It was the biggest private auction in history, and raised £346m. It included artworks by Picasso and Matisse, furniture by Eileen Gray, and statues from China's Qing dynasty. You may not have had had the cash - what, no £14 for that rabbit fountainhead in bronze? - to pay for a piece of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's art and interiors collection which went on sale last month, but, if you're a fan of the late, great designer, there is the chance to buy into his taste - for a fraction of the price.
Thames & Hudson, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, has this week published The Taste of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé (£60), which shows, for the first time, the collection in situ at the pair's homes. With a foreword by Bergé, written by Robert Murphy (Paris correspondent for magazines such as W and Women's Wear Daily) and designed by Peter Saville, the 280-page tome is something of a design sensation in its own right.
Now that the Saint Laurent and Bergé collections have been dispersed to collectors around the world, this book serves as a visual record of one of the world's greatest taste-maker's sense of style. It's also a great way to dress up your coffee table at home.
