Victoria Beckham is one of the most famous women in the world, having enjoyed a remarkable career that has seen her transformed from iconic pop star to revered fashion designer. Alongside building her eponymous brand, Beckham has spent many years collecting art by established names and lesser-known emerging talents alike.
Most recently Sotheby’s have teamed up with Victoria Beckham to open a first of its kind collaborative exhibition in which highlights from Sotheby’s Old Master Paintings sale will be presented in the contemporary setting of Victoria Beckham’s Dover Street store in Mayfair.
Featuring 16 portraits selected by Victoria, the exhibition juxtaposes the classical appeal of Old Masters with the modern aesthetic of the Dover Street boutique, showcasing this long-established genre of art in a new light. Presenting exceptional examples by renowned artists, including Sir Peter Paul Rubens and Lucas Cranach the Elder, the exhibition celebrates the innate beauty of Old Master
Speaking about the collaboration, Victoria Beckham said, “It was my first visit to the Frick in New York last year, that really opened my eyes to Old Masters, and is where my fascination began. To have now been given the opportunity to start to learn about them with the incredible team at Sotheby’s and have these portraits hanging within my retail space is literally a dream come true. I hope their installation in such a contemporary setting is as inspiring to my customers as it is to me.”
With its white walls and polished concrete floor, the Dover Street boutique is Victoria’s flagship store. Designed by renowned architect, Farshid Moussavi, the store, which opened in 2015, has hosted a number of collaborative projects with artists including - Turner Prize winner Martin Creed, artist Eddie Peake and sculptor and jeweller Emily Young. Displayed across three floors, the Sotheby’s exhibition is the first time Victoria has displayed Old Master paintings in her store, marking a departure from the Contemporary aesthetic for which she is known.
Selected by Victoria from Sotheby’s forthcoming July Old Master sales, the works include examples of portraiture by some of the most celebrated artists of the genre, from the Renaissance and the Dutch Golden Age to the British 18th century. From famous duchesses and viscounts, to self-portraits and sitters entirely unknown, the portraits in the exhibition tell the remarkable stories of both the sitters and the artists.
Sotheby’s partnership with Beckham is just the latest in a series of pop-culture collaborations for the auction house. The exhibition is on display in Dover Street until 27th June, ahead of Sotheby’s Old Master Evening sale on 4th July 2018.
For further information visit www.sothebys.com
