展示，如何對每件作品的估價和推廣。和大部分頂級委託品一樣，蘇富比將支付把藝術品運往世界各地向潛在買家展示的費用。重點藏品將在倫敦、香港和洛杉磯展出，最後在紐約約克大道上的蘇富比總部大樓拍賣，那座大樓是陶布曼幫助重建的。
“It was very, very close,” Christopher Tennyson, a Taubman family spokesman, said. “Both houses made very strong presentations. There were a number of factors that go into a final decision.” Christie’s declined to comment.
“競爭非常激烈，”陶布曼家族的發言人克里斯托弗·坦尼森(Christopher Tennyson)說，“兩家公司的提案都很強。有很多因素促使我們做出最終的決定。”佳士得拒絕評論。
Mr. Tennyson said Mr. Taubman started collecting in the 1950s, putting the work on the walls of his homes, and sold very little throughout his lifetime. Robert Mnuchin, a New York gallerist, said Mr. Taubman typically bought art to hang in his home.
坦尼森說，陶布曼從20世紀50年代開始收藏，把作品掛在自家牆上，一生中極少出售。紐約畫廊老闆羅伯特·穆欽(Robert Mnuchin)說，陶布曼買藝術品都是爲了往家裏掛。
“This is a very personal collection,” he said, “and it reflects his tastes.”
“這是非常個性化的收藏，”他說，“反映了他的品味。”
Mr. Taubman gave some to museums, and was most closely associated with the Detroit Institute of Arts, where a wing is named after him.
陶布曼把其中一些藝術品贈送給了博物館，他與底特律美術館(Detroit Institute of Arts)的關係最密切，該美術館的一個附館以他命名。
Mr. Tennyson said any works currently on loan to museums would be included in the sale. Institute officials said that Mr. Taubman has given that museum, or helped it acquire, more than two dozen works and that he had lent another eight. They declined to comment as to the fate of the loaned works now in its possession.
坦尼森說，目前借給博物館的作品都將納入拍賣。底特律美術館的主管們說，該美術館有20多件作品是陶布曼贈予或在其幫助下獲得的，另有八件作品是他借給美術館的。他們拒絕對借來的那些藝術品的今後的去處做出評論。
Sotheby’s said the proceeds from the sales will be used to settle estate taxes and to fund Mr. Taubman’s private foundation, filling the coffers of an organization that is already a major donor to the University of Michigan and other institutions. Over several decades the foundation has given money to educational, cultural and Jewish institutions as well as to medical organizations and conservation groups. During his life, Mr. Taubman donated more than $150 million to the University of Michigan, where he went to school and where several buildings are named after him.
蘇富比說，拍賣收益將被用於支付遺產稅，填充陶布曼私人基金會的金庫。該基金會已經是密歇根大學(University of Michigan)等機構的主要捐助者。在過去幾十年裏，該基金會已向教育、文化機構，猶太機構以及醫學組織和環保團體捐款。陶布曼一生中向母校密歇根大學捐了1.5億多美元，該校有幾幢樓以他命名。
“The upcoming auctions will unveil Alfred’s extraordinary taste across periods and genres,” Simon Shaw, co-head of Sotheby’s Impressionist and modern art department, said in a statement. “The Taubman name will join such storied American collections as Ford, Gould, Dorrance, Havemeyer and Thannhauser.”
“即將到來的拍賣會將展示艾爾弗雷德的卓越品味，它跨越多個時期，包括多種藝術流派，”蘇富比印象派和現代藝術部的聯合主管西蒙·肖(Simon Shaw)在一個聲明中說，“陶布曼的名字將與福特(Ford)、古爾德(Gould)、多蘭斯(Dorrance)、哈夫邁耶(Havemeyer)和坦豪斯(Thannhauser)等美國著名收藏家一同載入史冊。”
