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Bar talk

The artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) was no stranger to the bars of Paris. In fact, he frequented such establishments so regularly, that he was often asked to create advertisements for them. Full of absinthe, cabaret dancers, and the strange mix of camaraderie and loneliness that is best found at a late-night watering hole, Lautrec's works captured the vibrant nightlife of a decadent bohemian Paris. When Lautrec ventured out of his usual artistic haunt of Montmartre, he could often be found at the Irish and American Bar on the Rue Royale on the right bank of the Seine. It was here that he found inspiration for the advertisement for American literary journal, The Chap Book, a lithograph of which is to be offered at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr this Autumn. It shows two men at a bar, but whether they are at the beginning or the end of the night is unclear.

Sale: Posters Online, 30 September - 8 October

Enquiries: Richard Barclay, +33 625 572 389, richard.barclay@bonhams.com

Pleasant life

While the artists of the Realism movement of the 19th century, such as Jean François Millet, sought to document the arduous lives of the labourers who toiled in the French countryside, William Bouguereau (1825-1905) chose instead to romanticise the simple life. The peasants he depicted, predominantly young women and girls, are imbued with serenity and innocence, and seemingly unaffected by the hard work and social injustices of daily life. In Fardeau Agréable, which comes to Bonhams 19th Century and British Impressionist Art sale in September, two girls, one rather young and other on the verge of womanhood, are engaging in a playful moment, which is only interrupted by the viewer. Though this romanticising can be questioned, the picture is testament to a clear appreciation of humanity and the simple things, even in the face of hardship.

Sale: 19th Century and British Impressionist Art, 25 September

Enquiries: Charles O'Brien, +44 (0) 20 7468 8360, charles.obrien@bonhams.com

Centre stage

The Merkle Collection returns to Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr this autumn for an expectational sequel. The collection was begun 50 years ago by Hadrian Merkle (1942-2018), a German businessman and passionate private collector, and it includes some of the finest 18^th century Meissen porcelain sculpture still in private hands. Part two, entitled Commedia dell'Arte, presents the lighter side of this high art form. Based on the Italian theatre popular across Europe from the 16th to the 18th century, the sale features figures playing the roles of the stock characters and masked actors of the Commedia dell'Arte. More than just slapstick you can have on your mantlepiece, this impressive porcelain collection deserves to be centre stage.

Sale: The Merkle Collection: Commedia dell'Arte, 31 October

Enquiries: Nette Megens, +44 20 7468 8348, nette.megens@bonhams.com

Added Spice

Bonhams held a very special After Hours event in June in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust for the launch of the Anything But Ordinary sale, curated by old friends of Bonhams, The Connor Brothers. The evening was hosted by comedian Joel Dommett, who introduced poet and cancer survivor Lauren Angrish who gave a moving recital of her poem to music from the sound of her heartbeat during treatment. This was followed by a single-lot charity auction, which got heart beats racing in the room, before the much anticipated guest DJ, former Spice Girl, Melanie C got the crowd dancing around Triceratops Skull. An anything but ordinary Monday night.

The event also featured a special limited-edition release by The Connor Brothers in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust as well as an appeal for text donations, which raised £29,792. Together, the auction and event raised £61,242 in support of Teenage Cancer Trust.

Room to recover

The charity Hospital Rooms was founded when a friend of artist Tim A Shaw and curator Niamh White was sectioned and admitted to a NHS mental health hospital. On visiting her, they were shocked to find the hospital environment was cold and clinical at a time when she was so vulnerable. Having both worked in the arts for 10 years, Shaw and White felt they had the skills and community to be able to transform these spaces with unique and site specific artworks. 

Continuing a long partnership, Bonhams and Hauser & Wirth will hold a live and online-only auction in aid of Hospital Rooms this September, with artworks donated by acclaimed artists including Rana Begum, Sutapa Biswas, Peter Liversidge, and Fabian Peake. All proceeds from the sale will support Hospital Rooms’ Digital Art School programme, which launched in May and which brings artist-led workshops and professional-quality artist materials to every single mental health service in England.

Sale: Hospital Rooms: Digital Art School, 11 September

Warhol's last print portfolio

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was the Pop Art master, known for his obsession with celebrity and consumer culture, and use of bold colours. He is not someone you would instantly associate with military camouflage. However, inspired by his assistant, Jay Shiver, who had been working with camouflage and mesh military cloth in his own works, Warhol decided to play with the idea. In true Warhol fashion, the Camouflage series, which would be his last print portfolio, subverts the pattern typically associated with utilitarian and military purposes. Warhol instead plays with the traditional understanding of camouflage, and uses bright vibrant colours as opposed to the traditional greens and browns. Far from blending in, this work will certainly stand out when it comes to Bonhams Prints sale in LA in October.

Sale: Prints & Multiples, 1 October, Los Angeles

Enquiries: Morisa Rosenberg, +1 323 436 5435, morisa.rosenberg@bonhams.com

Gutai at Art Basel Paris

Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr will be exhibiting a selection of works by Gutai group member Shôzô Shimamoto (1928-2013), during the week of Art Basel Paris this year. This selling exhibition will be the first retrospective dedicated to the artist to take place in France and will feature works from 1950 (the pre-Gutai period), through the famous Gutai period (1954-1972), to the artist's last performances in Italy from 2008 to 2011. Some of these works will be exhibited for the first time. The Gutai group was founded in Japan in the 1950s and was best known for a broad range of experimental art forms, often combining painting with performance. The pair of shoes the artist used during one of his last performances will also be on view. The exhibition features a particularly strong selection of works, including the standout oil and plaster on canvas, Untitled from 1960.

Enquiries: Giacomo Balsamo, +44 (0) 20 7468 5837, giacomo.balsamo@bonhams.com

Dante and Matador McQueen

Alexander McQueen's career-defining 1996 collection 'Dante' was inspired by the 14th century Florentine poet, writer, and philosopher Dante Alighieri's famous work, The Divine Comedy. McQueen was far from the first to find inspiration in Dante, but for him, it allowed him to present a collection that provided a commentary on religion, war and innocence. He dedicated it to his long-time friend and muse, Isabella Blow. Now a famous Matador coat from the collection will feature in Bonhams Pop X Culture sale this November. Considering McQueen's collection in 1995 was called 'Highland Rape', taking inspiration from Matadors is arguably much less provocative.

Sale: Pop x Culture, 8 November

Enquiries: Meg Randell, +44 (0) 20 7393 3876, meg.randell@bonhams.com

Strange dreams

Many artists have been fascinated with dreams, but for Paul Delvaux (1897-1994) it was something of an obsession. Though he did not formally identify as a Surrealist, many of his works contained imagery associated with the movement – classical columns, female nudes, and strange weather, for instance – and almost all were set within a dream-like world of his own creation. L'Orage, which comes to a new sale for London, the 20th/21st Century Art Evening sale in October, is no exception. To stare at it long enough is to enter into a world where a storm is approaching, what exactly that means to the viewer many depend on their own subconscious.

Sale: 20th/21st Century Art Evening Sale, 10 October

Enquiries: Hannah Noel-Smith, +44 (0) 20 7468 5814, hannah.noel-smith@bonhams.com

Rebel de Revel

Concept store Quidam de Revel, which opened in Paris in 1999, was the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Emmanuelle and Philippe Harros. Both had a passion for luxury vintage clothing and antiques and the couple went on to build an haute couture collection with the main vision of preserving works of 20th century couture which were rich in history for the next generation of collectors. The Quidam de Revel Collection, which come to Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr this October, encompasses some of the most coveted names in the world of fashion, featuring notable outfits from across the decades, and presenting a unique insight into the evolution of fashion design.

Sale: Collection Quidam de Revel, 2 October

Enquiries: Hubert Felbacq, +33156791245, hubert.felbacq@bonhams-csc.com