Bringing more than a decade of experience within the art world, specialist Laetitia Guillotin recently joined the Artnet Auctions Prints and Multiples department. Based in London, she is perfectly poised to grow the department’s profile and outreach in Europe. One of the current projects Laetitia has contributed to is the Premier Prints and Multiples: Summer Edition sale, now live for bidding through July 25, 2024, as well as Premier Prints: Private Sales, live through August 8, 2024.
Marking the occasion of her joining the team, we sat down with Laetitia to learn more about her career trajectory to this moment, her insight on the prints and multiples market today, and her highlights from the present auctions.
Laetitia Guillotin in Cromwell Place, London, standing in front of David Hockney, Contrejour in the French Style (1974). Courtesy of Artnet Auctions.
Tell us about your background leading up to joining the Artnet Auctions team, when did you become interested in art?
I grew up in a tiny village in the South of France, where there were very few galleries and exhibitions, so it was my mother who first introduced me to art and her favorite artists through books and craft activities. Visiting the Venice Biennale in high school was revelatory, and I was determined to pursue a career in the art world, so I moved to London as soon as I got my A-levels.
I discovered the print medium while working at Purdy Hicks Gallery, then at The Fine Art Society, before to become a specialist in the Prints & Multiples department at Bonhams. There I further developed my expertise in modern and contemporary editions. Coming to Artnet Auctions, whose expertise is focused on the post-war and contemporary periods, was a natural move for me, enabling me to work with the artists and prints I am most passionate about.
What has been one of the most interesting or memorable moments in your career thus far?
Boarding a cruise ship on the Mediterranean for 48 hours to conduct a valuation was certainly memorable although, ultimately, it is the people I meet and whose works I sell who I remember the most. A client recently wrote to me to say that thanks to my help selling his Banksy print, he and his family were able to buy a house which they never thought they would be able to do. They had bought the print many years prior because they loved it (which should always be the foremost reason anyone buys art in the first place!), not knowing it would one day enable them to own a house. There are many ways art can change the world, at many different levels, and whether you like Banksy or not, that story feels special.
Yayoi Kusama, Lemon Squash (1984)
Yayoi Kusama, Lemon Squash (1984). Price on request.
Specializing in post-war and contemporary prints, what is one thing that you think people should know about the period or medium (or both)?
There are still many misconceptions about what a print is and around the concept of originality. The most important thing anyone should know is that artist prints are original works of art.
Some of the most celebrated artists in art history have experimented with the print medium and even dedicated themselves to making prints—both on their own or working with master printers. These include names as famous as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Hokusai, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Bridget Riley, and Yayoi Kusama to name just a few.
Printmaking can be a very challenging process, technical and laborious. It commands a high degree of skill and training to master the techniques involved in preparing a matrix, inking, cleaning, registering, pressing, and proofing to get the desired result. In short, there couldn’t be a process further away in complexity from pressing the “print” button on a home printer!
Bridget Riley, Blue and Pink (2001)
Bridget Riley, Blue and Pink (2001). Est. $5,000–$7,000.
Regardless of whether it’s in a collection or price, if you could own any one artwork, what would it be and why?
Owning only one print is an awful prospect but for the sake of the question, it would be Helen Frankenthaler East and Beyond (1973). Frankenthaler was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century and she was also a fantastic printmaker—fully dedicated to the medium and its possibilities, pushing boundaries while creating over 300 original prints in the course of her career.
East and Beyond stands out for me as it is not only the first woodcut she created, made under the guidance of Tatyana Grosman, founder of ULAE (Universal Limited Art Editions), but one that changed the course of woodcut printing, as Frankenthaler invented a new technique for blending the edges of each woodblock when printing. It is also quite simply a beautiful work, flowy and luminous.
David Hockney, Contrejour in the French Style (1974)
David Hockney, Contrejour in the French Style (1974). Est. $50,000–$70,000.
What advice would you give to emerging collectors considering or just entering the world of art auctions?
Prints and multiples have become highly collectible and now form one of the strongest market categories. At a time when news about the future of the art market abounds, it is more important than ever to seek a specialist’s take and guidance on prints and multiples, their specific prices and market. The modern and contemporary prints market grows parallel but separate from the more debated and headline-grabbing post-war and contemporary market for example. As a prints specialist, sharing these differences can help clients make more informed decisions, and our team is always happy to advise.
Ultimately, I would recommend always buying from a trusted source, be it a gallery, an auction, or privately; and to take shipping, framing, and conservation into consideration when acquiring a work, making sure to seek guidance on how best to care for it.
Roy Lichtenstein, Nude with Blue Hair (from the “Nudes” Series) (1994)
Roy Lichtenstein, Nude with Blue Hair (from the “Nudes” Series) (1994). Price on request.
Can you tell us a bit about a forthcoming Artnet Auction sale that you are currently working on?
Yes! We are very excited to have just launched our key auction of the season Premier Prints & Multiples: Summer Edition, dedicated to stellar works from the 1960s onwards, while introducing our inaugural Premier Prints & Multiples: Private Sales alongside the auction. The Private Sales allow us to bring truly exceptional works to market that clients may wish to sell or acquire outside the traditional auction format. Roy Lichtenstein’s Nude with Blue Hair (from the “Nudes” series) (1994) is a perfect example, which we have in fact already placed with a buyer!
The momentum and excitement of bidding in an auction varies from the more personable approach a Private Sale can offer. Every collector is different and might have changing preferences when it comes to considering the sale or purchase of an artwork. We are thrilled to offer the versatility of both options to our clients who are seeking to grow their collection.
Ellsworth Kelly, Red Orange over Blue (from “Suite of Twenty-Seven Color Lithographs”) (1964–1965)
Ellsworth Kelly, Red Orange over Blue (from “Suite of Twenty-Seven Color Lithographs”) (1964–1965). Est. $10,000–$15,000.
What lot from the sale stands out to you the most? Why?
Within the auction, a favorite of mine is David Hockney’s Contrejour in the French Style (1974), a complex etching Hockney created while he was living in Paris in collaboration with eminent master printer Aldo Crommelynck, famed for his work with Picasso and Mirò. The work is marvelously technical yet incredibly serene.
The market for Hockney’s prints has never been stronger and continues to appeal to an international audience of collectors. It is a true testament to the originality and experimental nature of his graphic oeuvre, and the genial nature of the man himself.
I also love the wonderful Ellsworth Kelly Red Orange over Blue, from his “Suite of Twenty-Seven Color Lithographs” (1964–1965) printed at Imprimerie Maeght in Paris. This is one of the earliest prints Kelly produced and a great find.
Premier Prints and Multiples: Summer Edition ends on July 25, and Private Sales ends August 8, 2024. Browse all artworks on offer here.
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