Interior image from the home of Michel Strauss, featuring works by Clifford Ross and Nadav Kander
The career of Michel Strauss is not to be underestimated. During his near 40 years in the Impressionist and Modern Art Department at Sotheby's London, he was at the forefront of the market and its expansion into what it is today. At the age of 25, the Frenchman joined the Department first as a Cataloguer, swiftly rose to Department Head, then Chairman, and was involved in some of Sotheby's most important and highest-grossing sales.
Michel was brought up with a deep respect and admiration for art. This was a genetic inheritance from his grandfather Jules Strauss, a distinguished collector of Impressionist painting, and his grandmother, who taught him that to truly appreciate an artwork, one first had to touch it — a tendency that did not delight the guards of the Louvre.
Interior image from the home of Michel Strauss, featuring works by Nick Waplington and Malerie Marder
The guiding principle behind Michel and Sally's Contemporary Photography Collection is deeply rooted in the appreciation of the Renaissance. It was Isaiah Berlin, Michel's step-father and a visiting professor, who encouraged the young Michel to study Art History at Harvard, sparking a lifelong interest that would shape the content of the Collection.
Key Renaissance motifs are featured prominently and reverberate throughout the Collection. From the immensity of landscapes in Clifford Ross' Mountain III and Elger Esser's Loire et Cher to the exploration of light and shadow in James Casebere's Green Staircase #1 and the ornate interiors of Matthias Schaller's Controfacciata, Palazzo Mocenigo, Michel and Sally have assembled works by acclaimed contemporary artists whose recognition and interpretation of their own art historical heritage reflect the Strauss' own fascination and passion in collecting works of this premier calibre.
James Casebere Green Staircase #1, 2002
Matthias Schaller Controfacciata, Palazzo Mocenigo, 2007
A visionary in the realm of art, Michel Strauss has integrated his vast knowledge and acute sensibility to consistently stay at the cutting edge of the field. His unique vision predicted and directed the rhythm and flow in his professional endeavors, and it is with that same insight and discernment that this collection has been lovingly and thoughtfully created.
This sale represents a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire exemplary photographs from contemporary artists who are being cemented as the prolific image-makers of the 21st century.