London –A highlight within Classic Week in London, Christie’s will present Alice & Nikolaus Harnoncourt – Artists Collecting Art, an online sale of 50 select works which opens for bidding on 30 June until 14 July, alongside a group of Old Master pictures and illuminated manuscripts that will be offered from their collection in the Old Masters Part I Sale on 6 July. A renowned classical violinist (Alice, 1930-2022) and a celebrated conductor and musicologist (Nikolaus, 1929-2016), the Harnoncourts were a remarkable artistic duo whose lives were dedicated to music and art. Intellectually curious, collecting was a shared passion that lasted the entirety of their sixty-three year marriage. Providing a window into the very private world of these celebrated public figures within Classical Music, the works being offered span fine and decorative European art from over five centuries, comprising Old Master paintings, early European furniture and sculpture, and ceramics. Notable provenances include the Rothschild family, Alfred Cortot, Yves Saint Laurent and J.P. Morgan.
Elisabeth von Magnus, daughter of Alice & Nikolaus Harnoncourt: “My parents bought works that inspired them and that they wanted to live with. They were never just collectors. They only bought art that they found important and fascinating, as well as with the music they engaged with – it was worth studying and discovering again and again”.
Benedict Winter, Head of Sale commented: “Alice and Nikolaus Harnoncourt left an indelible mark on the world of classical music. Their unwavering commitment to music and art underpinned their collecting and desire for artistic perfection. The works being offered for sale provide the public with a rare glimpse into their private world.”
Alice and Nikolaus
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016), an Austrian conductor and musicologist was born in Berlin, Germany. Influenced by his upbringing in a musical family, his passion for music grew from an early age. In 1953, following his marriage to Alice Hoffelner, a renowned Austrian violinist, they co-founded the Concentus Musicus Wien, an ensemble dedicated to the performance of Baroque and Classical music using period instruments. The numerous recordings made by both Nikolaus and Alice have become benchmarks in the field of historically informed performance.
It was at home, near Salzburg, that the Harnoncourts pursued their other lifelong shared passion – collecting art. Their home was adorned with a diverse collection of artworks, carefully curated to reflect their artistic sensibilities.
