A Picasso Expected to Fetch $140 Million May Become the Most Expensive Painting Ever Sold at Auction

A Picasso Expected to Fetch $140 Million May Become the Most Expensive Painting Ever Sold at Auction
On May 11 the auction house Christie’s hopes to brush past its previous world record for art sold at auction when Pablo
Picasso’s ШУУД ҮЗЭХ Les Femmes

d’Alger (Version “O”) goes on the block, with bidding expected to reach $140 million or more. The top lot at Christie’s Looking Forward to the Past sale in New York, the painting is the last in a series of 15—lettered “A” through “O”—that drew from 19th-century artist Eugène Delacroix’s studies of the same name. Departing from Delacroix’s French Romantic motif, Picasso’s homage borrows from cubist, fauvist, and neo-impressionist schools of art. The collectors Sally and Victor Ganz purchased the entire Les Femmes d’Alger series in 1956 for about $213,000.
 Another important piece going under the hammer during the auction is Claude Monet’s Le Parlement, Soleil Couchant, part of a series of 19 paintings that the impressionist captured of London’s Houses of Parliament at various times of the day (and thus at various stages of light). Valued between $35 million and $45 million, Le Parlement, Soleil Couchant is one of only five in the series that is not in a museum and was painted prior to Monet’s famous Le Bassin Aux Nymphéas, which sold for roughly $80 million in 2008.

VIPs Toast to 300 Years of Martell Cognac

VIPs Toast to 300 Years of Martell Cognac

In March, Robb Report invited a select group of VIPs to Club Macanudo on New York’s Upper East Side for an exclusive night with Martell 
Cognac. Live   ШУУД ҮЗЭХ jazz played as

guests arrived at the mahogany-and-leather-clad smoking lounge. Paired with Cohiba cigars, two cocktails—the Martell Sidecar and Martell Ginger—were served alongside a selection of hors d’oeuvres.
 The highlight of the event came as a Martell brand ambassador introduced a flight of three premier cognacs: The Martell XO came out first, followed by Martell Creation, which exhibits superior Grand Champagne notes. Finally, the Martell L’OR de Jean Martell, blended using over 400 rare eaux-de-vie, made a memorable impression for its notes of citrus, fruit, and gingerbread. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the legendary cognac house founded at the height of French L’Art de Vivre. To close the event, two lucky raffle winners won 750 mL bottles of Martell Cordon Bleu.

Cigarette Racing and Mercedes-AMG Launch the 50′ Marauder GT S Speedboat

Cigarette Racing and Mercedes-AMG Launch the 50′ Marauder GT S Speedboat
The new Cigarette Racing 50′ Marauder GT S is the latest result of the Miami boatbuilder’s nearly decade-long partnership
with  ШУУД ҮЗЭХ Mercedes-AMG.

 Nearly every year at the Miami International Boat Show, the two industry leaders launch a new boat that combines Mercedes-AMG styling with Cigarette Racing performance. For instance, 2013 saw the debut of the 42 Huntress, which shared visual cues with the Mercedes G83 AMG. This year’s concept boat was inspired by the Mercedes-AMG GT S road car, which was introduced last year at the Paris Motor Show.
 These matching beasts of land and water share the same paint scheme of AMG Solarbeam Yellow and matte black—and, of course, a V-8 power train. The boat is equipped with twin 1,550 hp Mercury Racing engines that allow it to reach a top speed of 135 mph. Its two colossal engines have been staggered to keep the boat’s profile slender while also improving overall weight distribution.

The Cigarette 50′ Marauder GT S features an advanced Garmin navigation system, computerized controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and four high-definition displays. The special-edition boat has a $1.2 million price tag. The one-off concept promises to turn heads wherever it runs—that is, if you can see more than a yellow streak on the water.

Multimillion-Dollar Jewelry Up for Grabs at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels

Multimillion-Dollar Jewelry Up for Grabs at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels

On May 12 in Geneva, nearly 500 jewelry items will cross the block at
Sotheby’s  ШУУД ҮЗЭХ Magnificent

Jewels and Noble Jewels auction at the Hȏtel Beau Rivage on Lake Geneva, including two especially unforgettable designs: the 8.72-carat Historic Pink Diamond, valued at $14 million to $18 million, and the 25.59-carat Sunrise Ruby, valued at $12 million to $18 million.
“The Historic Pink Diamond is extremely rare and sublimely beautiful,” says David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division. “It is all the more rare in a pink diamond to see a classic cushion cut. This is the first time that a diamond of this stunning color with this classic cut has been offered at auction. Everyone who has seen it has fallen in love with it, and its fascinating provenance only adds to its attraction.”

The diamond’s previous owners include the American copper heiress Huguette Clark and Princess Mathilde Bonaparte, niece of Napoléon Bonaparte.

The Sunrise Ruby, sourced from the gem-rich Mogok region of central Burma, is an exceptionally rare, dark-red color, known as “pigeon’s blood.” The bluish-hued crimson tone results from a delicate balance of elements, including corundum, chrome, iron, and titanium. The Sunrise Ruby’s large size sets it apart from other similarly colored rubies.

The auction will also feature signed pieces from Boucheron and Bulgari, as well as tiaras from the collection of England’s Mary Evelyn Hungerford, the Duchess of Roxburghe.

Shop the United Kingdom’s Best Artisanal Products at the Rosewood London Hotel

Shop the United Kingdom’s Best Artisanal Products at the Rosewood London Hotel
In London’s bustling Midtown district known as Holborn, the
Rosewood ШУУД ҮЗЭХ London hotel has

launched a Slow Food & Living Market, which takes place each Sunday in the belle-epoque building’s inner courtyard. The curated farmers market is endorsed by Slow Food UK, and everything sold must be locally sourced, in season, and thoughtfully harvested.

 The vibrant marketplace has hay bales strewn throughout, reclaimed-wood stalls and tables made of old wine barrels overflowing with rustic breads, organic fruits and vegetables, and sustainably grown flowers. Over 30 vendors participate, offering such items as vegan chocolates, pasture-raised beef, and a refreshing, locally made mead.

At the helm of the market is Rosewood London’s new executive chef, Amandine Chaignot, a former judge on the TV series MasterChef France who has worked at the Plaza Athénée, Le Meurice, and the Hôtel Raphael, Paris. Chaignot believes strongly in cooking with in-season, locally grown ingredients and has recently started a slow-food brunch in the hotel’s elegant Mirror Room restaurant to coincide with the market. Many of the foods featured are available for purchase in the market, such as O’Shea’s Butchers charcuterie and Oliver’s Bakery breads. Even the Bloody Marys feature slow-food ingredients, including sweet Isle of Wight tomatoes and London-made Half Hitch gin, so you can indulge in the decadent all-you-can-eat brunch virtually guilt-free.

VIPs Toast to 300 Years of Martell Cognac

VIPs Toast to 300 Years of Martell Cognac

In March, Robb Report invited a select group of VIPs to Club Macanudo on New York’s Upper East Side for an exclusive
night ШУУД ҮЗЭХ with Martell

Cognac. Live jazz played as guests arrived at the mahogany-and-leather-clad smoking lounge. Paired with Cohiba cigars, two cocktails—the Martell Sidecar and Martell Ginger—were served alongside a selection of hors d’oeuvres.
 The highlight of the event came as a Martell brand ambassador introduced a flight of three premier cognacs: The Martell XO came out first, followed by Martell Creation, which exhibits superior Grand Champagne notes. Finally, the Martell L’OR de Jean Martell, blended using over 400 rare eaux-de-vie, made a memorable impression for its notes of citrus, fruit, and gingerbread. This year marks the 300th anniversary of the legendary cognac house founded at the height of French L’Art de Vivre. To close the event, two lucky raffle winners won 750 mL bottles of Martell Cordon Bleu.