Designer Vladimir Kagan’s personal collection 100% sold at Freeman’s

Green Vladimir Kagan Omnibus sofa, $22,680. Image courtesy of Freeman’s

PHILADELPHIA — Freeman’s January 25 auction, The Personal Collection of Vladimir Kagan, inaugurated Freeman’s Winter/Spring auction season with the furniture, art and design objects the esteemed designer created, lived with, and loved throughout his life. With a 100% sell-through rate, the sale clearly demonstrates the ongoing market demand for the work of this trailblazing 20th-century designer.

“Freeman’s is incredibly honored to have been entrusted with this important personal collection by the Kagan family,” said Head of Sale Michael Hartman. “Kagan’s singular eye — both in the designs of his own work, and as a collector of others — attracted buyers who were eager to own a piece of this living legacy.”

‘Metropolitan Museum M,’ after Frank Stella, $35,280. Image courtesy of Freeman’s

Leading the sale were two iconic works from the oft-photographed living room of Kagan’s Park Avenue apartment, where he lived with his wife, Erica Wilson, for nearly 50 years: the bright, dynamic Metropolitan Museum M, after Frank Stella, which achieved $35,280; and a green Kagan Omnibus sofa, which exceeded its low estimate by more than seven times to sell for $22,680.

James Hiroshi Suzuki, ‘Gens,’ $16,360. Image courtesy of Freeman’s

Many of Kagan’s quintessential designs well exceeded their estimates, from upholstered chaises and chairs to ottomans and sofas that blend mid-century form with sensuous comfort. Several works of art in Kagan’s personal collection likewise performed well, including a selection of paintings by James Hiroshi Suzuki; his canvas Gens earned $16,360, and Poem in October and Untitled both outperformed their estimates.

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