One of Only 18 Works by the Artist To Remain In Existence, Bridge no. 114 Will Now Be Exhibited to the Public for the First Time
On Monday 17th October 2011, Sotheby’s will auction the first work by abstract expressionist post-war artist Nat Tate ever to appear at auction as part of the forthcoming Modern & Post-War British Art Sale, on Wednesday 16th November 2011. The drawing, estimated at £3,000-5,000*, is one of only 18 works by the artist remaining in existence. The drawing will be publicly exhibited for the first time prior to the auction, and proceeds from the sale will benefit the Artist’s Benevolent Institution.
Memorably, in 1998 it was revealed that the art of a good hoax might very well be the hoax of good art, and that Nat Tate was in fact a fictitious figure created by bestselling British author William Boyd in his biography Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960. Grounded in vintage photographs of the unknown (picked up at various junk shops and car boot sales), fake New York galleries with real addresses and a group of well-executed drawings and paintings, the great literary ruse of Nat Tate had tricked even the most sophisticated in the art world. Today, however, the artist continues to have a meta-life more real than some of his contemporaries and still the lines of fact and fiction continue to be blurred.
Nat Tate’s legend lives on and, having featured in William Boyd’s novel Any Human Heart (published in 2002), he was superbly brought to life in the award-winning Channel 4 adaptation of the bestselling novel last autumn.
Artists’ General Benevolent Institution
Founded in 1814 by J.M.W Turner, the Artists’ General Benevolent Institution is a London-based charity that assists professional artists who, due to financial difficulty because of illness, old age, or accident, are unable to support themselves and/or their dependents. Incorporated by the Royal Charter in 1842, AGBI is renowned across the United Kingdom for protecting the artist and their legacy with the advice from contemporary artists that voluntarily serve the institution.
