Featured Image: Exterior of the Bass House in Fort Worth, designed by Paul Rudolph. Photography: Steve Freihon

NEW YORK – Christie’s is honored to present Art from the Bass House, which will be sold during Spring Marquee Week this May. The works come from the interior of the Bass House in Fort Worth, Texas, the masterpiece of art and architecture designed by legendary architect Paul Rudolph. Commissioned by Anne and Sid Bass in the early 1970s, the house was called “one of the great achievements not only of Rudolph’s prolific career, but of American architecture” by Paul Goldberger; it stands as the architect’s largest and most ambitious single-family project. The art collection on offer is a clear reflection of the house’s brilliant aesthetic and visionary design, with nine works in the 20th Century Evening Sale by leading artists Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, Morris Louis and Gino Severini.  

From the masterpiece artworks hung on the walls to each flower in the garden, the Bass House was the culmination of years of thought, consideration and planning. Among the most influential figures in 20th century architecture, Paul Rudolph had long inspired both Anne and Sid Bass. During Sid Bass’s time as a student at Yale, the creation of the Rudolph-designed Art and Architecture Building had recently gotten underway. After decidedly taking himself on a tour of the active construction site, Sid Bass found himself completely mesmerized—and nearly considered a career in architecture as a result. Once he and Anne married, the two became determined to have a home built by Rudolph and spent a full year drafting a letter to ask him. Upon Rudolph’s agreement, the collaborative endeavor began. Rudolph planned the project considering art as a top priority. At the instruction of the Basses, walls and skylights were incorporated into the design with the intent to hang paintings and create display space with natural light. Rudolph’s exceptional structure was complemented to perfection through the meticulous work of landscape architect Robert Zion and celebrated British gardener, Russell Page. The Bass House remains a beacon within Rudolph’s oeuvre. The exemplary art it housed will debut in Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries this spring ahead of the sale in May.

Bonnie Brennan, CEO, Christie’s, remarks, “Anne and Sid Bass stand among the world’s most formidable and influential art collectors, combining exquisite taste with the highest level of connoisseurship. The fantastic home they built together in Fort Worth, Texas in the early 1970s was a singular representation of their combined vision— built to perfectly showcase their inimitable collection. It is an honor to present Art from the Bass House to the market this season. These artworks offer a rare opportunity to a new generation of collectors, and we are eager to see how our clients respond.”

Max Carter, Vice Chairman, 20th and 21st Century Art, Christie’s, remarks, “Commissioned by Anne and Sid Bass when they were not yet 30, the Bass House is one of America’s architectural marvels. Working closely with Paul Rudolph, the Basses imagined the home they wished to live in, attending to the effortless flow and function of its rooms as carefully as the objects they would surround themselves with. The result was an experience of overpowering, almost spiritual beauty, with Rudolph’s soaring interiors, Russell Page’s magical garden and the masterpieces on every surface—from Severini’s rare dancer and Calder’s exquisite Gypsophila to Rothko’s No. 4 (Two Dominants) [Orange, Plum, Black]—uniting the best and most visionary in architecture, landscape and art.”

Alex Rotter, Chairman 20th and 21st Century Art, Christie’s, remarks, “Mark Rothko was unmatched in his understanding of the power of color, with a legacy that continues to resonate and inspire worldwide. The Rothko canvas from the Bass House is the artist at his finest. Memorialized in MoMA’s ‘15 Americans’ exhibition in 1952, the work is a masterpiece that speaks to the artist’s brilliance. Rothko was the ultimate pioneer of abstraction, and we are deeply honored to showcase this canvas in our 20th Century Evening Sale.”

Exemplifying elegance in both its structural composition and landscape architecture, the Bass House was the ideal canvas for the collection of art, invigorating the indoor and outdoor spaces. The great living room, serving as the home’s centerpiece, was flanked with two monumental paintings: Gamma Upsilon by Morris Louis ($2 – 3 million) and Firuzabad III by Frank Stella ($1 – 2 million). Made a decade apart, the first in 1960 and the second in 1970, the two massive canvases were in harmonious conversation—a perfect balance of color and restraint. Down a brief staircase, a pair of pristine canvases by Agnes Martin, Untitled #11 (estimate: $3.5 - 5.5 million) and Untitled #2 (estimate: $1.5 - 2.5 million) hung beside a grand piano, evoking a sense of tranquility. Across from the Martins was Frank Stella’s Itata (estimate: $6 – 8 million), mirroring the parallel lines of the stairs it hung above. One of just nine paintings total in Stella’s Notched-V series, Itata is a rare example within his oeuvre.

To the Stella’s right hung the crown jewel and leading highlight of the collection: a Mark Rothko masterpiece from the early 1950s, No. 4 (Two Dominants) [Orange, Plum, Black] (estimate on request; in the region of $35 million). This bold canvas represents the best of Rothko, the strength of the work redefining the space. Standing nearly eight feet tall and 15 feet across, Ellsworth Kelly’s Blue Black Red (estimate: $4 - 6 million) was prominently featured in the playroom. When Kelly himself first saw the painting hung in the residence, he was completely enchanted. In the library was Gino Severini’s Danseuse (estimate: $1.5 million – 2.5 million) painted circa winter 1915-1916, making it the earliest work in the collection. The painting was a favorite of Anne Bass, who loved the ballet, and placed it by her desk.

(Press Release)