Pierre Boulez Collection,
A life in the beat of art
 

On 7^th June, Artcurial will be auctioning the works from the estate of the composer and conductor Pierre Boulez. Comprising paintings, watercolours, drawings and prints, the collection bears witness to the links that the composer forged with painters throughout his long career: Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, Alejandro Otero, Jean Tinguely, Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Zao Wou-Ki, as well as works by Paul Klee, Jean Cocteau, Philip Guston, Pierre Soulages, Francis Bacon, Bernard Saby and many others. 

The life of Pierre Boulez (1925-2016) is thus marked by a deep commitment to the development and dissemination of contemporary music. He explored the relationship between music and painting, comparing the creative processes in these two artistic fields. He does not hesitate to draw parallels between painters and composers such as Paul Cézanne and Claude Debussy, as well as Piet Mondrian and Anton Webern. 

His support for creation also extended to visual artists, and Pierre Boulez gravitated towards the inner circle of the greatest artists of his time, befriending, among others, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Zao Wou-Ki, whom he called upon to design the record covers for the “Les concerts du Domaine Musical” collection. Rather than being inspired by works of art, the composer was interested in the painter’s thoughts in the conception of his paintings and transposed them into the musical domain in order to derive new writing procedures. His discovery of Paul Klee had a profound effect on him and encouraged him to expand his thinking about musical space.

The works from Pierre Boulez collection that will be presented at auction reflect the story of his life. Many media are represented in this sale: a watercolour by Paul Klee estimated at €50,000 - 70,000, gouaches on paper and wood by Maria Helena Vieira Da Silva estimated at €8,000 - 12,000 and €40,000 - 60,000 respectively, as well as an oil on canvas by Alejandro Otero El pote rojo III from 1948 estimated at €70,000 - 90,000 and a portrait of Stravinsky by Alberto Giacometti estimated at €30,000 - 40,000. 

His commitment to the arts and creation was hailed by the Louvre, which held a major exhibition in his honour in 2008, called “Pierre Boulez, Œuvre fragment”. In 2015, on the occasion of his 80^th anniversary, the Philharmonie de Paris also paid tribute to him through an exhibition bringing together masterpieces by major 20^th century artists: Paul Cézanne, Paul Klee, Nicolas de Staël, Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Piet Mondrian and André Masson.

Come and discover in this sale the works testifying to a life at the rhythm of art, of this most influential French musician of his time and one of the best international conductors. 

Information
Auction 
Pierre Boulez Collection: A life in the beat of art 
Thursday 7^th June 

 
Exhibition 
Artcurial Munich 
From Tuesday 18^th to Friday 28^th April 2023
Galeriestrasse 2 b  
DE-80539 Munich

Artcurial Paris  
From Saturday 3^rd to Tuesday 6^th June 2023

Contact
Elodie Landais
Tél. +33 1 42 99 20 84