Unwrapped: The Hidden World of Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Sotheby’s announces the sale of works from the long-time New York studio and home of internationally renowned artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the couple renown for their grand-scale site-specific environmental installations. The collection presents nearly 400 lots showcasing a range of their artistic inspirations, friendships with 20th-century artists, and the famed studio where Christo and Jeanne-Claude projected their artistic vision to the world. These friendships and connections included Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, Lucio Fontana, Claes Oldenburg, Marcel Duchamp, William Copley, Nam June Paik, and many more.

“Christo (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff) and Jeanne-Claude (Jeanne-Claude Marie Denat) were both born on June 13, 1935, in Gabrovo (Bulgaria) and Casablanca (Morocco) respectively. Christo fled Communist Bulgaria, passing through Prague, Vienna and Geneva to finally settle in Paris in March 1958, and he met Jeanne-Claude in Paris that same year when they were both 23 … It was during Christo’s Parisian years that he began to experiment with wrapping, and, together with Jeanne-Claude, began to develop his monumental outdoor projects. These large-scale, immersive, and interactive works would go on to define their signature creative process throughout their careers, earning them international renown and acclaim.” (Sotheby’s)

Here are a few photos to remember some of their most important projects.