Christie's will present French Classicism: Selections from the Private Collection of Michael Simon, featuring over 30 examples of French furniture and decorative arts of the Ancien Régime owned by one of the most respected connoisseurs in the field, on June 7.
The pieces selected are characterized by all the hallmarks of Michael Simon’s professional work as an interior designer: a meticulous attention to detail, exquisite craftsmanship and beautifully selected fabrics for the fine array of seat furniture in the group. The collection will be a special feature within the June sale of 500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe.
Acclaimed for his knowledge of 18th-century French decorative arts, the New York-based designer Michael Simon has created exquisite interiors for clients across the United States and overseas. His designs for private residences have been featured in The New York Times, Architectural Digest, House & Garden and numerous other publications in the U.S. and abroad. He has also served as a consultant to such important historic restoration projects as the Morris-Jumel Mansion (Manhattan’s oldest residence) and the bedroom suite of Edith Wharton’s The Mount.
Highlights of the sale will include a late Louis XVI ormolu and rock crystal twelve-light chandelier, circa 1790; a pair of chandeliers in gilt-bronze, hung with precious rock crystal and cut-glass; and a Louis XV gilt tole and wrought-iron mirror, circa 1740; and a Louis XVI gray-painted canape by Jean-Baptiste Bernard Demay, circa 1785.
