Page 7 - Pierre Durand Collection Including Chinese Art and Porcelain Sothebys Jan 27 2022

was more of a silent partner, that time period resonates in different
areas of his collection. The blue and white porcelains on the shelves
of the dining room echo those that he donated to the Freer Gallery
in 1992 for the restoration of the Peacock Room. The ink painting by
the contemporary Chinese artist Liu Dan reflects a special time at
the gallery, when Khalil and Pierre supported the artist’s early work in
New York. It was during this time that I first met them both. Khalil was
an irreplaceable mentor and friend to me until his untimely death in
2001. My friendship with Pierre developed more fully after Khalil died,
while we and the team navigated life at the gallery. In the decades
after, Pierre was a great supporter of my interests as I moved on from
the gallery to new opportunities, and eventually came to Christie’s.
He would check in with me, excited by new finds, and we enjoyed
countless conversations about objects that piqued his curiosity.

When Pierre took the reins of the gallery after Khalil’s death, he
maintained his own investment firm that he had founded some years
earlier. Slowly, however, art took more of a center stage in his life, and
Pierre loved hunting for whimsical, unusual pieces for the gallery and
his home. His Paris apartment on Avenue Gabriel is another reflection
of Pierre’s exquisite taste and discerning eye. The interior, designed
by Pierre with Parisian dealer Eric Vidal, was published by Elle Décor
in 2015.

On a philanthropic note, Pierre was elected to the board of Venetian
Heritage in 2002 and served as both treasurer and president over
the subsequent years, sharing his expertise in business and his
passion for art and architecture to help preserve the treasures of the
city he loved. He also served on the boards of the Master Drawings
Association Inc. at the Morgan Library, and the American Friends of
the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

At home in New York, the apartment, while first furnished in the early
1990s, was constantly and subtly changing. Objects were mingled on
surfaces, then moved across the room to form fresh vignettes with
recent acquisitions. Major works such as the d’Hondecoeter painting
and the stunning George II over-mantel mirror were fixed anchors
throughout the years, while drawings were mixed and rearranged
with contemporary photographs so that his eye never became bored.
Pierre also avidly pursued the history of each piece he collected
and was particularly fond of doing research and uncovering hidden
treasures.

Christie’s is honored to present this distinguished collection to both
established and new collectors.

-Margaret Kaelin Gristina