Art Calendar, 14 January 2022

Sotheby's auction of the Collection of the legendary couple François and Betty Catroux,

the famous designer and fashion icon

Paris 24 February 2022

The interior from their residence on the Côte d'Azur will be auctioned. The auction will be held in Paris on 24 February 2022.

François and Betty Catroux were a legendary couple who were at the center of the Parisian social scene in the 1970s. They married in 1968, when Betty became the face of Yves Saint Laurent and Catroux furnished modern homes for the likes of the Rothschilds, Diane von Furstenberg, Princess Firyal of Jordan, Roman Abramovitch, Hélène Rochas and Antenor Patiño. This February, Sotheby's will auction the collection, which was housed in their apartment in the former Mediterranean palace Palais Maeterlinck. Until now, Catroux's last work has remained completely private and unknown to the public.

The offering includes around one hundred lots, reflecting the designer's personal tastes and bringing together 20th and 21st century contemporary art with works from Asia and Africa, as well as some of his own rare creations.

François Catroux was a great decorator of international renown. He was a master of interior design who combined the refinement of French savoir-faire with comfort, a sense of perspective, and his knowledge of art from around the world. At the Palais Maeterlinck, he brought together significant works by contemporary designers such as Ron Arad, Ingo Maurer, Martin Szekely, Serge Manzon and Ettore Sottsass. These works mingle with those of 20th century artists such as Luis Tomasello, Lucio Fontana, Tom Wesselman, Zoran Music, Victor Vasarely, Xavier Veilhan, Christian Bérard and Jean Cocteau.

The auction also offers a glimpse into the antiques that have accompanied the Catroux family throughout their lives. Items for sale include an Indonesian armchair and a monumental Chinese Coromandel screen with twelve panels.

Betty Catroux is a fashion icon and was considered the "female double" of Yves Saint Laurent. The two met in 1967 at The New Jimmy's nightclub. Anthony Vaccarello, artistic director of Saint Laurent, recently dedicated the special exhibition "Betty Catroux, Yves Saint Laurent Feminine Singular" to her in Paris. Betty Catroux embodied the physical ideal of Yves Saint Laurent in a "masculine feminine style" that differed from the codes of femininity and seductiveness that were common at the time.

The Auction:

The François and Betty Catroux collection goes on sale at Sotheby's, Paris on February 24. Further details about the contents of the auction will be announced in due course on the Sotheby's website.

www. sothebys.com

By Renzo F. 14 January 2022