Alfred Reginald Thomson, R.A. (1894-1979) A Modern Cocktail Bar, 1931 oil on canvas

As a one-off Christie’s is set to offer an eclectic mix of food and drink related items to gourmet buyer at The Art of Food and Drink.

After recent success with themed auctions, including Out of the Ordinary 2013 and The London Sale 2012, Christie’s has decided to create this unconventional sale which hopes to introduce connoisseurs and epicures alike to the art of food and drink: the focus of some of the greatest art and design throughout history.

Amongst the 180 unusual lots, ranging from £400 to £60,000 are paintings, photographs, posters, tableware and assorted kitchenalia. Alfred Reginald Thomson’s A Modern Cocktail Bar, 1931- Saville Theatre, London is set to top the bill. Usually known as a war artist for the Royal Air Force, the artist has previously designed posters for a whiskey company as well as portraits and caricatures. This painting embodies the relaxed social atmosphere of theatregoers enjoying a drink during the interval at the Saville Theatre.

For pop art lovers the auction includes a signed Campbell’s tomato soup can, by Andy Warhol, suspected to fetch £1,500-£2,000. This genuine soup can is an ironic twist on the Campbell’s soup can image that Warhol made so famous in the 1960s. Alternately there is a Claes Oldenberg sculpture, Profiterole; known for his pop art based on junk food and consumerism, it is estimated at £3,000-£5,000. Other lots include, a Christian Dior earthenware bust, an Austrian cold-painted bronze model of a pig, circa 1900, a running pig with a back hinged for an inkwell with a stolen basket in his mouth of food and wine and a chef’s knife and fork embedded in its back, as well as a Keith Haring, Spirit of Art, Coffee Service.

Nicolas Martineau, Head of Sale, commented: “The Art of Food & Drink is the first auction of its kind, offering gourmet buyers a unique opportunity to indulge their passions for food and drink related items. The sale offers everything from still lifes by Old Masters to iconic posters advertising famous brands, fossilized crustaceans, early tea canisters, Picasso ceramics and early recipe books. It will be a feast for the senses and with estimates starting at £400 is likely to appeal to a range of buyers including those new to Christie’s, as well as established collectors.

With an assorted selection of food and drink paraphernalia, Christie’s auction should give more than a taste for interested buyers to indulge their whimsical and foodie sides.

Christie’s South Kensington
85 Old Brompton Road,
London,
SW7 3LD