If you work in the marketing department at Christie's and there are some photography sales on the calendar, how do you beat the publicity surrounding Phillip's upcoming Diane Arbus auction?
Piss off the first lady of France, perhaps?
Lot 64 in Christie's Photographs from the Collection of Gert Elfering sale is a 1993 nude photo of Carla Bruni. That's Madame Bruni-Sarkozy to you and me, of course. She married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February.
An aide to Mrs Sarkozy said: "Carla is very angry, not to say deeply upset, that a commercial organization has chosen to release this print at such an important time. Her priority is to establish herself on the world stage as a first lady France can be proud of."
But the photo at auction is hardly racy and French women appear topless at the beach all the time. I wonder if the estimate of $3–4,000 derives more from the notoriety of its subject, the value of its photographer's work, or its PR value?
The photograph is by Michel Comte, who has taken many iconic photographs of celebrities. It would be interesting to know what it's estimate would have been before Bruni added "Sarkozy" to her name and was known as a model and singer. Would she have even cared about the sale? Or did she just get all serious once she became a Mrs.?
The press is making a big deal of the photo, and Comte has stated that he has more explicit ones. He's not selling them . . . yet. Maybe he's angling for dinner at the Palais.
Nude photo of French first lady, Carla Bruni, to hit Christie's auction [Daily News, Gossip]
Think THIS image of Carla is racy? You should see the ones I didn't publish, says photographer [Daily Mail]
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