Magnificent Jewels under hammer on December 8

Christie’s unveils The Collection of Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski, December 2020 

Christie’s is honored to announce that it has been entrusted with The Collection of Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski, which will be offered across eight sales, beginning in New York this December with Post-War & Contemporary Art (December 3), Impressionist and Modern Art (December 4), Magnificent Jewels (December 8), Jewels Online (November 18 to December 1), Design (December 11), Old Master Paintings Online (November 13 to December 4) followed by the April 2021 sales of The Collector (April 8) and Prints & Multiples (April 21).

Known throughout international circles by an affectionately abbreviated name, Babs deK was a figure synonymous with style and glamor. Muse and close friend to Andy Warhol, she was part owner, cover star, and contributor to his renowned Interview magazine. Babs’ Warhol years are well documented in editorials, Polaroids and drawings. She and Andy were the undisputed disco balls of Studio 54, and in their lives outside of the club scene, they shared a deep friendship.

Babs was at the core of the Pop Art movement inspiring and collecting pieces by the artists in her close circle. She always knew who the next “great” would be in the art world and amassed a collection reflective of her distinct sense of taste and style. In the mid-1980s she met Henryk de Kwiatkowski and they shared a long marriage from 1986 until his passing in 2003. 

She was a loving mother and wife, an international beauty, and one of society’s great hostesses. She had a discerning eye and the ability to create beauty in everything she touched, reflected in the art and objects that filled her homes at Coyners Farm, Connecticut; Calumet Farm, Kentucky; Serendip Cove, Lyford Cay; and 1 Beekman Place, New York. 

All of her properties were beautifully decorated by the combined force and talent of Babs and Sister Parish of Parish-Hadley Associates, the firm celebrated for its designs of the Kennedy White House. 

The grouping being offered at Christie’s complements its owner in presenting over 60 lots representative of her enduring style. Also featured are important pieces of 20th century design including furniture by Diego Giacometti and vases by Jean Dunand and iconic jewels spanning designs by Belperron, Harry Winston, JAR, and Verdura. 

Rachael White Young, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Christie’s Americas, notes: “Christie’s is honored to present The Collection of Barbara de Kwiatkowski. It is a privilege to celebrate the life of a true icon of the seventies and eighties, and a connoisseur of New York culture. 

Babs left an indelible mark on the lives of those she touched. Her friendship with Andy Warhol is documented through his Polaroids as well as in the important works of art in her collection, including her own portrait by the artist. She was a meaningful part of the fabric of creators and makers in what is often deemed the golden age of New York’s art world.”

 

Daphne Lingon, Head of Jewelry, Christie’s Americas, remarks: “Barbara de Kwiatkowski was known for her innate sense of style in all modes of design. The jewelry represented in her collection includes some of the most recognized names such as JAR, Belperron, and Verdura who were makers that continually pushed boundaries looking to art and nature for inspiration. 

Her personal taste in jewels gravitated toward the bold and brilliant featuring remarkable gemstones including sapphires, emeralds and jade that pair with the vibrant colors of Pop Art complemented by an impressive and classic 10.59 carat D color, potentially Internally Flawless diamond originally purchased at Winston.”